October 2022 NY Edition

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“We are grateful for the people who participated, cause Newark360 could not exist without the priorities of Newarkers,” the Mayor added.

SECTIONS

The goal of the Baraka Administration from first year in office in 2014 focused on creating every aspect of Newark life—health, safety, home ownership, and business opportunity.

centers, elementary schools, magnet and comprehensive high schools, business partners, social services, elected of ficials, higher education, community and faith-based orga nizations, co-curricular and extended learning experiences, gifted and talented programs, adult and alternative educa tion, and career, and technical education. On the right side of the diagram, but an integral part of the ecosystem, are the “game changers.” In the earliest years, the game changers are prenatal care, health care, daycare, and access to early childhood education; at age 3 to grade three, they are access to high school and wraparound services; at grade 6 to 9, ac cess to higher education; in high school, access to college, college credits, dual enrollment, apprenticeships, intern ships, mentorships, and industry certifications; and there after, alumni associations, coaching, networking, and jobs. The keys and game changers are all interconnected, and all play a role in the plan to cultivate the relationships, resourc es, and opportunities every child needs to achieve their full potential in the 21st century.

Newark360’s objective is to take long-range those core principles, so that every resident in the city’s continued development and success.

The implementation of the Newark360 outreach illustrated how Mayor Baraka 2014 campaign slogan: “When I become

As one resident said, “I love the diversity and its spirit. It’s hard to name the sense nation, and pride Brick City residents have I’m so excited to be part of its present and Newark360 provides action and work tions between city neighborhoods and ate more affordable housing, strengthen torical and cultural fabric, and address

themasterplan

To develop Newark’s 10-year Master Plan, 10,000 voices spoke and what they said was heard. This, the essential backbone of the plan, resulted in New ark360, the forward-looking blueprint for the city’s equi table physical development. The title came about organically from the idea that the Master Plan should take a 360-degree view encompassing every aspect of city life, overlooking no segment. The Planning Board issued unanimous ap proval for Newark360.

Just a few of its elements are: Sustainability and preparation for pact of climate change. Better connection of neighborhoods and pedestrian infrastructure to take

Support for neighborhood businesses

Utilization of the land bank to tutional ownership of commercial crease home ownership.

The district’s high schools are the anchor, its center and greatest attraction in the transformation of the school sys tem. Superintendent León’s high school redesign strategy includes reciprocal relationships between its comprehensive and magnet high schools, so each comprehensive offers the instructional program of a magnet partner in its own spe cialized academy. Premier academies have been established at the comprehensive high schools with higher education institutions and professional organizations in the areas of business and finance, allied health, teacher education, law and public safety, environmental studies, and engineering.

“Newark360 encompasses the ideas, visions, dreams, and aspirations of Newarkers themselves, not academic or bureaucratic planners,” said City of Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka. “It was created through nearly two years of community engagement, the most wide-ranging and inclusive outreach the city has ever undertaken.”

The outreach touched residents in every neighbor hood and every walk-of-life. Face-to-face community workshops in each ward, focus groups, and communi ty meetings and feedback from young people provided insight. A highly interactive website enabled the public to share ideas, review documents, and hold Facebook Live discussions.

Anthony Smith:

TraceyPhillips

FALL FOR NEW JERSEY ADVENTURES

Team up with cool-weather favorites from the sands of the Jersey Shore straight up to the Skylands. Enjoy pumpkin patches, hayrides, and wineries. Parks dressed in gold and crimson leaves. Discover amazing arts, culture and places for dining out. Plus, journeys like our Scenic Byways and Black Heritage Itineraries. You’ll find hundreds of destinations worth falling for.

Moving Education Forward in Newark

For too long we have not taken a holistic stakeholder approach to education in our cities, instead remaining in our silos that do not benefit our most important asset, our children.

In Newark, while our schools have markedly improved, we recognize the myriad of barriers that still exist. We have the resources and the collective genius of all education stakeholders—especially our students. Now, we must find better paths to communicate, operate, and cooperate so we can move our children forward.

Our “2022 Roadmap to Educational Equity Conference” will take place October 28 and 29 at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) Campus Center. We are approaching these barriers to education with the same urgency and teamwork as we approached our water situation, public safety, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Our success in these areas gave credence to the African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

The two-day conference will offer a series of seminars, workshops, and keynote addresses, all the usual moving parts of such events.

One difference will be the voices not heard often enough in educational conferences: those of the students and their parents, because the goal of creating educational institutions committed to equity, safety, sense of belonging, wellness, and academic excellence is for the students and their families, as well as the overall well-being of our city.

We will kick-off the conference with a youth summit, to hear their voices and their thoughts on reaching our educational goals within our Newark Forward values. In Newark, we strive to be a more educated city in which residents of all ages achieve the knowledge, resources, and tools to lead healthy successful lives, secure globally competitive jobs, and have opportunities for life-long learning. A city with pipelines that give our youth greater access to their highest level of educational attainment. A city in which no matter what stage you are in life, you have the opportunity to start anew and create a path to success. To achieve this, we must listen, and listen carefully, to what our children say because we cannot defend a system that does not serve their needs or address their concerns.

If the students feel they are invisible to teachers and the administration, if they feel educational materials are foreign to their culture, or our schools lack high-level curriculum, we must listen.

We must know if they feel safe in schools, while not feeling the overbearing presence of police. We must address the implicit biases that might cause our teachers and administrators to view our students as academic underachievers, or even as dangerous threats. We must listen and act with urgency.

These are conversations that must be had to improve our school climates. Newark Office of Comprehensive Community Education Chief Education Officer Dr. Sharnee Brown will moderate a panel to discuss creating safe spaces for brown and Black students featuring author and former Newark Tech Principal Baruti Kafele; Father Edwin D. Leahy, headmaster of St. Benedict’s Prep; and myself on this topic.

This conference will be wide-ranging in the stakeholder invitees, including students and parents, teachers and administrators, philanthropic and charitable organizations, the business community, our universities, police and education policy makers, and equally important, the community at large.

The scope of the conference is just as wide, and includes our public schools, charter schools, private schools, special education and ESL education aimed at our immigrant community, and our universities will also be represented.

Newark Board of Education Superintendent Roger León manages the largest and oldest school district in New Jersey. Thus, it is imperative that he is a strong partner in this work. The conference and the collaboration are to foster more opportunities (such as out of school programs, curriculum updates, removal of systematic barriers, more access to the almost 40, 000 students) and to achieve one of our most critical objectives: a quality education for every single one of our children.

He will participate, as will superintendents Angela Mincy of the Marion P. Thomas Charter School and Dr. James Pedersen of the Essex County Schools of Technology.

The universities will be represented by Rutgers UniversityNewark President and Chancellor Nancy Cantor; Essex County College President Augustine Boakye; and Teik Lim, the president of the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

This inaugural conference will be the beginning of an ongoing effort to end systematic barriers to learning for our students and bring equitable opportunities to high-quality education for all students.

Join us as we center on collaboration, tapping into the collective genius of our stakeholders, so ideas can be turned into strategies, strategies can be turned into policies and policies, can be turned into action. For the good of our students and our community, we must show the will to make the necessary changes to move us all forward.

For more information: https://www.newarknj.gov/mayorsevent

The Honorable Ras J. Baraka is the 40th Mayor of the City of Newark, NJ.

Documenting Good News Happening in Newark And Beyond

By LaMonica McIver President, Newark Municipal Council

On a warm, autumn evening, downtown Newark’s arts and entertainment nightlife was bustling. Walking down Halsey Street, crossing over to Washington to enter the Newark Museum, young girls and boys skipped down the street, their parents strolling behind them. Across the street singing, laughter, and groovy beats emanated from Harriet Tubman Square. Further down at The Yard, a line formed waiting for a juicy meal, a hamburger perhaps. This culture, life, love, and community seemed to be extra dramatic because of the Newark Arts Festival, but the beauty that comes out of this city is an everyday occurrence.

After this weekend of excitement, The Positive Community steps into this world to document, remember, and rejoice with us through their work. This publication has become a focal part of Newark’s local media, making it a central news resource for Newark residents and even those beyond Brick City in the New York metropolitan area. In an urban space like Newark, this publication means so much because we are often only seen in local and national media when stories are about violence, crime, or abuse.

Documenting Good News Happening in Newark and Beyond

The Positive Community challenges the dominant media’s narratives about the Black church and community. Its efforts to tell the stories and show the love we share in Newark beyond contrasts the negative stories common to other media outlets.

This publication is unique in that it focuses on supporting local businesses, concerned individuals, corporations, churches, and many other institutions to bring the positive vision of this community to life.

In addition, the magazine highlights the stories of everyday citizens, documenting their challenges and successes as leaders in this community, showing that to be successful, one does not have to fall into mainstream journalists’ perceptions of us. Through print, online, and Positive Community Radio , this media company is a comprehensive source, documenting and telling narratives while highlighting culture, education, health, financial, opinion, and other topics, providing resources for those in need.

One of the publication’s highlights that I, as well as the community, am deeply grateful for are the resources and commitment to the advancement of Newark, New Jersey. They inform the public about health-related events and resources such as Newark Beth Israel Medical Center’s Wellness Fair. These events provide free blood pressure screenings, diabetes screenings, etc. Having this knowledge accessible to our community is what gives us life. But beyond the attention to health and wellness, there are also efforts to ensure our joy is sustained. Arts and entertainment are not only an economical avenue for the city, but they serve to keep our city in community with one another.

So, as we express gratitude for this Newark issue and all the work The Positive Community has done, let us continue to enjoy everything the wonderful Brick City offers us.

Newark Municipal Council Members

Born and raised in Newark’s Central Ward, LaMonica McIver began working in politics at the age of 13, organizing youth groups to encourage people to get out the vote. First elected to the Newark Municipal Council in 2018 —the young est person to achieve that position — she won re-election in 2022. Her colleagues on the council then chose her as Munici pal Council president, another first as the youngest to hold that title.

After earning an undergraduate degree in English literature from Bloomfield College and a master’s degree in educational leadership and policy from Seton Hall University, McIver began her career as a school leader, educator, and HR professional at diverse public school districts.

LaMonica McIver’s mission remains unchanged: fighting for improved quality of life for residents of the Central Ward. She has not stopped serving the community and serves in whatever capacity necessary to aid residents of the City of Newark. Councilmember McIver says the privilege of her life is working on behalf of ALL the people of the Central Ward.

LOUISE SCOTT-ROUNTREE COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE

Rev. Louise Scott-Rountree, council member at large, was born and raised in Newark. After serving in ministry for many years, the daughter of Rev. Dr. Malachi D. Rountree and the late Mrs. Louise ScottRountree completed her studies at New York Theological Seminary, where she received a degree in religious studies and Christian education.

Rev. Rountree serves as manager of Clergy Affairs, the first female in this role in Newark’s history. In that position, she helps coordinate the efforts of Newark’s diverse community of over 500 faith leaders, working collectively to improve the quality of life of all Newark residents and families. Initiatives include grief support, food distribution, health, and wellness.

Rev. Rountree, a senior citizen advocate and community activist, currently sits on the Commission of the Status of Women and the City of Newark’s Homeless Commission and is a lifelong member of the NAACP Newark chapter. She has received countless acknowledgements and awards for her service to her community.

CARLOS M. GONZALEZ COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE

A dedicated professional with an international background in the financial and legal sectors, Gonzalez is committed to public service and community development, and is proud to serve the diverse communities of Newark.

He has traveled extensively throughout the world, to places including France, Holland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Spain, and Singapore. He has also traveled to 11 countries in Central and South America, and most of the Caribbean nations.

LAMONICA MCIVER COUNCIL PRESIDENT, COUNCIL MEMBER, CENTRAL WARD

"We have to be mindful that whatever we do in the community has to benefit the community."

In August 2021, C. Lawrence Crump Esq. filled the position of councilman at large vacated by Council President Mildred C. Crump. Elected to a full four-year term in May, 2022, he was sworn in on July 1, 2022.

Also the general counsel and director of Development for the Newark Parking Authority, Crump formerly served as Newark’s legislative director for the Department of Economic and Housing Development. His previously held positions include first assistant corporation counsel for Newark’s Law Department and chief of staff to Council President Mildred C. Crump.

His civic and community activities include: member, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; Board Member, Newark Symphony Hall; Prince Hall Master Mason, Tyre Lodge #29; and proud member of Bethany Baptist Church, Newark, N.J.

Councilman Crump received his Juris Doctor in 1998 from Rutgers University, School of Law, and his B.A. in 1991, cum laude with a major in banking & finance from Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia.

A consistent and visible professional with over 20 years of administrative experience and advocacy, South Ward Councilman Patrick Council’s work at the forefront of change and struggle in the City of Newark and in the South Ward attests to his leadership capabilities.

A unifier and collaboration builder, Council’s efforts in connecting community residents and leaders create better partnerships and resources for citizens and stakeholders alike. His background as an educator and board member keeps him dedicated and focused on equity in the city’s educational system and his leadership as a youth and senior organizer resulted in providing many families the opportunity to connect to a wide range of necessary services and programs.

Councilman Council brings energy, knowledge, and focus to the City Council, his representation of the South Ward, and as a municipal leader. His pronounced intention to refocus, reimagine, and rebuild the South Ward into a stronger and better community for all residents will impact the entire City of Newark.

Raised by a single mother and now governing where he grew up, Newark City Councilman Dupré L. Kelly represents the city’s West Ward. He earned the nickname “DoItAll Du” in high school, playing basketball and serving as co-captain of the baseball team.

While attending the HBCU Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, he became a member of the hip-hop trio Lords of the Underground. The iconic group released one of the 50 Best Rap Albums from 1993, recorded one of The 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Beats of All Time, and impacted millions on a world tour.

A proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Councilman Kelly is leaning into his commitment to be “first of all” (the first platinum-selling hip-hop artist to win elected office in the U.S.) and “servant of all.” Kelly founded 211 Community Impact, a non-profit organization that has been serving Newark residents since 2010.

C. LAWRENCE CRUMP COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE

DUPRE L. KELLY WEST WARD COUNCIL MEMBER

PATRICK O. COUNCIL SOUTH WARD COUNCIL MEMBER

“Focus On Family, So That Your Legacy Can Be Passed Down”

MICHAEL J. SILVA EAST WARD COUNCIL MEMBER

Born in Newark of Portuguese immigrants, Municipal Council Member Michael J. Silva spent his childhood summers split between the New Jersey Shore and Portugal.

Silva attended Catholic grammar and high schools, Union County College, and the Police Academy. He joined the Newark Police Department in 1996, serving for 25 years, 18 of those as a community service detective.

Winning in a general runoff election in June of this year, Silva represents the East Ward and supports many charity and community organizations including the Tunnel to Tower Foundation for 9/11 families.

One of the newest City Council members, Silva attends Mass daily and as a cancer survivor, is extremely health conscious. A sports fanatic, he regularly attends NY Yankees, NY Rangers, and Dallas Cowboys games with his son Aiden, his “best buddy.”

LUIS A. QUINTANA

North Ward Council Member Anibal Ramos is an innovative leader with an extensive background in management, public service, and community development. Sworn into office in July 2006, he brings his professional experience gained through the Newark Public Schools (NPS) and the County of Essex.

The first Hispanic elected to the position of councilman at large in the City of Newark, Luis Quintana assumed his Municipal Council seat on July 1, l994. He served in several important roles in the City Council including president and vice president. In 2013, he became the first Hispanic to serve as interim mayor of Newark. During his 35 years of service, Quintana witnessed many changes in Newark.

Born in Añasco, Puerto Rico, Quintana moved to Newark with his family at a young age. Unable to speak English, he was determined to learn and achieve his goals.

Actively involved with the Upward Bound program and numerous other community activities at Barringer High School, he attended Seton Hall University, graduating in 1983 with a degree in criminal justice. Quintana became a North Ward youth counselor.

Quintana served as deputy mayor in 1986. In November of 1990, he was appointed to the Board of the Essex County Vocational Schools, and the Board of Trustees of the United Way. He is a member of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund, and a member of the Black & Latino Coalitions of Black & Hispanic Clergy. In 2015, Quintana was nominated to the Elected Officials Hall of Fame.

ANIBAL RAMOS JR. NORTH WARD COUNCIL MEMBER

COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE

“I want to continue to serve as the taxpayers' best friend, who maintains an independent voting record and will fight every day to ensure that.”

A Progress Report on Newark Beth Israel Medical Center’s Transformational Expansion Project

The excitement is building in Newark’s South Ward as the historic $150 million expansion project known as Newark Strong is transforming Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (NBI) and its neighborhood. The project represents a major investment in the medical center’s close relationship with its community.

