As America's third oldest city, Newark has had a significant role in the history of the United States
By Junius Williams
The late distinguished Rutgers University Newark Professor Clem Price had a vision for
Newark's 350th Anniversary. As a historian who brought Newark's history to life for everyday people, he wanted all residents of the city to be engaged in celebrating the city's rich and diverse history.
As chairman of the Newark Celebration 350 committee, I am responsible along with the NC350 Board of Trustees for carrying out our good friend's vision of inclusion.
In the last few weeks, we have held community meetings in each ward of Newark. I am pleased by the turnout and encouraged by the enthusiasm for celebrating our city's history. Each ward now has a committee responsible for coming up with ward-based ideas for NC350.
Why is this essential? Far too often, those of us in positions of influence and authority presume to know what the people want. In this case, and perhaps uniquely for these kinds of celebrations, we have asked the people in their neighborhoods to jointly and individually interpret Newark's 350 years, and its meaning to them.
We have so much to be proud of as residents of this great city. As America's third oldest city, Newark has had a significant role in the history of the United States. Ken Gibson, Newark's first African-American mayor, popularized the saying, "Wherever American cities are going, Newark will get there first." Therefore unlike Las Vegas, what happens in Newark, doesn't stay in Newark. Our city's history serves as a beacon of hope and a blueprint for change for cities similarly situated all over the nation. We'll applaud the new construction downtown, but also explore periods of conflict, such as the 1967 Rebellion, to derive lessons of empowerment and reconciliation that will enable future generations to avoid the mistakes of the past.
Throughout Newark's history, we have welcomed successive waves of new immigrant groups who live in Weequahic in the South Ward, to the Old Third Ward (now the Central Ward), to Forest Hill in the north, to Vailsburg in the west and the Ironbound in the east. We shall look at the history of each group of immigrants who arrived and rose to power in the city, in hopes that we all learn that we are more alike than different. We predict that current newcomers can learn from the success stories of those who preceded them, and learn to pass on their own formula for community building that has helped Newark turn itself around in recent years.
Newark has many voices that speak to us through the ages. We plan to celebrate the great musical, artistic and intellectual contributions Newark has bestowed upon the world, through jazz diva Sarah Vaughn, Pulitzer Prize winner Philip Roth, world class poets Amiri Baraka and Allen Ginsberg, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Paul Simon and Frankie Valli, Grammy-award winner Queen Latifah and future basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal. History provides role models; Newark needs new role models who have been inspired by these and other predecessors, and will come home to help others succeed.
We're off to a great start, and I would encourage residents to propose their own event or public discussion by submitting a proposal electronically on our website.
We are kicking off the celebration this Saturday in the newly refurbished Military Park. The free event, run in conjunction with the Military Park Partnership, and Mayor Ras Baraka's administration will feature a series of live family friendly concerts and performances, arts and crafts and global cuisine.
We hope that residents of Newark will join us and see what Newark and its people have to offer starting Saturday, and throughout 2016.
Junius Williams is the chairman of the Newark Celebration 350 Committee and the director of the Abbott Leadership Institute at Rutgers University-Newark.
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