The new main entrance on Lyons Avenue will feature a 17,000-squarefoot glass-enclosed lobby. “Our main entrance used to appear fortress-like,” says Darrell K. Terry, Sr., President and Chief Executive Officer of NBI and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey. “The new lobby is light-filled and welcoming, letting the community know that we’re here for them.”

The space will include lounge chairs, bench seating and planter boxes, as well as a meeting room for community organizations.

The glass installation for the entire project is being performed by Josloff Glass, a woman-owned business in the South Ward. “We’re committed to making sure this project truly benefits the community we serve,” Terry says. The hospital will invest 30 percent of the project’s construction costs in Newark-based businesses, as well as in other minority-, female- and veteran-owned businesses.

On the Lyons Avenue side of the medical center, five pocket parks with seating and shrubbery, along with tree plantings, are being created.

“We want the area to be less industrial and more community-oriented,” Terry explains. “This project is part of the greening of Newark.”

Inside, expansion and upgrading plans are moving forward. They include:

A 4,000-square-foot Emergency Department (ED) expansion, with 10 new private exam rooms with sliding glass doors, a new waiting room and a new fast-track intake area. A new ED entrance will have a canopy and signage that can easily be seen from multiple perspectives. The Pediatrics ED will have a separate entrance and waiting area, along with new treatment rooms. The new Emergency Services Pavilion will be named for the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, which has committed $5 million toward the project.

A 24-bed Geriatric Unit with private rooms featuring nuanced design. This design includes beds that reduce the risk of pressure injuries, cushioned slip-resistant flooring, handrails in hallways and fold-down jump seats for quick seating if needed. Common areas have vibrant colors to make wayfinding easier.

A new state-of-the-art Critical Care Unit, with 13 right-sized private rooms to accommodate equipment, support staff and visitors. Each room will have a built-in desk and television and high-end pullout sleeper sofa so a loved one can spend the night. A centralized nursing station will provide a clear line of sight to patients at all times.

Other highlights include the 34-bed Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey Mother-Baby Unit with private, newly renovated rooms, and new hybrid Operating Rooms to provide care for the most complex cardiac cases.

Photos of the new Geriatric Unit with special design features for older adults and the separate reception area for Pediatric Emergency patients and families.

The only lung transplant program in New Jersey.

The longer you wait for a lung transplant, the less time you have for the things you love. And as the only hospital in the state that performs lung transplants, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center can offer patients a shorter waiting time. We also provide a convenient location so friends and family can spend more time visiting and less time traveling. To learn more about lung transplants, and support services such as pulmonary rehabilitation, pain management and smoking cessation, call 1-888-NJLung1 or visit rwjbh.org/lungtransplant

themasterplan

To develop Newark’s 10-year Master Plan, 10,000 voices spoke and what they said was heard. This, the essential backbone of the plan, resulted in New ark360, the forward-looking blueprint for the city’s equi table physical development.

The title came about organically from the idea that the Master Plan should take a 360-degree view encompassing every aspect of city life, overlooking no segment. The Planning Board issued unanimous ap proval for Newark360.

“Newark360 encompasses the ideas, visions, dreams, and aspirations of Newarkers themselves, not academic or bureaucratic planners,” said City of Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka. “It was created through nearly two years of community engagement, the most wide-ranging and inclusive outreach the city has ever undertaken.”

The outreach touched residents in every neighbor hood and every walk-of-life. Face-to-face community workshops in each ward, focus groups, and communi ty meetings and feedback from young people provided insight. A highly interactive website enabled the public to share ideas, review documents, and hold Facebook Live discussions.

Money business, finance + work

“We are grateful for the people who participated, be cause Newark360 could not exist without the voices and priorities of Newarkers,” the Mayor added.

The goal of the Baraka Administration from his very first year in office in 2014 focused on creating equity in every aspect of Newark life—health, safety, education, home ownership, and business opportunity.

Newark360’s objective is to take long-range steps in those core principles, so that every resident has a stake in the city’s continued development and success.

The implementation of the Newark360 Master Plan outreach illustrated how Mayor Baraka lives up to his 2014 campaign slogan: “When I become Mayor, we be come Mayor.”

As one resident said, “I love the diversity of this city and its spirit. It’s hard to name the sense of grit, determi nation, and pride Brick City residents have in one word. I’m so excited to be part of its present and future.”

Newark360 provides action and work to grow connec tions between city neighborhoods and job centers, cre ate more affordable housing, strengthen the city’s his torical and cultural fabric, and address environmental injustices.

Just a few of its elements are:

• Sustainability and preparation for the inevitable im pact of climate change.

• Better connection of neighborhoods via public transit and pedestrian infrastructure to take people beyond the downtown core.

• Support for neighborhood businesses with micro-cap ital startup funds.

• Utilization of the land bank to promote non-insti tutional ownership of commercial property and in crease home ownership.

Courtesy of the City of Newark

• Foster more affordable housing through zoning change, increased density on key corridors, and allow accessory dwelling units.

• Create Newark Airport City initiative, which could build a light rail into the Dayton neighborhood, gen erating more opportunities for growth and business.

• Support the vision of the Newark Arts and Education District and continue to herald downtown as a place for galleries, restaurants, parks, public art, and educa tional institutions.

• Support legislation and zoning for Newark to become a 24/7 city, to enhance our cultural history as a music and nightlife destination and create a livelier and welllit downtown.

• Create broader commercial zoning in our neighbor hood “downtowns” to foster more business opportuni ty and shopping experiences in the wards.

• Establish and expand green zones to reduce the city’s heat index, and create a large tree canopy to shade larger parts of Newark’s neighborhoods.

Of course, these actions require that Newark Munic ipal Council pass ordinances to update the underlying

land use and zoning codes, thus providing the legal framework for implementing the proposed actions.

However, as Newark saw in the lead-line replacement program, the council passed an ordinance to allow the city to change service lines without the homeowner’s per-mission. The council is expected to act similarly in the city’s best interest concerning Newark360.

The implementation of Newark360 will require the same citywide vision and cooperation that birthed the ideas that formed it. From Newark’s proud residents, we expect no less.

Hollywood on the East Coast

Lionsgate to Build $100 Million Studio in Newark

The backdrop for many successful movies and television shows, Newark’s film credits include The Joker and The Dark Knight Rises of the Batman franchise, The Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark , the HBO series “The Plot Against America,” based on the novel by Philip Roth and Queen Latifah’s TV series The Equalizer.

When recent developments are completed, not onlythe city’s buildings and streets will attract filmmakers, but brand new indoor studio space will ramp up its Hollywood appeal.

On the 15-acre site of the long-abandoned Seth Boyden housing project, a $100 million, state-of-the-art television and movie studio with six soundstages will make Newark a major player in the film production industry.

Scheduled to open in March 2024, Lionsgate Newark Studio, an enormous facility for building stage sets, filming, and editing, with storage for equipment and crew trucks, and a location catering hall continues Newark’s growing reputation as a destination for creative arts and artists.

The 300,000 square foot structure being built by film studio developer Great Point Studios in partnership with the New Jersey Performing Arts Center is expected to create long-term 600 jobs, in addition to the construction jobs needed to build it.

“Bringing a project of this magnitude into Newark is a monumental victory for our city,” said City of Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka. “It will bring hundreds of new jobs, create new educational opportunities for our students, and invigorate the revitalization of the South Ward.”

Priority will be given to Newark residents who apply for work at the massive studio. The economic impact for Newark and New Jersey is projected to be more than

$800 million.

New Jersey has a long history of movie development, beginning with Thomas Edison’s invention of the Kinetoscope, which captured movement in a series of rapid photographs to create a “motion” picture. Monkeyshines , a short film of a man gyrating in 1889 is acknowledged as the world’s first movie, shot at Edison’s laboratories in West Orange, N.J. He created the world’s first movie studio, the Black Maria, on the property four years later.

In the early days of silent films, Fort Lee, N.J. was the center of the movie universe with Paramount, Fox, and Universal all opening studios, turning the borough into the first movie industry company town, before Hollywood took over in the 1920s.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said the creation of Lionsgate will add to the state’s legacy as a leader in the film industry. “One of my administration’s priorities has been to enhance New Jersey’s film industry and create new revenue streams for our state,” Governor Murphy said when announcing the deal. “With the addition of the Lionsgate Newark Studio, New Jersey will cement its position as a hub for television and film production with its proximity to all forms of transportation and access to more than 14,000 qualified union members in the region.”

Lionsgate is the country’s newest major movie studio, creating 26 Oscar-nominated films since 2016, and best known for The Hunger Games movie franchise.

The Lionsgate Newark movie studio development will be accompanied by a 200-unit senior housing development and another 200 market-rate apartments nearby, to be built by Boraie Development, which has partnered with Shaquille O’Neal for projects at 777 McCarter and 50 Rector Park.

Protect Your Money and Your Information

The pandemic has accelerated identity theft – and the impact on regular people is significant. In fact, Americans have lost more than $382 million to scams related to stimulus checks and unemployment benefits. Even worse, Black and Latino consumers are more likely to be victims of fraud than their white counterparts. That’s why it’s crucial to recognize activity designed to steal your hard-earned money.

We sat down with Maria Behun, VP, Community Manager from the Dover Chase branch at 1 E. Clinton Street, to discuss tips and best practices for securing a better financial future.

The Positive Community: What should consumers be looking for when it comes to scammers?

Maria Behun: Phishing is the fancy name for emails pretending to be from reputable companies – including banks. They’re really from criminals who are trying to get your personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers. So, be very careful about clicking on a link in an email; instead go directly to the company’s website. And don’t click on attachments unless you’re sure it’s from someone you know and trust.

The Positive Community: Are there specific signs to look for?

Maria Behun: Yes, here are a couple of surefire ones:

Scammers will often tell you there is a problem or a prize. They might say you are in trouble with the government, you owe money, or someone in your family has an emergency. After setting up the problem or prize, scammers will pressure you to act immediately. No legitimate business or government agency will pressure you in this way or ask for your personal information over the phone or email.

The Positive Community: How can consumers protect their money and their information?

Maria Behun: Here are few best practices:

• Create a separate password for each financial institution. This provides an additional level of protection in case there is an issue at one institution.

• Monitor your accounts. Log into your accounts frequently – even daily – through online banking or on your mobile banking app to monitor transactions and your account balance. Look for transactions you don’t recognize and check your monthly statements. If there’s an issue, contact your bank right away.

• Check your credit report. At least once a year, read through your credit reports carefully. You can request a free annual credit report from each of the three national credit reporting agencies, even if you don’t suspect any unauthorized activity on your account Visit www.annualcreditreport.com.

The Positive Community: How does Chase protect customers from fraud?

Maria Behun: We see it as a partnership; we help protect your accounts and information, and so do you. We monitor all of our accounts around the clock, including using security measures you can’t see.

Also, if we find or you flag a transaction that you didn’t authorize, we offer Zero Liability Protection, meaning you won’t be held responsible for it.

Stop by the Dover Chase branch at 1 E. Clinton Street to learn more about JPMorgan Chase’s commitment to customer security through our fraud prevention and protection tools. I look forward to working with you.

Sponsored content from:

Maria Behun

2022 Governor’s Conference on Housing and Economic Development

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (NJDCA), New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA), New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) and New Jersey Redevelopment Authority (NJRA) joined together to facilitate a major conference on September 29 and 30, 2022.

The two-day symposium was designed to provide networking opportunities and stimulate the flow of information and ideas. Experts, industry leaders, and advocates shared invaluable information and effective strategies to improve affordable housing and economic development across the state.

Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, president of NJ Urban Mayors Association and executive board member for NJ League of Municipalities, served as keynote speaker. East Orange, NJ Mayor Ted G. Green

L-R; Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, NJRA President/CEO Leslie A. Anderson, and NJDCA Deputy Commissioner Robert Long

L-R: Valerie Jackson; Plainfield, NJ Mayor Adrian O. Mapp; Jazz Clayton-Hunt; and Ana P. Casalino

L-R: David Manheimer, Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Zev Klasowitz, and Miles Berger

L-R: Former Newark HUD Director Diane Johnson and Broadway House Director of Marketing Lisa M. Papciak

The Chase Team

L-R: NJEDA CEO Tim Sullivan, NJEDA Chief CCDO Officer Tai Cooper, and NJRA President/ CEO Leslie A. Anderson

Photos by: Raymond Hagans

L-R: The NJHMFA team, James Abrams, Victoria Lawson, LaToya Adams, Rosy Dafonseca, Chalyan Toon, Donna Spencer, Tanya Hudson-Murray, Laura Shields, Amy Palmer

Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka gave keynote address

L-R: Bill Flagg, Lisa M. Papciak and Adrian Council Jr.

AACEO First Friday Breakfast Conference

The African American Clergy and Elected Officials Organization (AACEO) held its first Breakfast Conference for the 2022 -2023 year on Friday, September 9, at 9:00am at Antioch Baptist Church,in Brooklyn, NY.

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso recognized AACEO’s steadfast community involvement and New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks gave special remarks on his plan for students this new school year.

Founded in 1989 under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Waterman, the AACEO spearheaded efforts to build collaborative opportunities and strengthen ties between clergy, community stakeholders, and elected officials. AACEO serves as a conduit for networking and information sharing between all levels of government and faith-based institutions to address issues important to African Americans and communities of color.

L-R: NYPD Chief Judith Harrison, Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman and Councilmember Darlene Mealy

L-R: District 23 Community Superintendent Khalek Kirkland Ed.D, Latrice Walker, NYC Chancellor David C. Banks

L-R: AACEO President Rev. Dr. Robert Waterman, Diana Richardson, AACEO Vice-President and Assemblymember Latrice Walker, NYC Chancellor David C. Banks, Rev. Herbert Daughtry, AACEO Chief of Operations Dee Bailey, and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso

AKA Sorority members including AACEO Education Chair Dr. Jackie Cody, Judge Denah Douglas, and Dr. Evelyn Castro

L-R: Assemblymember Monique Waterman, Bishop Gerald Seabrooks, AACEO President Rev. Dr. Robert Waterman, Rev. Herbert Daughtry, and Councilmember Chi Osse

Photos by: Ryan Council

Q&A: Wells Fargo's Rulon Washington on Homeowner Assistance Fund Available for Homeowners with COVID-Related Financial Hardship

The last three years have been difficult for us all and continue to be a challenge. Homeowners on the verge of losing their homes due to a financial hardship and struggling to stay afloat may receive help using the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF). HAF assists in preventing mortgage delinquencies and defaults, foreclosures, loss of utilities, and displacement of homeowners experiencing financial hardship as a result of the pandemic.

Wells Fargo has a dedicated outreach team in place solely focused on keeping people in their homes. Rulon Washington, Wells Fargo’s East Region Leader of Mortgage Sustainability, stands ready to engage the right partners to assist homeowners with financial hardships. With more than 20 years of financial and mortgage experience, Washington has been engaged in community outreach work for the company since the 2008 housing crisis, providing grassroots outreach to those markets hardest hit by severe delinquency and foreclosure and assisting homeowners nationwide through nonprofit and community engagement efforts, support of housing counseling agencies and departments nationwide, and more.

For this special conversation, Rulon shares tips and information about the HAF program that could provide homeowners with much-needed relief:

There have been many assistance programs created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Are any of those programs available for mortgage assistance?

Rulon: The Homeowner Assistance Fund was created as a part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Through the Homeowner Assistance Fund, U.S. Department of the Treasury is distributing up to $9.961 billion to eligible states, territories, and tribes. Depending on availability and usage of funds, this mortgage assistance program is expected to be available through September 2025. In an effort to prioritize the use of these funds, Wells Fargo has created a Homeowner Assistance Fund landing page for homeowners. http:// www.wellsfargo.com/homeownerassistancefund.

Who is eligible to apply?

Rulon: These funds are available for homeowners who have experienced a financial hardship after January 21,

Rulon Washington

2020. They can be used to prevent mortgage delinquencies, defaults, and foreclosure, by providing financial assistance for one’s primary residence. In addition, some programs may also assist with avoiding the loss of utilities and assist with other qualified expenses.

How important is it to contact your mortgage company if you happen to run into financial challenges?

Rulon: Wells Fargo and other servicers are engaging with customers through emails, letters, and by phone to help their payment challenges. It is important that customers respond to this outreach or contact their servicers, as it’s the best way to ensure a smooth transition.

What is the best advice you would give to someone who has fallen behind on their mortgage?

Rulon: Please do not wait until the mortgage is severely past due. Call your mortgage servicer as soon as you know you can’t make your monthly payment. The phone number is listed on your monthly bill. Explain why you can’t make your monthly payment and ask the servicer for assistance.

What other resources are available to help homeowners who are faced with payment challenges?

Rulon: United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) certified housing counseling agencies are a trusted resource for homeowners who are looking for local assistance. If you need help dealing with broader financial challenges, reach out to a local HUD-approved, non-profit housing counseling agency for financial education, mortgage help services, and other free assistance. You can find a local, trusted HUD approved housing counseling agency at: http://www.hud. gov/counseling

Learn more about the Homeowner Assistance Fund and the assistance available to homeowners at http://www. wellsfargo.com/homeownerassistancefund

Health

ideas for wellness

Saving lives

toFrom

The Mount Sinai Robert F. Smith Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Unit

Money buiness, finance + work

By Jean Nash Wells

Education

the art + science of learning

Tracey Phillips is grateful that she finally has a place to call home. Once homeless and battling substance abuse, Phillips recently moved into her own apartment in Newark, NJ, thanks to Broadway House for Continuing Care. Reflecting on her two-year stay at the facility, Phillips says, “Broadway House really saved my life. I thank God… and I thank Broadway House.”

As men age, the cells in the prostate gland can be come cancerous. Every year in the United States, more than 30,000 men die from prostate cancer, sec ond only to skin cancer. About one in eight men in Amer ica will develop the condition at some point in their lives, and about one in 40 will die from it. Age is the greatest risk factor for prostate cancer. While only one in 10,000 men under age 40 will be diagnosed, that number leaps to one in 14 for those ages 60 to 69. About 60 percent of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over the age of 65, and 97 percent occur in men 50 years of age and older.

All of these facts are reasons for concern, but Black men must be particularly vigilant. Black men have a 70 percent higher rate of developing high-risk prostate cancer, and are more than twice as likely to die from it. Prostate cancer usu ally has no noticeable symptoms. The first sign of disease is often found during a routine screening exam. This is why screening is important

But there is good news; with early detection, prostate cancer can be treated successfully and thanks to billion aire businessman and philanthropist Robert F. Smith, the lives of more Black men in New York City can be saved.

Located in Newark, Broadway House provides world-class healthcare and rehabilitation to residents with complex needs, including HIV/AIDS, homelessness, addiction, abuse, and other deep social issues. Founded in 1995, Broadway House is New Jersey’s only specialized longterm care facility for people living with HIV/AIDS. In addition, Broadway House provides excellent subacute care for people recovering from accidents and a variety of illnesses. It is affiliated with University Hospital, a renowned academic healthcare center.

The Mount Sinai Robert F. Smith Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Unit, a state-of-the-art mobile facility equipped with advanced scanning and trained staff, enables early de tection of prostate cancer for at-risk Black men. The mobile

“Newark is a dynamic city with a diverse population of people, many of whom face significant challenges,” said Broadway House President and CEO James Gonzalez, MPH, FACHE, LNHA. “Broadway House really fills a void in our area. We serve a population that is not met by other long-term care facilities, providing a full range of medical, behavioral, and social support services. During their stay with us—which can often be several years—our residents become like family. Our goal is to see them go on to lead productive, dignified lives back in their local communities.”

Black men have a 70 percent higher rate of developing high-risk prostate cancer, and are more than twice as likely to die from it.

Prayers Answered

Several years ago, Phillips had lost hope for her future. The Newark resident was in a tumultuous long-term relationship that left her homeless and addicted to drugs and alcohol. It took a broken knee to finally turn the tide. After undergoing surgery at University Hospital, Phillips came to Broadway House to heal her knee and her spirit: “When I came to Broadway House, I was in a wheelchair and on methadone. It took months and months to finally get out of the wheelchair and start walking with the help of a walker. Thanks to Broadway House, I’ve kicked methadone and my substance abuse, diabetes, and high blood pressure are under control. If it weren’t for Broadway House, I don’t know where I’d be.”

Tracey Phillips

Phillips recently moved into a new apartment at HELP Genesis JBJ Soul Homes, a 51-unit affordable housing complex a few blocks from Broadway House with access to in-house support services, including case management

and employment assistance. Approximately a quarter of apartments in the complex are occupied by tenants living with HIV/AIDS—many of whom were referred by Broadway House. Now, Phillips is hoping to enroll in a job skills program for women to gain more confidence and help support herself: “I’m happy to have a real place to call home. My health is good, and that makes my mother so happy. Her prayers were answered.”

Homeclinic, qualify for Social Security and additional medical insurance, and eventually, to move into her new apartment. When the big day arrived on June 29, Dewoolf was “super psyched about leaving.” Her comfortable apartment was fully furnished and stocked with a week’s worth of groceries. She now also qualifies for Meals on Wheels to ensure she continues to receive proper nutrition. Dewoolf says, “It took me a while to change, but now I can see a vision for my future. I want the best for myself—and I know Broadway House never gave up on me.”

God Has A Plan

As soon as a resident arrives at Broadway House, a comprehensive medical and support team begins working on a plan of action to restore their health and provide a wide range of personalized services. Broadway House Medical Case Manager Maria Lorenzo is part of the team that supports residents as they prepare to begin their lives anew in the community. Her role is critical for longterm success: Arranging for housing, entitlements like Social Security, and potential family support, as well as medical and mental health care that may be needed after discharge. “It takes a lot of coordination when a resident is returned to the community,” she explains. “Yet, it’s worth every bit of the effort.”

Never Give Up

Another recent Broadway House success story is Doreen Dewoolf, who proudly moved into a new senior apartment in Newark last summer. Several years ago, Dewoolf found herself living on the streets in South Jersey, alone and addicted to drugs. Her worried son called police, and after a month-long hospital stay, Dewoolf came to Broadway House.

While at Broadway House, she received the comprehen sive medical care and behavioral support she needed to beat her drug addiction and regain control of her life. Surrounded by support, Dewoolf benefited from excellent mental health and infectious disease care. Lorenzo also arranged for the Newark native to attend a methadone

While some Broadway House residents choose to live independently after discharge, others renew relationships with family members, who can provide critical support. Since coming to Broadway House several years ago, Christine Balek had one dream: To return home to Connecticut and live with her mother. That dream became a reality on July 11, when her mother and brother picked her up to start her new life.

Balek arrived at Broadway House in rough shape. The death of her fiancé had sent her into a downward spiral and years of substance abuse, homelessness, and uncontrolled HIV had taken their toll. Entering hospice care, Christine wanted to die. Yet, the professionals at Broadway House refused to give up on her. Christine benefited from expert medical care and medication management, intensive substance abuse counseling, social services, and emotional support from trained mental health professionals. Lorenzo also helped to reconnect Christine with her family in Connecticut, working directly with them to plan for her discharge.

It took a lot of support from an interdisciplinary team, and by last spring, Christine’s HIV lab levels were stable. She had also developed the ability to handle the day-today tasks of caring for herself and living independently. Reflecting on her experiences at Broadway House—and the new life she has started with her family—Christine says, “I am grateful for all the care I received while I was here. It was a struggle, but no one at Broadway House ever looked down on me. They taught me that I am worth it. Now, I know that God has a plan for me.”

If you or someone you know can benefit from the comprehensive care provided by Broadway House, go to www.broadwayhouse.org or call 973-268-9797, ext. 1013.

“Broadway House really saved my life. I thank God… and I thank Broadway House.”

Kahlil Carmichael MAPCC, MDIV, CPT is the pastor of Live Well Church, in Somerset, New Jersey. He is a fitness specialist at The Fitness Doctor, a fitness and wellness consulting company; and the author of 50 Tips for a Better You. He is a contributor to Guideposts magazine. His first publication, Living Longer Living Better, is available now. Go to www.livewellchurch.org for more information.

You Are What You Eat

“You are what you eat.” Hearing this as a youth, I had visions of myself turning into a donut or candy. But I learned that is not far from the truth. Your body runs on whatever nutrients it can harvest from what you eat. If you are eating healthy, whole foods you are giving your body a great range to choose from. Let’s get into it and discuss the benefits of a healthy diet.

By diet, I mean your intake, not unsustainable fads like eliminating all carbs or surviving on liquids. A balanced diet is within your grasp—you don’t need expensive packaged meals and supplements to see improvement. Let’s start with a trip to the grocery store. Do you over shop or get inundated with high calorie food choices? You are not alone. Many grocery stores have the same layout, encouraging you to shop with your stomach. Avoid shopping when you’re hungry to counteract this and shop the perimeter. Fresh produce, meats and fish, and dairy items are all on the outer aisles. Focus your time there to purchase more whole, unprocessed foods.

Whole and unprocessed foods are things like vegetables, grains, legumes, fruits, nuts, meats, seafood, eggs, and milk. Concentrate on items like this, simply prepared, and your body will thank you.

What are some of the benefits of a controlled diet? Whole foods are full of natural nutrients, in a form that your body can better absorb. They have fiber, which helps your gut health; and antioxidants, which possibly protect your cells against free radicals. Some additional benefits of improving your diet are weight loss, migraine relief, healthier hair, increased energy, fewer mood swings, improved skin, minimized risk of heart disease and cancer, looking better as you age, and perhaps the best one–you’ll start to dislike processed foods!

Extremely addictive, processed foods are full of chemicals and loaded with added sugars and fats to make your body crave more. By planning your meals for most of the week and purchasing healthy items from the grocery store, you can make a drastic improvement in your health. You’re worth the effort!

I suggest a doctor’s visit to evaluate the current status of your health. In some cases, medicines will be needed to normalize blood pressure, lower cholesterol, etc. But this change in diet will likely lead to more controlled numbers. With your doctor’s approval, start to add in heart-healthy activity like walking. Before you know it, you will look and feel better.

I’ve provided a balanced workout you can do from home. Start slowly and build in intensity

Live well and prosper.

Fitness training is available through the Live Well Church FITCARE program, offered at the Fitness Doctor Studio in Somerset, New Jersey. Please call Karen Beasley at 732-912-4435 to schedule a free assessment.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this column is of a general nature. You should consult your physician or health care professional before beginning any exercise program or changing your dietary regimen.

Affordable Health Insurance for College Students

By Faith Banke, in partnership with the Mayors Public Engagement Unit

School semesters are in full swing and just like I did in January 2020, students from all over are settling into this bustling city. I’m here to tell you there’s one major thing many students may have missed on their back to school checklist: signing up for health insurance.

It may come as a surprise, but there are so many no-cost or low-cost options available for students like me in New York City. I promise, there’s an easy (and affordable!) way to sign up–let me prove it to you.

I came to New York from my home city of Lagos to get my Master’s in Public Health. In Nigeria, I had health insurance through my employer, but when I got to New York, I was a full-time student and assumed that I’d have to pay whatever health services I needed out of pocket. I hoped and prayed I wouldn’t get sick, knowing I wouldn’t be able to afford any expensive medical bills. I was prepared to take pain killers and suffer through because I feared that was my only option.

Then, I saw a post on Twitter about GetCoveredNYC. It promised free support in signing up for free or low-cost health insurance. We were at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and I was constantly worried about getting sick. I followed the instructions right away, texting “CoveredNYC” to the contact number (877877).

Shortly after, I got a call from a GetCoveredNYC Specialist named Gloria. Gloria talked with me for over thirty minutes, asking me questions about my situation, answering my questions, and providing me with lots of information about my options. Health insurance is complicated, and the system in the United States was completely new to me, but Gloria held my hand throughout the whole process. Because of the extended

open enrollment period, if someone enrolls in health insurance by the 15th of the month, you’ll be covered starting on the first of the next month, so Gloria made me an enrollment appointment with a Certified Application Counselor from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene that day. After my appointment, Gloria reached out to follow up and make sure I was able to get health insurance. With help from GetCoveredNYC, I officially had health insurance and I ended up with a plan that felt tailor-made for me and most importantly, within my budget.

With health insurance, I have one less thing to worry about and that was a huge help for me as I finished up my studies. In the second year of grad school, I had health issues that had me going from one doctor to another. I won’t sugarcoat it: it was scary. I didn’t know what was going on and my school work was suffering. But, with the health insurance I had through GetCoveredNYC, I felt very supported and all my visits, tests, and medications were covered. I can’t imagine what would have happened if I’d had to pay out of pocket for these services. Luckily, I didn’t have to, just because I’d texted 877877.

You can too! Text “CoveredNYC” to 877877 (SeguroNYC en Español) to be connected to a specialist like Gloria for free support.

I’ll end with a note directly to my fellow international students: you may worry health coverage is not for you, but let my experience prove to you that being an international student is not a stumbling block to getting covered.

To learn more visit: nyc.gov/GetCoveredNYC

GetCoveredNYC Specialist Gloria Yun

GetCoveredNYC Specialists at a MetroHealthPlus event in Queens

Faith Banke

Health and wellness for mind and body.

HorizonBlue.com

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

NAHSE New York’s 29th Annual Scholarship Gala

The National Association of Health Service Executives (NAHSE) held its annual gala at the beautiful and elegant Marina Del Rey in the Bronx. The event took place on September 22 and raised funds for scholarships. The gala brought together health service executives from all over the state and provided the opportunity to honor those members who exemplify dedication and service to the community.

L-R: From Ryan Health: NENA Executive Director Leslie Pargament, Chief Nursing Officer Jessina Wachtelhausen, CFO Scott Morgan, Board Member Hope Mason, Honoree Charles Shorter, President and CEO Brian McIndoe, Senior Director of Support Services Fay Barrett, and Board Chair E. Ronald Guy

L-R: WBLS’ Dr. Bob Lee; NAHSE NY Chapter President Ms. Jay Fergus MHA; and Ryan Health Executive Director Charles Shorter, who received the Man of Distinction award

L-R: NYC Health and Hospital Harlem CEO and Event Honoree Georges Laconte, MFA FAB, RRT with the Harlem Hospital Team

Honoree Tiffany Tucker-Pryor with her two sons

National Association of Health Services Executives Empowering the Next Generation of Health Care Leaders Today

Photos by: Bruce Moore

Jennifer Jones Austin

By R.L. WITTER

Your Well-Being Is Her Business and Her Legacy

a Fortune 100 company, American Telephone & Tele graph (AT&T). “When you grow up in that household… you can’t help but look at the structure of the system.”

Get Out and Vote

The current focus is on the upcoming midterm elections and the importance of voting to improve life in our local areas, initiating policies that will bring about real change and begin to bring about equity. “Structural racism to day looks like knowing Black women are the primary breadwinners in our households, yet despite Black wom en being the most educated segment of our society, the structures allow for them to earn on average 54 cents to the dollar compared to what a white man earns.” She continued, “If you know the Black woman is the prima ry breadwinner, then you also know that her wages, if they’re subpar and suppressed, aren’t going to allow her family to survive and thrive—which is why one in four Black children lives in poverty, compared to one in ten white children.”

As the COVID-19 pandemic begins to wane, its aftermath continues to cause challeng es in many lives. As always, Jennifer Jones Austin and the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA) are standing in the breach—serving New York City’s social service system, providing support grants to help low-income groups meet basic needs while advocating for fair public policies on behalf of people in need and the agencies that serve them.

Jones Austin comes by the work honestly. “I was raised in a faith and justice household,” she said. “I was raised by two justice warriors who believed in actively fighting systemic racism, and also believed in showing up and being their best selves.” Her father, the late Reverend William Augustus Jones Jr., was a preacher and activist who was considered one of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s closest confidants. He was the national president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s (SCLC’s) Operation Breadbasket, and authored the book God in the Ghetto, which has recently been edited by Jones Aus tin and republished. Her mother, Natalie Barkley Jones, was the first African American corporate arts-curator for

Impressing upon the impact policies have on minori ty communities, Jones Austin further discussed structur al racism. “Those structures take the form of laws, poli cies, and programs that serve to keep people of color in a perpetual state—on average—of not having enough to get by and then to get ahead. This is why we saw COVID was so devastating to Black and Brown communities.”

Jones Austin comes by the work honestly. “I was raised in a faith and justice household,” she said. “I was raised by two justice warriors who believed in actively fighting systemic racism, and also believed in showing up and being their best selves.”

“If you know the Black woman is the primary breadwinner, then you also know that her wages, if they’re subpar and suppressed, aren’t going to allow her family to survive and thrive—which is why one in four Black children lives in poverty, compared to one in ten white children.”

In addition to doing the work that helps make actual change, Jones Austin is also burdened with explaining the true meaning of “welfare” as it applies to FPWA, rath er than the widely-held belief it means food stamps, WIC, and Section 8 housing. “The connotation becomes neg ative. Welfare, traditionally and for our purposes, refers to well-being, not handouts. When we talk about welfare, we’re talking about the well-being of people. The orga nization is now one hundred years old and there were times during my tenure when we thought about chang ing the title because people look upon ‘welfare’ with a negative association,” she explained. But we also appreci ate that there are many people who associate themselves with FPWA for helping them realize greater opportunity in their lives by providing scholarships for people going to college or helping foster families care for vulnerable children in need. Welfare is really about ensuring our collective well-being.”

Putting Change on the Ballot

As commissioner of the Racial Justice Commission (RJC), Jones Austin puts her dedication and experience to work to put life-changing proposals that will being about im provement on the ballot. “The RJC is an outgrowth of the City of New York’s realization during COVID that so many Black and Brown communities were being devas tated by the number of people who lost their lives, be

came gravely ill, had limited access to quality healthcare, and the Black and Brown children who struggled because they didn’t have the tools to learn remotely,” she said.

“The then Mayor Bill De Blasio said, ‘Maybe we need to take a look at how government functions may be allow ing racism to persist.’ So, the RJC was created in March 2021 and given the mandate of going into the New York City Charter to identify how the Charter allows for the

JENNIFER JONES AUSTIN cont’d from previous page

upholding of inequitable and racist structural laws and the promulgation of policies and regulations allow for inequity based on race and gender, as well as religion, immigration status, and sexual identity and orientation.”

The Commission is made up of people from all five bor oughs, values lived experiences, and has met with more than 3,000 New Yorkers thus far.

Three proposals from the RJC are on the ballot; they are:

• Define our collective values and acknowledge our his tory through a guiding statement

• Establish a plan and bodies to hold government ac countable to racial equity

• Measure the true cost of living to recognize that New Yorkers need a standard of dignity to thrive

New Yorkers decide what changes are made to the law. Once changes are voted into the Charter, it is difficult to undo those laws; they are different from an executive or der that can be undone by a mayor. And, every two years a racial equity plan will be developed based upon the data collected and analyzed by the RJC.

The third proposal could be particularly life-changing for many New Yorkers struggling to make ends meet. “If you live in New York City (any of the five boroughs) or anywhere else in America, the federal government says you are not poor if you are a family of four, two adults and two children, and you have a gross income of $27,750 or more,” Jones Austin explained. “According to the [New York] self sufficiency standard, one adult and two chil dren living in the Bronx need at least $81,000 to make ends meet… This is inherently structurally inequitable.”

It’s never been more important to vote. A “yes” on the aforementioned proposals can flip the switch that starts the machinery that works to create equity and fairness. Of course, progress takes time. But the sooner we vote to get started, the sooner we accomplish our objectives. The way to do that is to let our voices be heard, exercise our rights, and cast our votes for policies and programs that begin to benefit us.

When we talk about welfare, we’re talking about the well-being of people. The organization is now one hundred years old and there were times during my tenure when we thought about changing the title because people look upon ‘welfare’ with a negative association,” she explained.

She’s Every Woman and Then Some

As an executive, activist, wife, mother, proud member of the church her father pastored for 43 years, and a person with a huge heart, Jennifer Jones Austin’s plate is more than full. But as Matthew 25:31 says, “His master told him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy servant! Since you’ve been trustworthy with a small amount, I’ll put you in charge of a large amount. Come and share your master’s joy!’”

When asked how she continues to do so much for so many with such an incredible amount of passion, she re plied without pause. “As a family we believe it is a social responsibility to look out for your neighbor and lift up your brothers and sisters. It becomes part of who you are. My father preached, ‘Don’t you know God didn’t save you for your sake? He saved you for the kingdom’s sake.’ If you embrace that, your living has to have meaning and purpose.” Jones Austin continued, reminiscing on her hard-won battle with leukemia. “Twelve years ago, the doctors said I wasn’t going to be here. But God had another plan and I believe God allowed me to live for a purpose far greater than me.” With her dedication and passion for helping people, let’s all pray God’s got plenty more for her to do.

Reverend Dr. John L. Scott Celebrates 50 Years as Pastor of St. John’s Baptist Church Harlem, NY

Luminaries from the Baptist Church and New York community leaders gathered to honor Rev. Dr. John Luster Scott at the Grand Slam Banquet Hall in Harlem on September 17, 2022 on his 50th anniversary of pastoring St. John’s Baptist Church in Central Harlem. Committed to the struggle for civil rights and service to humanity, Dr. Scott’s history of accomplishments is extensive. A life-long soldier on the civil rights trail, he has stood up against many injustices, among them the war in Iraq, the murders of Amadou Diallo and Sean Bell, and others as chair of the Social Action Committee. He has received many awards including The W.A. Jones Social Justice Award by National Action Network (NAN). He was inducted into The Martin Luther King Chapel at

Morehouse College as a “King Fellow,” and recently cited as an “Outstanding Alumnus” Achievement recipient by New York Theological Seminary.

As a family-oriented people’s church, St. John’s produces community outreach initiatives including a Thanksgiving dinner that feeds all who come into its doors. The Wilson Major Morris Community Center, located directly across the street from the church, offers housing, a weekly lunch program, flea market, affordable snacks, and free Wi-Fi. Future plans include a seven-story residential building with an active community center.

Under his leadership, St. John’s Baptist Church continues as a congregation of loving and caring people, both young and old.

L-R: NYS Assembly Member Al Taylor, Rev Dr. Lee A. Arrington, Rev. Dr. Allan Paul Weaver, District Leader Maria Luna, First Lady Nettie Jean Weaver, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Sharon Josephs, and Dr. Lisa Matthews

L-R: First Lady Minnie Scott, Rev. Dr. John Scott, Rev. Al Sharpton, District Leader Maria Luna, Rev Dr. Lee A. Arrington, and Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg

L-R: Rev. Dr. Allan Paul Weaver, Rev. Patrice Wilson, Rev. Dr. Gail Badger, Minister Noreen Jackson, Rev. Dr. Scott, First Lady Minnie Scott, Rev. Dr. Cheryl Lynn Womble, Rev. Iris Cole Crosby, Rev. Geraldine Harris, Pastor Calvin Kendricks, Pastor Gloria Winne, and Rev. Lee A. Arrington

Photos by: Bruce Moore

of learning

Bethune-Cookman University

Damaged by Hurricane Ian

The Daytona Beach, Florida university, evacuated prior to the Hurricane Ian’s landfall over concerns about the safety of their students, faculty, staff, and alumni. A category four storm, Hurricane Ian made landfall on September 28, 2022, leaving behind downed trees and other debris littering the beautiful campus and significantly damaging some buildings. Closed for over two weeks, classes resumed at Bethune Cookman (B-C U)on October 17th.

Bethune-Cookman University, founded by pioneering educator Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, began as the Daytona Literary and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls in 1904. The school merged with the Cookman Institute in 1925 and kept growing, achieving university status in 2007. Today, over 2,700 students are enrolled in 45 degree programs.

Interim President Lawrence Drake said that students and faculty were eager to resume classes and campus life, despite this most recent challenge. “You know, one of the things that we are coping with as we bring our students back is the emotional trauma that something like this has

created. And so we have extra counseling on standby.”

The school is working closely with FEMA and the US Secretary of Education to make any remaining repairs, according to Drake. “Secretary Cardona reached out and certainly has extended their help in any way they can. We are obviously working with FEMA through our state and federal lobbyists and we certainly are going to apply for FEMA support. We are trying to make our way back infrastructure-wise.”

The university is starting to develop its master plan to fortify facilities for future climate change driven weather events. To help defray costs of repairs and improvements, a fundraising campaign of tax-deductible donations has been created. A donation to this worthy cause, the B-CU Hurricane Ian Relief Fund, can be made by phone by calling 386.481.2966 or mail donations to:

ATTN: Institutional Advancement Bethune-Cookman University 640 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd Daytona Beach, FL 32114

Bethune-Cookman University President Dr. Lawrence M. Drake II

Newark Board of Education Superintendent Roger León

Leading into the Next Decade: Where Passion Meets Progress

PLAN, THE NEXT DECADE: 2020–30

TheNewark Board of Education began its tran sition to local control in 2018, beginning with the appointment of Superintendent of Schools Roger León. In the first year, after a forensic audit of the district, the superinten dent and Board created and implemented a one-year strate gic plan called NPS Clarity 2020, providing a bridge “from our past to our future.” That plan included a massive en gagement effort, involving district employees, unions, lo cal businesses, universities, foundations, elected officials, and civic organizations as well as parents and students. The discussion was to reestablish control and pride in the City’s public schools, and reaffirm the district’s commitment that Newark’s schools provide an excellent education for all of their students.

In 2020, in the depths of the pandemic, the Board and Superintendent León synthesized that work into a ten-year

strategic plan, The Next Decade: 2020-30. “The length of the plan reflects the amount of work to be done,” Superin tendent Leon says. He explains: “The Next Decade: 2020–30 is a comprehensive roadmap that guides the priorities and strategies that will best help us fulfill our mission and vision over the next ten years.”

The superintendent’s vision, as stated in the plan, is bold: “to build a new educational ecosystem that delivers a worldclass education to every child in the City of Newark.”

The plan depicts it in a full-page diagram showing stu dents’ progression from “conception to cradle” to “age 3 to grade 3” to “the bridge to high school success,” and then to college and career. It shows that graduates “return, reinvigo rate, and reinvest” in the schools; and that the district itself, as a model of continuous learning, will “research, reflect, and respond” as it evolves.

On the left side of the logic model are the twelve keys to unlocking this new educational ecosystem, and those keys are: parents, families, students, community, early childhood

Photos courtesy The Newark Board of Education

centers, elementary schools, magnet and comprehensive high schools, business partners, social services, elected of ficials, higher education, community and faith-based orga nizations, co-curricular and extended learning experiences, gifted and talented programs, adult and alternative educa tion, and career, and technical education. On the right side of the diagram, but an integral part of the ecosystem, are the “game changers.” In the earliest years, the game changers are prenatal care, health care, daycare, and access to early childhood education; at age 3 to grade three, they are access to high school and wraparound services; at grade 6 to 9, ac cess to higher education; in high school, access to college, college credits, dual enrollment, apprenticeships, intern ships, mentorships, and industry certifications; and there after, alumni associations, coaching, networking, and jobs. The keys and game changers are all interconnected, and all play a role in the plan to cultivate the relationships, resourc es, and opportunities every child needs to achieve their full potential in the 21st century.

The district’s high schools are the anchor, its center and greatest attraction in the transformation of the school sys tem. Superintendent León’s high school redesign strategy includes reciprocal relationships between its comprehensive and magnet high schools, so each comprehensive offers the instructional program of a magnet partner in its own spe cialized academy. Premier academies have been established at the comprehensive high schools with higher education institutions and professional organizations in the areas of business and finance, allied health, teacher education, law and public safety, environmental studies, and engineering.

Senior Day with the Class of 2022

First Annual Barringer High School Carpentry Graduation Ceremony

In addition, four new high schools have opened in the last three years: Newark School of Global Studies, with its di plomacy academy focused on Arabic and Chinese; Newark School of Fashion and Design, powered by Parsons School of Design; Newark School of Data Science & Information Technology fueled by Novartis; and Newark Vocational High School, with its culinary, travel and tourism, and graph ic arts academies. This latter high school had been previ ously closed under state operation and is now flourishing under local control.

In addition to opening four new high schools, four new elementary schools opened (Michelle Obama, Sir Isaac Newton, East Ward, and Ironbound Academy). Part of the plan, still under consideration, is the establishment of feed er patterns connecting elementary schools with partner high schools, with coordinated academic programs and continu ous enrollment from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. This has already begun in some schools: students at Sir Isaac Newton Elementary School are guaranteed enrollment at Science Park High School, and students at the Michelle Obama Elementary School are guaranteed enrollment at University High School. The objective is to create at least one elementary school in every ward that is an automatic feeder pattern to a magnet high school with the option of attending a different school based on choice. This is why the expansion of all of the elementary schools through grade 8 was critical and now the following schools have joined the rest of the elementary schools in Newark with students enrolled through grade 8: Harriet Tubman, Roberto Clem ente, Franklin, Salome Ureña, and East Ward. While this ex pansion has been critical in the middle grades, we know that under state operation prekindergarten seats were eliminat

ed throughout the south ward and other schools through out the city, denying seats in preferred district schools at an early age. However, the local control board has increased such seats in the South Ward and throughout the city, and enrollment is on the rise.

Perhaps the most distinctive part of the ecosystem is the Conception to Cradle to Grade 3 Consortium, a partner ship of county, state, and city leaders in healthcare, social services, and education serving Newark’s youngest learners. The Consortium collaborates, plans, and pools resources to support the implementation of the game changers—prena tal care, health care, daycare, and early childhood educa tion—with the goal that all children will be reading by grade 3.Its first initiative was to assign educators—Newark Pub lic Schools employees—to the prenatal and obstetric units of the City’s hospitals to provide the earliest possible educational support to children, and their families. This is already underway.

“It is intentionally a long road,” says Board President Dawn Haynes, “but we are well on our way.” She added, “Schools are opening or re-opening or expanding. Enroll ment is the highest in decades. Graduation rates are at an all-time high. Students are receiving college scholarships at unprecedented levels. And, we are only at the start of Year Three of the strategic plan.”

The global pandemic took its toll on students and fami lies, and quite frankly all of us, and the impact on student achievement is unlike any catastrophic event in our history. Research shows that in districts of color and lower-income communities, it will take over five years to make up for pan demic-related missed learning and learning loss. While this heightens the challenge, Newark’s plan remains steadfast and focused on the priorities and strategies outlined in the strategic plan. Interestingly, one strategy in The Next Decade is to develop a hybrid learning plan, and by Year 3 to share and document best practices of remote learning and develop a sustainable model for responsive training and technical assistance that supports staff, students, and parents. The pandemic forced the district to implement that strategy.

We encourage you to visit the district’s website and watch a three-minute video that invites prospective students and staff to the Newark Public Schools. Over a collage of school work and activities, the student narrator says with enthusi asm, “Calling our future! Calling all artists, believers, deep thinkers, pioneers, poets, those who shift the culture deeper into the real, the authentic, the true… those who believe in excellence and know there is still a long way to go… This is the place to be. Welcome to the Newark Public Schools! Let’s go to work!”

Where Passion Meets Progress.

Rally against Bullying

Revitalizing Newark’s Black Barbary Coast

Revitalizing Newark’s Black Barbary Coast

Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District’s 20th Anniversary

Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District’s 20th Anniversary

By Barry Carter | Photos By Tamara Fleming

By Barry Carter | Photos By Tamara Fleming

Anthony Smith didn’t know what to expect.

Anthony Smith didn’t know what to expect.

He was sitting in the middle of Newark’s Lincoln Park, on a sunny Monday morning taking direction on how to connect with the audience who would see this portrait.

He was sitting in the middle of Newark’s Lincoln Park, on a sunny Monday morning taking direction on how to connect with the audience who would see this portrait.

“I want you to think about the purpose of why you are here,’’ said Tamara Fleming, a well-known Newark based photographer.

“I want you to think about the purpose of why you are here,’’ said Tamara Fleming, a well-known Newark based photographer.

It was obvious to Smith, the executive director of Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District (LPCCD). A Newark non-profit organization celebrating 20 years of work that has transformed this neighborhood through the arts, culture and music.

It was obvious to Smith, the executive director of Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District (LPCCD). A Newark non-profit organization celebrating 20 years of work that has transformed this neighborhood through the arts, culture and music.

At the southern end of Broad Street, people leisurely walked through the park on this day, some stopping to see what was going on. A family set out a blanket for a picnic. One child rode a bicycle, the other a scooter.. Nestled between the trees strings of bistro lights sparkle through the park at night. Seasonal pop-up art will soon dangle from the thick cable that connects them, another visible sign that there’s a lot to delight in this neighborhood where 60,000 people gather annually for a three-day music festival.

At the southern end of Broad Street, people leisurely walked through the park on this day, some stopping to see what was going on. A family set out a blanket for a picnic. One child rode a bicycle, the other a scooter.. Nestled between the trees strings of bistro lights sparkle through the park at night. Seasonal pop-up art will soon dangle from the thick cable that connects them, another visible sign that there’s a lot to delight in this neighborhood where 60,000 people gather annually for a three-day music festival.

“When you’re in the community and you see it from that lens, you see how beautiful the community is,’’ Smith said. “You can see it as a gem.”

“When you’re in the community and you see it from that lens, you see how beautiful the community is,’’ Smith said. “You can see it as a gem.”

It is a crown jewel rooted in a rich historical legacy that cannot be forgotten. It’s an enclave Smith has tried to make better than it was before he became the organizations leader eight years ago.

It is a crown jewel rooted in a rich historical legacy that cannot be forgotten. It’s an enclave Smith has tried to make better than it was before he became the organizations leader eight years ago.

Anthony Smith Executive Director

Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District

Anthony Smith Executive Director

Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District

Surrounded by mansions and brownstones, the grassy shaded city square and neighborhood is one of Newark’s three original downtown parks. The others, Washington and Military anchor the northern end of the Broad Street.

Lincoln Park, however, had notoriety during the early 20th century. It was known as the Coast, a nickname earned in the 1920s and 1930s when Black businesses and jazz clubs lit up the booming nightlife on Halsey Street. After performances in New York, jazz musicians made their way to the Coast, where Lincoln Park reigned as the center of African-American life. Within that historical footprint, Lincoln Park was also home to New Jersey’s first television station, WATV Channel 13, which debuted on May 15, 1948 from studios at The Mosque Theater, now known as Newark Symphony Hall.

When Dr. Theresa Hooper Marshall, a longtime resident, opens the time capsule to this era, she has vivid childhood memories of wealthy families going in and out of the stately homes around the park. “I used to have my blanket and watch people in limousines from the big families, not knowing that area would deteriorate,” Hooper Marshall said.

Lincoln Park lost its splendor and style when the 1967 Newark rebellion left the city in ruin. Residents fled to the suburbs, giving up homes that became abandoned and dilapidated. Urban blight set in and during the decades that followed, the landscape took on a new appearance with open air drug sales, prostitution, and a sense of hopelessness.

“The neighborhood was off the grid,’’ Smith said. “It kind of felt like the community that was forgotten.”

“Community-based organizations are our boots on the ground. Organizations like Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District advocate for the needs of the community, dictate how we deploy our resources, and empower residents and stakeholders to get engaged and take charge of their own blocks. We also partner with the municipality such as City of Newark Office of Sustainability and Department of Public Works. It’s a win-win for all.”

That is until community activists, legislators and stakeholders came together in the late 1990s. They met in each other’s homes to reclaim an iconic gateway no longer recognizable as Newark. The late Rutgers University Professor and historian Clement A. Price, who lived in Lincoln Park, was a key player. So were activists’ Fredrica Bey and the late poet and activist Amiri Baraka, who had the foresight for an organization that would restore Lincoln Park to its glory through the arts, culture and music.

From those early charettes, the Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District was born in 2002 to reimagine the historical neighborhood with creative place making, a concept where art and culture bring about community change.

When Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District issued the call for partners to take back a desolate and dark space behind the historic New Ark Cathedral Church (known as La Vid Verdadera en La Catedral New Ark, Lincoln Park) and Dryden Mansion, the Love Tito’s giving arm of Tito’s Handmade Vodka put resources in action. As a seed funder, along with City of Newark Office of Sustainability’s Love Your Block, Crawford Street Partners, and others, they helped the non-profit actualize the Lincoln Park Gallery Without Walls Alley Reclamation Project.

Hooper Marshall, the founding chair, recruited Baye Adofo-Wilson, the first LPCCD executive director. He steered the hybrid organization toward housing and economic development to address issues impacting a

Prior to the opening of The Willows at Symphony Hall, “Little Five Points” was a dimly lit, desolate strip with little residential foot traffic leading to the park itself.

Now, Lincoln Park has lighting, thanks to the Newark City Parks Foundation and PSE&G. PSE&G works with LPCCD by implementing LED technology with street lighting in the park and at identified intersections where there is an opportunity to improve the lighting. The enhanced lighting improves areas that were dark and supports LPCCD neighborhood safety initiatives. “PSEG andthe PSEGFoundationarecommittedtohelpingbuild thriving and sustainable neighborhoods by empowering and investing in the many diverse communities we serve,” said Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and PSEG Foundation President Calvin Ledford. “We are pleased to help LPCCD improve the lighting in the park and help make the community safer for all.” PSE&G has also advocated, with the help of LPCCD, for Lincoln Park area energy efficiency programs that can benefit residents, small businesses, non-profit, and government agencies throughout the city. The Newark City Parks Foundation, whose mission is to encourage the City of Newark to use their neighborhood parks by offering community-building programs that bring people into their local green spaces, installed semi-permanent bistro lights for the next three-years, which encourage residents to increase usage of our park.

neighborhood with hidden treasures that needed to be unpacked and rediscovered.

“This neighborhood had the bones historically to be an amazing community, but the whole ecosystem was broken,’’ said Smith, a Newark native, whose life has been dedicated to this work.

The goal was simple: build a strong, resilient community through its people while taking the long road in redevelopment to ensure that Lincoln Park is around when future generations reside there.

Thesekey funders, along with the City of Newark’s Creative Catalyst Fund, The State of New Jersey’s Neighborhood Preservation Program, Valley Bank, Provident Bank, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey, TD Bank, Fedway, and many more support the organization and have anchored its programming to ensure the park and surrounding neighborhood come alive each season, like a good harvest.

“You don’t want something that’s going to be gone in five years,’’ said Smith. “When people look back 20 years, they’ll say, ‘Wow, this is how you really build a sustainable community.’’’

Kim J. Ford is a published journalist/content creator, producer of the annual Lincoln Park Music Festival; founder of BRND Marketing Group LLC and proud Lincoln Park resident.

LPCCD was on its way before nearly shutting its doors when the economy crashed in 2008. The recession affected grant funding LPCCD received from foundations. Homes it had built lost value and the organization’s debt seemed insurmountable. To survive, even as it somehow built 68 units of housing during that time, LPCCD shifted temporarily from its mission to design and develop a vibrant comprehensive arts district. “When we were crippled, I felt like we were on one leg, like a three-legged stool,’’ Smith said. “We were trying to figure it out.’’

The organization generated revenue differently to maintain a neighborhood presence. It ventured into property management, job training and economic empowerment programs and residents walked away with skills in weatherization, solar panel and geo thermal insulation. LPCCD launched a community farm along the way, and kicked off the popular Lincoln Park Music Festival cont’d on next page

(L–R) Anthony Smith; Susan Austin, Director of Operations and Real Estate Development; and Mozell Baker, Finance AssistantLincoln Park Coast Cultural District

Revitalizing Newark’s Black Barbary Coast

that has been around for 15 years. We relied on our skill set to keep the engine moving forward,’’ Smith said.

Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District’s 20th Anniversary

By Barry Carter | Photos By Tamara Fleming

They strengthened relationships with residents using a 10-year neighborhood plan and leaned on its many community partners, chief among them Prudential Financial. This anchor institution in Newark has been with LPCCD from the outset, providing some $2 million in grants along with technical expertise from senior level executives to help the organization with strategic marketing and communication.

But even with this corporate giant in its corner, challenging times lay head for LPCCD, a Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) organization with limited resources. The Covid-19 pandemic struck, forcing LPCCD to regroup again and figure out the best course to sustain and grow the community. With every milestone and setback, LPCCD managed to forge ahead and develop more than 100 units of residential and mixed use projects totaling more than $40 million.

Anthony Smith didn’t know what to expect. He was sitting in the middle of Newark’s Lincoln Park, on a sunny Monday morning taking direction on how to connect with the audience who would see this portrait.

All one has to do is look around. Families walk their dogs and sit on the grass and residents frequent the neighborhood bodegas. The therapeutic community –Integrity House and Cura Inc—has always been there utilizing the park when it moved into the mansions during the troubled years.

“The Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District is a pillar in the Newark Community,” said Shané Harris, president of The Prudential Foundation. “We were one of their early supporters and remain committed to helping them elevate opportunities for residents through the arts and inclusive economic development.”

“I want you to think about the purpose of why you are here,’’ said Tamara Fleming, a well-known Newark based photographer.

It was obvious to Smith, the executive director of Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District (LPCCD). A Newark non-profit organization celebrating 20 years of work that has transformed this neighborhood through the arts, culture and music.

At the southern end of Broad Street, people leisurely walked through the park on this day, some stopping to see what was going on. A family set out a blanket for a picnic. One child rode a bicycle, the other a scooter.. Nestled between the trees strings of bistro lights sparkle through the park at night. Seasonal pop-up art will soon dangle from the thick cable that connects them, another visible sign that there’s a lot to delight in this neighborhood where 60,000 people gather annually for a three-day music festival.

“When you’re in the community and you see it from that lens, you see how beautiful the community is,’’ Smith said. “You can see it as a gem.”

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, with his father’s insight, recognizes how critical Lincoln Park is to the city’s downtown development. In June, the mayor created the Newark Arts and Education District and Lincoln Park is included. “Since its inception, the Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District has been working diligently and with passion to bring about a transformation on the southern end of Broad Street that will leave an enduring footprint for generations to come in the Lincoln Park neighborhood,” Baraka said. “With the arts and cultural programming as the driving economic engine, LPCCD has not wavered over the last 20 years to create a vibrant community with housing that residents want to call home. “This is why I included Lincoln Park in the Newark Arts and Education District. That district will enhance the downtown arts and educational institutions, galleries, parks, public art, and restaurants that contribute to the city’s cultural legacy and inclusive economic development.” LPCCD is a destination now, a place for people to work, live and play.

It is a crown jewel rooted in a rich historical legacy that cannot be forgotten. It’s an enclave Smith has tried to make better than it was before he became the organizations leader eight years ago.

Remember those bistro lights? LPCCD introduced them to the park last Christmas, and they are not going anywhere anytime soon. “We all need light. No one wants to be in the dark,’’ Smith said. “The lights shift the trajectory of how people see themselves and what they think.” They are welcoming, providing a sense of safety to the neighborhood. People can look out of their windows and see who is in the park. Demographically, the Lincoln Park experience is home to 3,500 to 4,000 Black and Latino residents, a diverse intergenerational mix of young people, seniors, and artists. More projects, however, are in the pipeline, namely a 60-unit development behind the column façade that serves as an entry point to Lincoln Park on Broad Street. The “I Am Lincoln Park” project is on the way, too. It’s a touching video of residents and stakeholders who explain why Lincoln Park is important to them.

LPCCD is turning the corner again, giving hope to residents who desire a walkable community with cafes, shops and boutiques. As the changes surface, Hooper Marshall sees the organization she chaired until last year as a major force that continues to blossom.

Smith does, too. As he was about to leave the park, he mused, ““You see the work that you have done. To be sitting there, and have people walking by, inquisitive, asking what are you doing. It felt good.’’

Anthony Smith Executive Director Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District

And it should. Happy 20th Anniversary. Barry Carter is an award winning journalist and columnist.

(L–R) Warren R. Thompson, Jr. and Anthony Smith, Community Organizing and Engagement Lead for Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District

DEVELOPMENT IN THE COAST

Equitable and Affordability Calls For Collaboration & Partnerships

By Kei-Sygh Thomas

As Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District celebrates 20 years of transforming a low-income neighborhood with blighted buildings and a barren park into an urban eco-village, one fact is clear - the growing community is a testament to the sustainability of community-driven urban development.

Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District centers revitalization of the emerging arts and cultural district around equity and inclusion. With residents, local businesses, and artists at the center of planning, development is a collaborative process. As such, developers interested to pursue projects in the area partner with Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District. This is how they protect the thriving arts community and keep equity forefront for years to come.

Collaborative community-driven development gave

way to partnerships like the one with Fairstead, a real estate company who describes themselves as a purpose driven developer. “This commitment comes to life by revitalizing affordable housing, creating great new places to live, embarking on impactful long-term sustainability strategies, providing critical on-site social services programming, and fostering meaningful community partnerships,” said Brett Meringoff, Managing Partner of Development at Fairstead.

When Fairstead began the process of acquiring the Essex Plaza portfolio site, they were eager to connect with community partners dedicated to Newark’s future and support the vision of a dynamic Lincoln Park neighborhood. Fairstead and LIHC Investment Group announced ground-up development for a mixed-income housing building at Essex Plaza earlier this year. The

Fairstead’s planned new affordable housing development coming to Essex Plaza, 1060 Broad Street

Photo Courtesy Fairstead

proposed development is a six-story, 365,000 square-foot mixed-use building with 241 apartments, ground level commercial space, and underground parking. Fairstead believes having a strong mix of homes at different affordability levels is paramount to support the future of cities. Ethical development to address the affordability crisis and create new housing for opportunities for the city’s growing workforce is critical.

The Essex Plaza portfolio includes Essex Plaza One, a 450-unit senior housing tenement at 1060 Broad Street. Built in 1926, Essex Plaza One was an industrial office building before it was rehabilitated as senior citizen housing in 1977. Fairstead and LIHC plan to invest more than $27 million for renovations and on-site support services for Essex Plaza One, likely the largest face lift the property has seen in over four decades. Seniors can expect new energy efficient appliances and other upgrades to make their apartments feel brand new and accessibility features for those with immobility challenges. They will have internet and cable access covered by rent, too. Renovations are underway and the response from

residents has been incredible, according to Fairstead. Lincoln Park Coast Community District welcomed several community-driven real estate developers on successful projects to the Lincoln Park neighborhood over the years. The Newark YMCA, BCM Affordable Housing, and Ingerman built The Willows at Symphony Hall in 2017. All 60 units remain affordable five years later and a quarter of them are fully furnished for tenants who have a mental illness or disability. Ingerman is intentional about leasing to practicing artists, showing their commitment to protect the thriving arts community. Right next door to The Willows, developers Cor10 Concepts LLC, along with Community Asset Preservation Corporation (CAPC) in conjunction and C+C Architecture is building Lincoln Park’s first shipping container housing. The development located at 393 Halsey Street, Newark, NJ will serve as springboard to utilize Newark as the model to address the need for quality affordable housing with container construction. Around the corner, Elnardo Webster is slated to develop the blighted West Kinney corridor at 442 Washington Street and 1007 Broad Street respectively.

Photo

Credit Hanini Group

Hanini Group’s Packard Lofts at 1002 Broad Street

“This commitment comes to life by revitalizing affordable housing, creating great new places to live, embarking on impactful longterm sustainability strategies, providing critical on-site social services programming, and fostering meaningful community partnerships,” -Brett Meringoff

On East Kinney at Broad Street, the Hanini Group turned the former Packard car dealership showroom with 1920s Art Deco lines into lofty apartments, just across from RPM’s 999 Broad Street development, with its outdoor space, fitness center, WiFi workstations just a short walk from the Prudential Center and Newark Penn Station. All the developers hold a seat on, and if new are encouraged to join, Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District’s “Friends of Community Advocacy” roundtable, which meets monthly around strategic community building and organizing techniques to engage the neighborhood stakeholders for purposes of neighborhood improvement.

Though Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District’s operates with community at the center of what they do, a $100,000 grant from the Wells Fargo Regional Foundation helped them document the vision forward. With the help of residents, stakeholders, and Community Asset Preservation Corporate, Lincoln

Park Coast Cultural District released their 10-year plan for comprehensive resident-driven neighborhood development. The plan outlines new development of affordable and market-rate housing, support for local businesses, programs to foster entrepreneurship, and initiatives to empower residents. Community partnerships with real estate developers like Fairstead, Hanini Group, BCM Affordable Housing, MCI Real Estate Development, Elnardo Webster and others can make this all possible.

“We know that there is nothing more important than someone’s home – it’s the foundation for everything you want to achieve in life and a proven determinant of a person’s health,” said Meringoff. “We have a strong focus on social responsibility and we strive to have a positive impact for our residents, our communities, and the planet.”

Kei-Sygh Thomas is a freelance reporter living in Newark, NJ.

REBUILDING CITIES ONE COMMUNITY AT A TIME

Architectural plans for 393 Halsey Street

Photo Courtesy Cor10 Concepts LLC

PRUDENTIAL The Rock In Lincoln Park 20 Years of Community Partnership

By Anthony W. Schuman

There is a shared history between the neighborhood that came to be known as Lincoln Park and Prudential Financial Inc. which dates back to 1875 and the founding by John F. Dryden of what was originally called The Widows and Orphans Friendly Society, then the Prudential Friendly Society. At that time, the neighborhood was known as South Park, in the old third ward, home to the South Park Calvary United Presbyterian Church, a historic church built in 1853 and located at 1035 Broad Street in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. It is said that President-Elect Abraham Lincoln delivered an address on the steps of the church during a half day visit to Newark en route to his inauguration. The park was renamed for the President after his assassination in 1865.

The Lincoln Park of yesteryear was the place to live for industrialists such as bootmakers Isaac Bannister and John S. Peshin, jewelry manufacturer David Dodd, German brewers Christian Feigenspan and Gottfried Krueger, Henry Kessler, of the Kessler Institute, and Governor Franklin Murphy, owner

of the Murphy Varnish Company. John F. Dryden, founder of The Prudential Insurance Company of America was no exception. The 13,000 square foot Dryden mansion was – and still is – an architectural masterpiece with its three-story winding staircase, Greek classical elements, hand carved molding and fireplaces, lustrous parquet floors, high ceilings, a flat roof with a geometric style stone balustrade, and stained-glass transoms above the first-floor windows. The mansion’s entrance is flanked by polished marble columns and surmounted by heavy pedimented portico with Doric entablature. As we say in “The Coast,” it is fabulous!

Thirty-five years after Newark’s 1967 Uprising, the nonprofit Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District was created to return this once prestigious neighborhood to its former glory. As with the physical location of the John F. Dryden mansion, which still stands today in Lincoln Park, Prudential Financial’s footprint looms large starting with participation in the 1999 “charette” (planning session) for a new organization founded by community activists

Prudential Financial headquarters in Newark, NJ

Photo

Courtesy Prudential Financial

In 1875, Prudential founder John Dryden chose Newark as the home for an idea that would change America forever: life insurance for everyday families.

Today, we’re doing more than ever to champion the aspirations of Newark families. Through partnerships across the city, we’re creating avenues for new ideas and technologies to emerge. For businesses, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions to thrive. And to help individuals achieve the promise of prosperity for generations to come.

We began with a sense of purpose that lives on today in our commitment to Newark and communities around the world.

Prudential is a proud supporter of the Lincoln Park Coast

District.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center

Free Ultra-High-Speed Wi-Fi Hahne & Co. Redevelopment

Teachers Village

Prudential Tower & Military Park

AeroFarmsCharter School Development

Small Business Development YouthBuild Newark, Inc.

School District Reform

to Newark for more than 140 years, we continue to see the promise of prosperity.

seeking to reclaim 23 acres once dominated by dilapidated buildings and vacant lots and turn it into a sustainable arts district. Since Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District’s incorporation in 2002, Prudential’s role has not only provided seed funding for the new nonprofit but provided hands-on guidance and thought leadership through LPCCD’s formative years in the person of former Prudential Foundation program Officer Mary Puryear. Today, Prudential Financial holds a seat on our board.

After mission drift in survival mode during the mortgage crisis and great recession of 2008-09, Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District reset its mission in 2017 as “LPCCD 2.0” through the Newark Resilience Initiative. The Non-Profit Resilience Initiative and partner Prudential Financial Inc. created the Newark Resilience Initiative (NRI) to assist Newark-based non-profits develop financing and leadership capacity. Selected as one of only 15 nonprofits through a competitive application process, LPCCD received a year of customized consulting which led to the resulting “LPCCD 2.0 Re-Imagining Lincoln Park Sustainability” plan.

In 2021, the Prudential Foundation partnered with the Nonprofit Finance Fund to lead the $1M Newark Nonprofit Capacity Accelerator, which supports CDCs with services from Cause Effective, Institute for Nonprofit Practice, Nonprofit Finance Fund, Prudential Financial, and Taproot Foundation.

Thankfully, Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District was one eight organizations selected. Prudential Financial leveraged its relationship with Cause Effective to offer Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District value through intellectual support and board training in fund-raising and leadership. This assistance bore fruit in 2021 with the organization’s first-ever big-ticket fundraiser, entitled “The Lagniappe Experience”. For the staff and board, it was a muscle stretching exercise that would not have been possible without Prudential tapping into Cause Effective, which worked with leadership to develop, employ, and expand effective fundraising, governance and organizational strategies. Additionally, members of the LPCCD executive leadership underwent a sixmonth capacity building program under the Institute for Nonprofit Practice. LPCCD also participated in a probono program coordinated by Taproot where Prudential employees provided assistance on a communications strategy. Employees also helped with re-designing their website. Anthony Smith, LPCCD’ CEO, was paired with a Prudential Executive for mutual support and leadership development as part of the Nonprofit Accelerator.

And, of course, the arts. Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District (LPCCD) participated as a key partner in the unveiling of the beautiful Whitney Houston glass mosaic mural in the icon’s hometown, Newark, NJ. Anthony Smith, Executive Director, LPCCD and Keith Hamilton, Sr. Property Manager, The City of Newark, Department of Economic and Housing Development worked diligently for over three years with artist Maude Lemaire to identify the perfect location for the mural. LPCCD led negotiations for wall space with various developers and property owners before settling on the final location in Teachers Village at 45 William Street. The mural was made possible by Grammy Museum Experience Prudential Center and Prudential Financial, Inc. and the second of five murals planned for the city. The relationship between

Prudential and Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District came full circle when in 2021, a new LPCCD initiative named the Lincoln Park Gallery Without Walls Alley Reclamation Mural Project, which launched behind the historic New Ark Cathedral Church (known as La Vid Verdadera en La Catedral New Ark, Lincoln Park) and the Dryden Mansion.

As Board Chair of Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District, I can attest to the immeasurable impact that Prudential Financial has had on our organization and the greater Lincoln Park neighborhood. Together, with Prudential Financial Inc., we look forward to the next 20 years in moving Newark forward in Lincoln Park.

Anthony W. (Tony) Schuman, professor of architecture at NJIT, is co-editor of Newark Landmark Treasures: A Guide to the Landmark Buildings, Parks, Public Art & Historic Districts in New Jersey’s Metropolis; and Board Chair, Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District.

The historic John F. Dryden mansion still stands in Lincoln Park

Photo Credit Crawford Street Partners

SEEDING A COMMUNITY IN THE COAST

Key Funders and Partners Light the Way

By Kim J. Ford

Beans, snow peas, sugar snap, cabbage, and zucchini –more than a rose can grow from concrete in Newark’s Lincoln Park Community Garden, which has been supported by Whole Foods since 2018. Its Whole Foods Whole Cities Foundation actively supports local growers who strengthen the local food system. This year, the Lincoln Park Community Garden was a “tour-stop” for new Whole Foods Market CEO Jason Buechel. Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District’s (LPCCD) Whole Foods Grant included the “Influencer Grower Program” where one of the gardeners, renown Chef Sean Hassan, founder of Rhythm-N-Food, entered into LPCCD’s partner, Rising Tide Capital’s, Community Business Academy (CBA).

Upon graduation, participants are able to launch their “garden to table” food product idea or business within the space of a year. For the industrious Chef Hassan, the combined experiences will support the launch of his “Rhythm-N-Food Drive By Bistro” food truck. “Having an opportunity to learn how to grow my own food in the Lincoln Park Community Garden supported by Whole

Foods–as opposed to shopping for it–really helped me understand how to care for veggies from seed to table. Now, transferring that knowledge through Rising Tide Capital’s CBA in order to grow my mobile food truck business is priceless.”

Building a sustainable community requires fresh food access and improved quality of life. In “The Coast,” we don’t just eat clean, we clean our streets also through the help of key partners like Keep America Beautiful. It’s the mission of Keep America Beautiful to end littering, improve recycling, and beautify American communities like Newark’s Lincoln Park.

For Earth Day 2022, Keep America Beautiful Newark Executive Director Malkia King led the charge by partnering with LPCCD, MARS Inc., Whole Foods, Passaic Valley Sewage Commission, Integrity House, Link School, and Link Community Charter School to clean the blocks and park, prep the garden for Spring planting season, and decorate outdoor planters painted by Link School students. On the importance of collaboration, King states

Photo Courtesy of Donna Holland

“Community-based organizations are our boots on the ground. Organizations like Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District advocate for the needs of the community, dictate how we deploy our resources, and empower residents and stakeholders to get engaged and take charge of their own blocks. We also partner with the municipality such as City of Newark Office of Sustainability and Department of Public Works. It’s a win-win for all.”

When Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District issued the call for partners to take back a desolate and dark space behind the historic New Ark Cathedral Church (known as La Vid Verdadera en La Catedral New Ark, Lincoln Park) and Dryden Mansion, the Love Tito’s giving arm of Tito’s Handmade Vodka put resources in action. As a seed funder, along with City of Newark Office of Sustainability’s Love Your Block, Crawford Street Partners, and others, they helped the non-profit actualize the Lincoln Park Gallery Without Walls Alley Reclamation Project.

Prior to the opening of The Willows at Symphony Hall, “Little Five Points” was a dimly lit, desolate strip with little residential foot traffic leading to the park itself.

Now, Lincoln Park has lighting, thanks to the Newark City Parks Foundation and PSE&G. PSE&G works with LPCCD by implementing LED technology with street lighting in the park and at identified intersections where there is an opportunity to improve the lighting. The enhanced lighting improves areas that were dark and supports LPCCD neighborhood safety initiatives. “PSEG and the PSEG Foundation are committed to helping build thriving and sustainable neighborhoods by empowering and investing in the many diverse communities we serve,” said Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and PSEG Foundation President Calvin Ledford. “We are pleased to help LPCCD improve the lighting in the park and help make the community safer for all.” PSE&G has also advocated, with the help of LPCCD, for Lincoln Park area energy efficiency programs that can benefit residents, small businesses, non-profit, and government agencies throughout the city. The Newark City Parks Foundation, whose mission is to encourage the City of Newark to use their neighborhood parks by offering community-building programs that bring people into their local green spaces, installed semi-permanent bistro lights for the next three-years, which encourage residents to increase usage of our park.

These key funders, along with the City of Newark’s Creative Catalyst Fund, The State of New Jersey’s Neighborhood Preservation Program, Valley Bank, Provident Bank, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey, TD Bank, Fedway, and many more support the organization and have anchored its programming to ensure the park and surrounding neighborhood come alive each season, like a good harvest.

Kim J. Ford is a published journalist/content creator, producer of the annual Lincoln Park Music Festival; founder of BRND Marketing Group LLC and proud Lincoln Park resident.

WORKING, LIVING & CREATING IN THE COAST Lincoln Park Is A Hub of Creativity

By Kim J. Ford

Four blocks that comprise Brunswick Street in Lincoln Park, Newark, NJ have existed since at least 1859, according to a map of Newark surveyed by Stephen Dod and published for B.T. Pierson’s Directory of the City of Newark. It is where Newark’s “Sassy” Sarah Vaughn was raised. A short walk from Brunswick Street, south of Pennington, Tichenor, and South Streets was 186 Thomas Street, where a young Sarah sang in the choir at New Mount Zion Baptist Church.

Until the global pandemic years, Brunswick Street was also home to Hooferz Club, owned by Tony Award® winning American tap dancer, actor, and choreographer Savion Glover, a native Newarker. The Arts High School graduate and grandson of legendary New Hope Baptist church pianist, Anna Mae Lundy Lewis, opened Hooferz Club on Brunswick Street in Lincoln Park in a forgotten about structure that once housed one of the locations of Newark School of the Arts.

Newark School of the Arts was founded post-1967 uprising by two educators, S tella Lass and Saunders Davis, with a grant from Prudential. They purchased the Lincoln Park building in the 1970s and it has been one of the community’s anchor arts institutions ever since. In its current site on Lincoln Park Place overlooking the park, students from around the city come to the neighborhood

to study sequential education in music, dance, drama, and visual arts.

The hallowed history of the Lincoln Park neighborhood and the arts typically hearkens back to its heyday of juke joints, jazz dives, radio stations, and record labels, yet there is a more current story to be told. A new generation of residents–native and new Newarkers alike–are creating and living in “The Coast.” Take power broker Kimberlee Williams, whose FEMWORKS agency is firmly entrenched in Lincoln Park and even operated for a time out of the historic Dryden Mansion. Kimberlee is founder of the first-ever TEDX Broad Street and Newark Global Shapers. “ I was introduced to LPCCD’s (Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District) founder, Baye Adofo-Wilson by my mentor, African Globe Theater Founder Kabu OkaiDavies, back in 2003. When FEMWORKS was established in 2004, I knew Lincoln Park was where we needed to be and by 2007 it was our headquarters. Now, I am a proud homeowner of an LPCCD development too.” She’s doing the most in the best way–even growing her own veggies in the community garden in her beloved Lincoln Park neighborhood.

Lincoln Park resident Citi Medina’s imprint can be felt all over Newark and New Jersey. Holding court in what may be one of the most stylish duplexes in the city, his

Citi Medina in his home office in Lincoln Park

Courtesy of Citi Medina

Kimberlee Williams

by Tamara Fleming Photography, courtesy of Rutgers University-Newark

Medina Citi Design Haus was tapped to lead the creative vision for the historic YES! Newark Amazon HQ2 campaign. This powerhouse has chosen Lincoln Park as home. “Lincoln Park has an energy around it, the history and richness can be felt. My creative agency, Medina Citi, began in this neighborhood,” says Medina. He continued, “Lincoln Park allowed me to do the work we love most in a neighborhood that surrounded me and supported my vision. My sharespace and incubator, = SPACE, which is for makers in our city, is something I hope to grow in our neighborhood.”

Humble giant and native Newarker Jeff Billingsley is CEO of Cobblestone Multimedia. An expert multitasker, Jeff helms his music, film & television production, and professional audio recording empire right in Lincoln Park, over breakfast I’d imagine. Jeff is executive producer of The Birth of Def, Who is Bob Sumner? documentary; and producer and music consultant for the award-winning feature film, Gimme Shelter starring Vanessa Hudgens.

Fashionista, entrepreneur, and founder of Off The Hanger Boutique Lynette LaShawn is a “daughter of Lincoln Park” having grown up on the historic High Street, now Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Lynette remembers, “As a child I enjoyed the landscape of Lincoln Park. The openness gave me a sense of freedom that I never knew I needed growing up. My fondest memory growing up in Lincoln Park was engaging with my friends and organizing activities for fun after school.” Her latest vision, High Street Original, is an upscale luxury cape

line, named after her beloved, childhood neighborhood. “ High Street Original is my tribute to my biggest inspiration and motivation. It’s an ode to my childhood and my late grandma, Daisy, who migrated from Georgia in the 60s with my mom and uncle to Newark.”

Lincoln Park is not only the birthplace of a fashion diva and where the “Mural King” Rodney M. Gilbert gave birth to his beloved Yendor legacy, it is the home of Cement Gallery (in the former City Without Walls Gallery space) and arts education program Mighty Writers, which celebrates Newark and spreads the love of

Since 1983, the Lincoln Park neighborhood has been registered with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Park Service Register of Historic Places. The work that Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District has done over the past 20 years to shift the perception foreshadows a future that sounds amazing in this storied music and arts neighborhood and worthy of its national

Kim J. Ford is a published journalist/content creator, producer of the annual Lincoln Park Music Festival; founder of BRND Marketing Group LLC and proud Lincoln Park

Citi Medina home workspace in Lincoln Park

Courtesy of Citi Medina

Photo courtesy of Newark School of the Arts

Lynette LaShawn, Founder, High Street Original

Photo by Darryl Sheppard

FROM SOUTH PARK TO LINCOLN PARK

The Lincoln Park Façade Project Has A Story To Tell

By Roger Smith, Assoc. AIA, LEED Green Associate

There is a plaque on the wall at the Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District office and the inscription reads “In February 1861, president-elect Abraham Lincoln passed through Newark on his way to the inauguration and spoke on the steps of the South Park Calvary Presbyterian Church in front of a crowd of approximately 25,000, at the behest of founders John P. and Elizabeth Jackson.”   The question of whether President Lincoln actually stood on the steps of the old South Park Calvary Presbyterian Church or somewhere in the vicinity has been fodder for debate among historians for decades.  In 1903 the church celebrated its semi-centennial (50 years) which means that next year when groundbreaking begins behind the façade, the milestone will coincide with its 170th anniversary.

Lincoln Park’s South Park Calvary Presbyterian Church is one of the oldest anchor institutions in the Lincoln Park neighborhood and symbol of freedom for Black, Indigenous and People of Color in Newark. It was a house of worship where Black ministers were often invited to preach while it also served as the home to  Newark’s largest woman’s club the Contemporary Club.  It was Newark’s first racially integrated presbyterian church

and an architectural marvel to behold. John Welch (1824-1894), the Architect for the High Street Presbyterian church and orphanage  currently located on the NJIT campus, designed  the exquisite 1850s Greek Revival edifice which has served as a gathering space for the community, even after the destructive fire in 1992.  The fire leveled the building, but the gracious façade remained. Structurally unsound, it languished for years until  it was conveyed to upstart non-profit Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District, which began restoration around 2008, just before the economic downturn. Next year, Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District, along with Gensler and partner Baldwin Equities will break ground on the site behind the façade, on what will become  a new mixed-use project with approximately 60

Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District Church Facade

Photo Courtesy LPCCD

Future Architectural Plans

Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District Church Facade

Photo Courtesy Gensler

Photo from Library of Congress

South Park Presbyterian Church

new residential units, amenities, retail space and a new home for LPCCD offices.

“Baldwin works to identify unique characteristics in in each project that will enhance the community and resonate with the history and culture of the neighborhood.  No two projects are alike” says Avi Benamu, Co-Founder of Baldwin Equities. Benamu continues “Baldwin sat down with LPCCD and designed a project that is not only practical and efficient, but has the potential to change the Lincoln Park Neighborhood and set LPCCD on a path of becoming financially independent.”

The next chapter of Lincoln Park will be defined by its

evolving identity as a community – a community grounded in its rich history, culture and the arts. We hope this project will breathe new life and purpose into an iconic Newark landmark as well as anchor and preserve the rich legacy of the Lincoln Park Neighborhood for generations to come.

Roger Smith is a Principal and Design Director at Gensler (a global architecture, design and planning firm) in Morristown NJ. Roger is also the Co-Director of Gensler’s Center for Research on Equity and the Built Environment and a member of Gensler’s Global Race and Diversity Committee.

Roger Smith is Design Director and Principal at Gensler, a global architecture, design and planning firm.

The Arts Brings Residents and Tourists to Play and Chill in Lincoln Park

By Jonique Waddy

The Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District (LPCCD) non-profit unique business model in which community development meets the arts, culture, and wellness succeeds in attracting potential residents back to the neighborhood to live and play. LPCCD thoughtfully plans, designs and builds a comprehensive art and cultural district in the Lincoln Park neighborhood appealing to residents and visitors alike.

The Lincoln Park Music Festival speaks to the soul of the community, with good vibes surging throughout Newark’s wards with all roads leading downtown for the annual fête . Tens of thousands of attendees pack the park during the two weeks at end of July and first weekend in August when the festival is in full swing. Attendees from throughout the tri-state region enjoy a full season of celebration through public art, films, poetry and music that explores multiple genres including Gospel, Jazz, House, Hip-Hop, and Rhythm & Blues. “If the weather cooperates, in 2023 we’ll finally

launch Lincoln Park Caribana” says Kim J. Ford, who serves as festival director. “There is just not enough stage time during the last weekend in July to program all the wonderful cultures of the African diaspora!”

Take Yameen Allworld for instance, a tourist from Philadelphia and a self-proclaimed “hip hop head” attended the 15th Anniversary Festival for the first time after learning about it from Newark Happening’s Philadelphia promotions. Yameen, along with eight of his friends, stayed at the Tryp Hotel in downtown Newark, which made it easy for them to walk around downtown and explore the city. Allworld, a plant-based foodie, was most impressed with the wide range of restaurants offering vegan options, “The local vegan restaurants were off the hinges!,” he said and made the overall experience “satisfying and worth the hour and twenty-minute drive.”

This was also a season of firsts. Yogi Fest, previously held in Essex County’s South Mountain Reservation, premiered in Lincoln Park. According to Yogi Fest founder and

Actor Gbenga Akinnagbe (center) with Yameen Allword and Philly festival fans; festival director Kim J. Ford and LPCCD executive director Anthony Smith

Step 4 Step Soul Line Dancing takes center stage at Lincoln Park Music Festival

Lincoln Park Music Festival’s House Music Day

Newark native, Tyrone Daye, “It means a lot to me doing it in Newark because it’s where I’m from. I was the first Black male yoga teacher in Newark back in May 2020, so it was only right that the Yogi Fest was done in my city.” Another first was NJPAC’s Music and Movement series, in partnership with Newark City Parks Foundation, which encouraged residents to get “Back Together Again” with friends, family, and community at free weekly Wednesday afterwork activities in Lincoln Park featuring salsa, jazz, hip hop and aerobic dance.

A first time ever, outdoor exposition of the global soul line-dancing phenomenon in partnership with Step 4 Step Soul Line Dancing and neighborhood anchor institution Newark Symphony Hall. Though rain threatened to put a damper on the event, the spirit of dance triumphed as hundreds of soul liners in color coordinated t-shirts stepped in the name of fun, never missing a beat while enjoying nibbles from local food trucks. Said Chris Sabin, the Director of Communication and Social Impact & Community Engagement for Newark Symphony Hall, “We are better together.

Newark Symphony Hall understands that sharing resources with our neighbors, such as Lincoln Park, and our partner Step 4 Step helps tell the story of how we are all parts of the city’s art community, and the intentionality helps bring smiles to everyone and shows more of Newark to the world.”

Lincoln Park even turned into “Rodney’s House” for one evening, which celebrated the life and artistic spirit of the late Rodney M. Gilbert, whose Yendor Productions was headquartered on Spruce Street near Washington Street now named Rodney M. Gilbert Way.

While the arts drive tourism, Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District continues to stay mission aligned by

facilitating the integration of arts, culture and community well-being. Its Lincoln Park Music Speaks Artist Re-Grant Initiative gave ten artists micro-grants to “finish that project” by 2022. Funded in 2021 by New Jersey Arts and Culture Relief (now Renewal) Fund in response to the negative effects of COVID-19 on the arts community, LPCCD regranted $15,000 to local artists to actualize showcases, album projects, and support local curators like Newark Pride Inc., The Newark Times’ Live & Direct showcase and Porchfest Newark which in turn showcase dozens of local acts around the city. Lynne Toye, executive director of the New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund understands how the arts, music, and cultural events and programming LPCCD offers impacts the neighborhood. Toye states “The arts, music, and cultural programming bring people together and provide shared experiences. The organizations that provide cultural programs are making them more accessible than ever, providing access for so many New Jersey residents to enjoy the vibrant arts and culture we have throughout the state.”

As the Lincoln Park neighborhood continues to appeal as a destination to visitors and residents alike, in its twentieth year, Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District is still doing the work to ensure the delivery of residential and neighborhood services for the advancement of economic development through entrepreneurship and creative industry job growth through the lens of the arts. Now, that’s homegrown place-keeping for sure.

Jonique Waddy is published blogger and founder of Kissing Cameras multimedia production house.

West Ward Councilman Dupré L. Kelly

Yogi Fest by Tyrone Daye in Lincoln Park

DJ Danny Krivit on House Music Day at Lincoln Park Music Festival

By James Frazier Newark News & Story Collaborative

“My father’s heritage is East Indian; my mother is African-American and so they were bringing together two cultures,” said Kahn. “That’s ethically as well as geographically. Growing up, there was never a sense that we were solely identified by being Black kids in Camden, New Jersey. Yes, we were Black in Camden, but our roots are global. What I’ve always wanted to tell people through Crossroads is that it’s about our roots. As Black people in this country we should not forget or even allow people to think this is all of who we are.” He continued, “There’s much more! The sense of a connecting, having a theater like Crossroads that connects to many different communities in this coun try and around the world is in order for us to redefine who we are on a larger level.”

Church on Henry Street. Many perform ers benefited from ear ly successes on NFT’s stage—the late Chad wick Boseman, Debbie Allen, Morgan Free man, Phylicia Rashad, Denzel Washington, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, Issa Rae, and many more. Woodie King Jr. retired from leadership of the illus trious theater at the end of June.

“During the first part of the pandemic, March 2020, I had been thinking about retiring,” King revealed. “Then the pandemic increased in time. The offices closed down. Then people needed to have shots. I said, ‘Wait a minute, I don’t want to go back to work. I’m 83 years old. So, what should I do?’ I thought, I needed a young person to run it. And that person was Elizabeth Van Dyke, our artistic director. She’s experi enced and understands how to communicate with this generation. And getting that younger person to run it and work with me over the last year and five months, solidified it for me.”

24 Hours of Peace

Across the Hudson River, one of the pioneering insti tutions integrating artists of color and women into the mainstream American theater, Woodie King Jr.’s New Federal Theater (NFT), faces major changes. Found ed in 1970, NFT began as an outgrowth of a theatre program called Mobilization for Youth. The theatre’s first season opened in the basement of St. Augustine’s

As millions of people quarantined last year, the aters around the world temporarily closed their doors and we were forced to stay at home without live en tertainment. For the first time, the theater found the need to compete with social media and streaming platforms. NFT embraced change, deciding to shift theater to the digital space with pre-recorded and live

Labor Day weekend in Newark means “24 Hours of Peace.” From Friday, September 2 at 6pm to Saturday, September 3 at 6pm, stars and superstars performed and an aura of peace, love, unity, and joy settled on the gathered crowds from around the city.

Ten years ago, then Newark City Council Member Ras J. Baraka, representing the South Ward, began the tradition in that ward. When he became mayor, he continued the event citywide.

Co-host with Mayor Baraka this year was Golden Globe, Grammy, and Primetime Emmy Award-winning, Oscar-nominated Rapper, Singer, and Actress Queen Latifah. Headlining the Saturday show Singer/Songwriter, Author, Music and TV Producer Faith Evans, a graduate of Newark’s University High School, wowed the audience. Popular artists Fabolous, CL Smooth, and Co-Founder of 24 Hours of Peace Hakim Green filled out the day’s sensational roster.

Performances on Sunday by Rowdy Rebel, Fivio Foreign, G Herbo, and 2Rare ended the weekend on a hip-hop high note.

The annual event advocates a violence-free community by creating a “time-out” for 24 hours, promoting community-building for parents, children, artists, business owners, and faith and community-based organizations. The event-goers also had access to retail and food vendors, community resource information, poetry session, town hall meeting, Hip-hop and mental health forum, and a midnight movie.

“The 24 Hours of Peace event is more than an occasion to enjoy entertainment, food, poetry, and movies,” Mayor Baraka said. “It is a time for our residents to unify, to get access to important resources and information, to share ideas and solutions at a town hall meeting and join together to end violence and move a peaceful Newark forward.”

Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka

Queen Latifah

Frustrated with the lack of diversity in Amer ican theater, Ricardo Mohamed Khan and L. Kenneth Richardson conceptualized the Crossroads Theatre Company. Since its founding in 1978, Crossroads has produced over 100 works, many of them premiere productions by African and African American artists, including The Colored Museum and Spunk by George C. Wolfe, Jitney by August Wilson, Sheila’s Day by South Af rican writer Duma, Ndlovu and many more. Crossroads received the 1999 Tony Award for Outstanding Region al Theatre in the United States in recognition of its 22year history of artistic accomplishment and excellence.

Ricardo Kahn Crossroads Theatre Company

Courtesy of the City of Newark

Terence Blanchard

Nov 10 @ 7:30PM

GRAMMY®-winning jazz trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard is joined by The E-Collective and Turtle Island Quartet

Fantasia

& Jazzmeia Horn

Nov 10 @ 8PM

A night of powerhouse vocals with GRAMMY® winner Fantasia (American Idol) and Sassy Award winner Jazzmeia Horn

Dee Dee Bridgewater & Savion Glover

Interpretations

Sat, Nov 12 @ 3 & 7:30PM

Icons Dee Dee Bridgewater and Savion Glover come together for an evening of jazz, dance and improvisation like you’ve never seen before.

Yellowjackets

Sun, Nov 13 @ 7PM

Get in the jazz-fusion groove with Yellowjackets’ sophisticated arrangements, tight rhythms and expansive improvisations.

Trouble No More Performing the iconic album Eat a Peach featuring special guest Dumpstaphunk

Sun, Nov 13 @ 7PM

The Allman Brothers Band’s Eat a Peach will be performed in its entirety by the incredible musicians of Trouble No More.

Carolyn Dorfman Dance Jazz Legends and the Power of NOW!

Nov 16 @ 7:30PM

Carolyn Dorfman Dance premieres Jazz Legends and the Power of NOW!, with a live jazz performance by Regina Carter.

Issac Delgado & Alain Perez

Fri, Nov 18 @ 8PM

The GRAMMY®-winning duo Issac Delgado and Alain Perez perform their dazzling style of salsa and Cuban jazz.

NJMEA All-State Jazz Band and NJMEA All-State Jazz Choir

Fri, Nov 18 @ 7PM

Hear the next generation of jazz artists as NJMEA Jazz Band and Jazz Choir perform with special guest Christian McBride.

Maria Schneider Orchestra

Sat, Nov 19 @ 3 & 7:30PM

NEA Jazz Master, GRAMMY® winner and acclaimed composer/band leader Maria Schneider returns to NJPAC.

Represent! A Night of Jazz, Hip Hop and Spoken Word with Rakim, Speech, Chuck D, Nikki Giovanni, Mayor Ras Baraka, The Last Poets, A Christian McBride Situation and many more.

Sat, Nov 19 @ 8PM

For one unmissable night, NJPAC’s City Verses unites the leading voices in jazz, hip hop and poetry.

Dorthaan’s Place: Vanessa Rubin Trio Sun, Nov 20 @ 11AM & 1PM

Join us for Dorthaan’s Place, the legendary jazz brunch series at NICO Kitchen + Bar — starring vocalist Vanessa Rubin.

Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition Sun, Nov 20 @ 3PM

Hear the next generation of powerhouse jazz vocalists at “The Sassy Awards,” honoring the legacy of Sarah Vaughan.

gado

Fantasia

Terence Blanchard

Christian McBride

Nikki Giovanni

Rakim

Represent! A Night of Jazz, Hip Hop and Spoken Word featuring Christian McBride, Rakim, Nikki Giovanni and more

Spoken

Verses.

Rutgers

Andrew

Mellon

Irving Laurie

Sylvia

Bildner

Smart

A Raisin in the Sun at Newark Symphony Hall

Finds Triumph in its Debut Production

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore—

And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?

Or crust and sugar over— like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

by Langston Hughes

Rutgers-Newark (RU-N) Law School alumna and retired Vice Chancellor Marcia Brown produced and directed the American theater classic A Raisin in the Sun in its premiere at Newark Symphony Hall along with the Rutgers Theater Department and Assistant Producer Irene Daniels. Performed on Saturday and Sunday, September 17 and 18, the cast received rousing applause from the full house in the Terrace Ballroom. Brown, who produced and directed RITS twice before, began her work in community theater in New Brunswick in 1979. Brown states, “One of our goals for a Newark striving to move beyond a pandemic and into a city flush with opportunity, is keeping the arts alive through meaningful theater.”

According to Brown, Lorraine Hansberry's Raisin reminds us that the struggle for dignity for those who have been disenfranchised continues. With this reminder, comes a sense of responsibility for ensuring access to

theater and other such cultural events for a wide and diverse spectrum of citizens and residents, including churches, nonprofits, senior citizen programs, students, veterans, re-entry, transitional, and disabled populations.

Over 400 seniors and students from the Greater Newark area attended the two performances. During “talkback” sessions following the shows, audience members provided valuable insights, including support of a permanent repertory theater for the City of Newark.

The Raisin cast consists of employees and alumni of RUN, Essex County College, St. Benedict's Prep, and Orange High school—among them teachers; a lawyer; a historian; a former Newark Debate Academy orator; and child actor, Isaiah Odumuko. In their backgrounds and careers, the actors and crew members represent Newark’s landscape with widely diverse backgrounds, a love of Newark, a commitment to social justice, and a deep appreciation of the theater and its importance in community life.

A Raisin in the Sun

Donita Devance (Mama)

Jocelyn Creekmur (Beneatha)

Darlene Brown (Ruth)

Isaiah Odumuko (Travis)

Kenya Moncur-Whitaker (Walter)

Terry Shapiro (Mr. Linder)

Marcia Brown

Photos by: Karen Water

Bits and Pieces

current news + topics

Collected by Leslie Nash

The Power of Prayer

African American churchgoers and spiritual people who pray privately have better heart health than less religious Black people, according to a new Mayo Clinic study. A study of the benefits of religion on heart health was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA). LaPrincess Brewer, an assistant professor in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and her team of researchers used data from the Jackson Heart Study (JHS) as a template to analyze the cardiovascular health of African Americans in Minnesota.

Since 1998, the JHS has conducted research on the environmental and genetic factors that contribute to

cardiovascular disease among African Americans who live in Jackson, Mississippi. Since its inception, the JHS study has included more than 5,000 adult participants.

Brewer was surprised to find in the JHS that “religiosity and spirituality were associated with improved cardiovascular health,” she said.

On every metric, regular churchgoers and those who often participated in religious activities had better outcomes than those who did not. In light of these findings, Brewer advised that health professionals and researchers should acknowledge the importance of religious and spiritual influences in the lives of African Americans—who tend to be highly religious.

As a youngster, little Cicely Tyson played on the sidewalk in front of her home at East 101st Street between Lexington and Third Avenues in Harlem. In September, the block was renamed in her honor as Cicely Tyson Way. Tyson, born in the Bronx in 1924, moved to Harlem at the age of three with her parents, who were from the Caribbean island of Nevis.

Her career spanned over seven decades in movies, television, and theater. The rich legacy earned Tyson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, two Emmys, a Tony Award and an honorary Academy Award.

Tyson, known for her portrayals of strong, Black women, became well-known after her performance in Sounder (1972). Other major roles included The Biography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974) and as Binta in the ground-breaking series Roots (1977). Cicely Tyson passed at the age of 96 in January 2021.

One of the first Black athletes to cross the color line in international tennis, Althea Gibson won a Grand Slam title match in France in 1956. Her streak continued, winning both Wimbleton and what would become the US Open in 1958 and again in 1959. Gibson was named Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press in both years.

Born in 1927 in South Carolina, her family moved to Harlem as part of the Great Migration in 1930. Some of Gibson’s neighbors took up a collection to finance a junior membership and lessons at the Cosmopolitan Tennis Club in the Sugar Hill section of Harlem.

A celebration honoring Gibson and renaming the street where she grew up took place on what would have been her 95th birthday (August 25). The intersection of West 143rd Street and Malcolm X Boulevard is now called Althea Gibson Way.

Members of Gibson’s family attended the ceremony on 143rd Street in front of Gibson’s old apartment building. Her great niece, Sonia Melvin, spoke about how much Gibson meant to the family. “She was just ‘Auntie’ to us,” Melvin said. “I mean, she wasn’t this big icon to us—but we loved her.”

Cicely Tyson Way

Althea Gibson Way

We Love an African American Parade!

Folks in Harlem proudly marched along Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard between West 111th and 137th Streets on September 18, 2022. After the cancellation of the in-person event for the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, plenty of pent up energy could be seen and felt on that beautiful September Sunday. This year’s grand marshals, mostly from the healthcare community, led the parade with its aptly-named theme for 2022, “Good health is essential.”

The African American Day Parade, first held in 1969, has continued every September including virtual festivities during the pandemic.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams

Mount Sinai team

L-R: NY State Attorney General Leticia James and Parade Announcer Yasmin Cornelius

L-R: NY Assemblyman Al Taylor, Dr. Hazel Dukes, NY Assembly Member Inez D. Dickens, Lt. Governor Antonio Delgado, and Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson

L-R: Restaurateur Melba Wilson, NYC Council Member Gale Brewer, and Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg

L-R: Vy Higginson and daughter, Ahmaya-Knoelle

Photos by: Bruce Moore and Seitu Oronde

West Indian American Day Carnival 2022

The theme of this year’s Labor Day Parade was “Life,” said Anne Rhea Smith, a board member of the West Indian American Day Carnival Association, which organizes the parade. “It relates to our pride. How we look at ourselves, how we respect ourselves, [and] how we carry and manage ourselves as a people.” Nearly 600,000 NYC residents of non-Hispanic Caribbean descent, and ultimately over a million people came together on Eastern Parkway for Labor Day Carnival 2022.

The historic community organization dedicated to promoting, developing, and celebrating Caribbean culture,

arts, food, history, traditions, and people was founded in 1967. Headquartered in New York City, the West Indian American Day Carnival Association collaborates with the community on programming throughout the year, which culminates with a week-long display of festivities and a grand finale Carnival parade. The organization’s pillars of culture, education, community, and music resulted in over 100,000 participants in masquerade bands and steel bands, 75,000 hot meals to seniors and parade participants, 300,000 pounds of food donations, and 250,000 units of PPE and personal hygienic supplies.

L-R: Miss Universe Haiti 2022 Mideline Phelizor and NYC Mayor Eric Adams

NY Attorney General Letitia James

NY Senator Chuck Schumer

NYS Governor Kathy Hochul

L-R: Rev. Al Sharpton and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries

Photos by: Seitu Oronde

Transition: Dupré “DoItall” Kelly

From Hip Hop to City Council

by Wanda Croudy

In the June election for Newark municipal council, Dupré “Doitall” Kelly proved victorious, winning the seat as councilman for the West Ward—where he grew up, went to school, and began his mission to serve as an advocate for his community. Running on the Ras Baraka ticket and aligning himself with the mayor’s plans for Newark, Kelly’s plans for the West Ward fell right into place.

Along with his upbringing by a strong single mother, Kelly credits the services provided through 211 Community Impact, the nonprofit organization he created over 10 years ago, with keeping him on the pulse of what the West Ward needs and expects. The organization’s mission is to stimulate interest in community issues and foster action for change by providing innovative education programs, public policy information and resources, and forums for active community engagement and inclusive decision-making.

The councilman said people have inspired him, which means more to him than their influence. “Being inspired is being in spirit with someone,” he said. Kelly wants to add to what is already established and move the needle forward.

As one-third of the platinum-selling hip-hop group Lords of the Underground, Kelly often found himself involved in thought-provoking, stirring, and inspirational conversations with fellow artists about his next steps after hip-hop. One such person Kelly called a friend—Tupac Shakur. He recalls conversations with Shakur when (while rolling dice) he talked about fighting for our people; fighting for our cultural mentality. He stressed

that the next step for hip-hop artists was to enter public office and be the catalyst for needed change. “Pac, could be here now. He really was about it,” Kelly recalls. Tupac’s passionate words inspired him.

Kelly knew he was ready to assume the seat as councilman. Though he traveled the world as an entertainer, he knew he would come home to the West Ward and be an advocate for his community. Throwing his hat into the political ring, Kelly set out to speak to hundreds of residents. Walking the neighborhoods; riding the bus; attending community meetings; going to schools, businesses, block parties and even birthday celebrations; Dupré spent time with constituents, letting them know he heard their concerns and what they wanted from him as their councilman.

Asked about life as a member of the Newark Municipal Council, Kelly smiled wide and compared it to being in a fight. Describing his first few months in office as though training for a boxing match—he got his jab sharp, worked on his hook and increased his stamina, but then received a punch to the face. “Oh wow, I’m in a fight. That’s what politics is,” he said. There are campaign promises he wants to deliver on and goals he plans to accomplish. He knows, however, it’s the community who will make sure it happens—or the community will be the ones to “punch me in the face.” He will fight to get it done as the Newark councilman and the West Ward’s advocate.

To make a donation to the 211 Community Impact organization go to:

L-R: Dupré "DoItAll" Kelly, Al'Terik "Mr. Funke" Wardrick and Bruce A. "DJ Lord Jazz" ColstonDupré "DoItAll" Kelly

Bishop Jethro C. James NAACP Honoree

A

t the 107th NAACP Newark New Jersey Freedom Fund Gala Awards Brunch on September 18, 2022, Bishop Jethro C. James Jr., pastor of Paradise

Africa Expo USA

Blaze Channel USA, a creative industry digital monetization company based in New York City, hosted its first annual Africa Expo USA at the New York Marriott Marquis on Saturday, September 17, 2022. Africa Expo USA brings distinguished African businesspeople to America to network with American businesses and entrepreneurs and establish symbiotic relationships, taking advantage

Baptist Church in Newark, NJ, received the Donald M. Payne, Sr. Social Justice Award. Congressman Donald Payne Jr. presented the award.

of the vast business opportunities in Africa.

The international conference’s theme was “Business Opportunities in Africa,” with special panels on “African Americans and Africa: A Symbiotic Relationship of Culture, Business, and Education”; and another panel on the “African Creative Industry, Hope for African Youth: Strategy, Funding, and Monetization.”

L-R: Bishop Jethro C. James Jr. NAACP honoree and Newark NAACP President Deborah Smith Gregory

L-R: Bishop Jethro C. James Jr. and US Rep. Donald Payne Jr.

Courtesy of the NAACP Newark Branch Courtesy of Black Ivory

New Jersey’s longest serving state senator, Ron Rice, ended a stellar 35-year career in state and city government upon his retirement on August 31, 2022. Rice was honored at a ceremony led by US Congress Rep. Donald Payne Jr., renaming Sanford Place in the Vailsburg section of Newark “State Senator Ronald L. Rice Way” on September 10.

The Newark native’s entire life reflected his dedication to service. Former US Marine Sergeant (1966-70) and Vietnam War veteran Rice joined the Newark Police Department (NPD) and rose to the rank of detective (1972-80). He retired from NPD and entered politics, first serving on the Newark City Council (1982-98), then as deputy mayor (2002-06). He was elected to the State Senate in 1986 and worked simultaneously in Newark

Municipal government until 2006.

Many of Rice’s contemporaries in the Senate and other elected officials commented on his retirement and years of service to New Jersey and to Newark. “Ron Rice will leave the [NJ] Senate as one of its most transformational members, a true maverick whose legacy of legislative successes will stand clearly on its own,” said NJ Governor Phil Murphy. The Governor continued “…his resignation leaves a huge void in the legislature that will be hard to fill. I will always be proud to have called him my partner, but even prouder to call him my friend.”

Essex County Executive, Joseph D. Vincenzo announced an initiative to name the athletic complex under construction in Essex County Vailsburg Park as the “Ronald L. Rice Athletic Complex.”

Standing L-R: Rev. Louise Scott-Rountree, Cleopatra Tucker, Seated: Ron Rice

State Senator Ronald L. Rice Way

Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka

Newark City Council President LaMonica McIver

Photos by: Karen Waters

The General Baptist Convention of New Jersey, Inc. Rev. Dr. J. Michael Sanders, President Rev. Dr. James A. Dunkins, General Secretary Brother Vincent Bryant, Laymen's Movement Auxiliary President

Come join the Laymen’s Movement of the General Baptist Convention of New Jersey for a Veteran Day Celebration to Honor our Veterans. During this event, we will honor the oldest veteran, the most decorated veteran and the veteran who achieved the highest ranking.

We want to do more than just say “Thank You for Your Service”. We will have a resource panel providing information and answering questions concerning health care and benefits, VA and private health services, housing, health and life insurance issues, education, training, transportation and community support.

There will be VA representatives along with a VA onsite mobile claim clinic available to file a claim, to check on the status of a claim and answer questions. In addition, joining us will be State and Federal officials, Veteran service organizations such as the American Legion and VFW, the NAACP, civic groups along with our many sponsors sharing information on policy issues and other services.

Join us, bring a veteran and learn about resources and your entitlements. There will be refreshments and fellowship. We look forward to seeing you!

If there are any questions, please contact: Vincent Bryant, vinstudio1@optimum.net Sandra Dickerson, sdickerson600@gmail.com

The African American Cultural Narrative

African Americans are a unique people with a peculiar history in this land. Brought to these shores in chains from Africa in the early 1600s, our people toiled and suffered as captives in brutal bondage for a quarter of a millennium (250 years). On January 1, 1863, two years into the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, became law, signaling an end to slavery. On that day, the African American community of the United States of America was born.

One hundred years later in August 1963, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial, as he led hundreds of thousands to a March on Washington, seeking an end to discrimination and 90 years of Jim Crow segregation in the South. It was a demand for full and equal citizen’s rights for the people in what has been called “the Second Emancipation.”

Forty years after Martin Luther King Jr.’s tragic assassination in 1968, America elected its first black president, the Honorable Barack Obama (2008). In the 100 years between the first and second emancipation, in the midst of bitter persecution, humiliation, lynching, and enduring the denial of basic human rights, the resiliency of the African American spirit continued to shine brightly in religion, business, education, medicine, invention, sports, and in the creative arts—music, fashion, dance, language, literature, and theater. Indeed, original American art forms and a popular culture which has become the envy of the world were founded upon the souls of a forlorn people! And that is our story—the Truth, Beauty and Goodness of a loving and gifted race—revealed!

An Extraordinary History

Ours is an extraordinary history of trial, tribulation, and triumph that we must never, ever forget! This is the very story we must tell our children and ever be remembered for all future generations. We the people, descendants of the Great Emancipation must tell our story and sing our greatest songs to each other and to the entire world! We must remind ourselves over and over again of the noble struggle, human dignity, sacrifices and wisdom of our torch-bearing forefathers; of our goodly heritage, our divine inheritance; our great music legacy—Positive Music Matters!

This is our story—the cultural narrative—a new language of freedom; a springboard toward a great and prosperous future; a spiritually enlightened ideal. A vision of hope, opportunity, and progress; liberty and happiness; health and wholeness—peace and goodwill!

WE’VE COME THIS FAR BY FAITH…!

—Adrian A. Council, Sr.

Publisher

Adrian A. Council, Sr.

Editor-in-Chief

Jean Nash Wells

Associate Editor R. L. Witter

Sales

Angela Ridenour

Adrian Council, Jr.

Marc Williams

Satori MPR

Cheryl Saunders

Austin Fenner

Contributing Writers

Glenda Cadogan

Fern Gillespie

Contributing

Photographers

Vincent Bryant Ryan Council

Regina Flemming

Bob Gore

Raymond Hagans

Bruce Moore

Wali Amin Muhammad

Seitu Oronde

Karen Waters

Art Direction & Layout

Penguin Design Group Maishman Media, LLC

Raymond Hagans

Executive Assistant

Leslie Nash

Community & G overnment Affairs

Wayne Smith

The Positive Community Corp.

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Montclair, NJ 07042

973-233-9200

Fax: 973-233-9201

Email: info@thepositivecommunity.com Website: thepositivecommunity.com

All contents © The Positve Community Corporation. All Rights Reserved. This publication, in whole or in part, may not be reproduced, stored in a computerized or other retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means whatsoever without the prior written permission of The Positive Community Corporation. Any opinions expressed herein are solely the opinions of the writer(s) and not necessarily those of The Positive Community TM its management or staff. The Positive Community TM reserves the right to retain all materials and does not assume reponsibility for unsolicited materials.

The Last Word

BY R.L. WITTER

VOTE LIKE YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE DEPENDS ON IT

all of them! So many people only think of the U.S. Senate, Congress, and the presidency when they think about vot ing, but they’re missing out on the real ly big stuff. What could be bigger than candidates for national office? Believe it or not, candidates for local office.

What’s your favorite part of fall? Some will tell you it’s the changing colors of the leaves or the cool breeze that makes a whooshing sound through them. Oth ers will tell you how much they love ap ple picking, visiting a pumpkin patch, or ingesting EVERYTHING pumpkin spice. Nope; not me! My favorite thing about the autumn season is ELEC TION DAY!! Yes, I am somewhat of a nerd, but hear me out.

Of course, there are some aspects of Election Day I don’t like, including standing in line and walking to my car in a dark parking lot, but what do I love? I love having my voice heard! I love knowing that my opinions and my voice count and all I have to do is cast my vote to put them to work.

Some say our votes in New York and New Jersey don’t count because we’re “coastal elites” whose states will always vote blue and despite our exponential ly larger populations, we still get the same two senators as states with mil lions fewer people. While the equal representation is true and could stand to be reviewed, our votes still count. Let me explain to you how and why. Our voting starts on the local level. We have options and I like to vote for

We have the privilege of voting for school board members, utility commis sion members, councilmembers, judg es, and mayors. These are the people who propose and enact the policies and laws that affect most of us on a daily basis. Do you want more speed humps in your neighborhood? That’s the city council. Want a fair, honest police chief or more money allocated to transportation? That’s the mayor. Do you want DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) finally settled? That’s your senator’s job.

Of course, getting to know and vot ing for local candidates has another benefit beyond the things you’d like to accomplish locally. The better our local candidates are, the better our national candidates are. Afterall, most nation al candidates cut their teeth in local politics before moving to the national stage. So, if we want better options for Senate, Congress, and the presidency, let’s elect effective councilmembers, mayors, etc. who represent our values and opinions.

With all we’ve been through in the past five years, it has never been more important to vote our values and our consciences. If you don’t want to brave the elements or wait in line, request a mail-in ballot. But if you do decide to vote in person, I’ll see you in line with my pumpkin spice latte.

Actions, not just words

For decades Prudential has been committed to racial equity and social justice. Now we’re stepping up our game.

taking further action for inclusion and diversity.

FOR OUR PEOPLE: Our goal is to be the professional home to the top talent in our industry by building a culture where every voice is heard.

THROUGH OUR BUSINESS: Our enterprise inclusion strategy is expanding accessibility of our offerings to a diverse range of people and communities.

IN SOCIETY: We’re eliminating barriers and creating more equitable systems that lead to better outcomes for families and communities.

more about our commitments at

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