NO KINGS PROTEST IN NEWARK, NJ OCTOBER 16TH

A No Kings II March And Rally to protest policies of the Trump administration will take place on Saturday, October 18, 2025, 1:00pm, at the Lincoln Statue, 12 Springfield Avenue, in Newark, New Jersey.

The purpose of this protest is to demonstrate continued opposition to
President Trump’s anti-democratic policies. “Trump was elected president but he is trying to be a king,” Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress stated.

“The United States is supposed to be a democracy not a monarchy. Trump is trying to make himself a dictator. He wants to be emperor over an American empire. We don’t want a dictatorship. We want democracy,” Hamm stated. 

“What Trump has been doing since his return to office is an extension of his attempted January 6, 2021 coup. We will be marching to oppose his corrupt fascist, racist and imperialist policies,” Hamm said.

The event is sponsored by the People’s Organization For Progress (POP) and a coalition of organizations which it is a part of that held the Martin Luther King People’s Convention for Justice and Resistance in April. 

The demonstration will begin with a rally at the Lincoln Statue. Following the rally protesters marched will march to the Federal Building, 970 Broad Street and then back to the Lincoln Statue where there will be a closing rally.

The No Kings II March & Rally is one of many being organized across the country. Millions of people are expected to participate in protests taking place in more than 2100 cities and towns. The first wave No Kings protests took place in June. 

“In violation of the Constitution, the law, and orders by federal judges Trump has put troops in our cities for no valid reason. Trump’s “gestapo” masked ICE agents are intimidating people, violating their constitutional rights and legal rights, brutalizing them, kidnapping people off the streets, disappearing them to parts unknown, and killing them,” Hamm said. 

“He is attempting to outlaw free speech and criticism of his regime. Trump is attempting to criminalize his opposition and has weaponized the criminal justice system to persecute and prosecute his political enemies,” Hamm said. 

He said that Trump has threatened to have mayors, Congress people, judges and even governors who oppose his policies arrested. That he is trying to exercise control over what is taught at colleges and universities, bullying the media through law suits and political pressure into being his mouthpiece, and has had celebrities who have been critical of him removed from their television shows.

“His administration has forced colleges and universities, government agencies and private businesses to cancel Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. He has supported efforts to weaken the Voting Rights Act, and bolster voter suppression, and gerrymandering. He has shut down the data base on bad cops at the Justice Department and blocked all other initiatives for police reform,” Hamm said. 

“Trump has ordered the African American Museum in Washington DCand other agencies to purge content that does not fit with his white supremacist narrative of history. He has reinstalled monuments to racist, slavery supporting Confederate traitors that had been removed and reimposed the names of Confederate generals on military bases,” he said. 

Hamm said that the Trump administration’s economic policies have led to the layoff of hundreds of thousands workers. This includes 318,000 black women in the last quarter. And the tariffs imposed by Trump have contributed to a rise in consumer prices that have hurt working and poor families.

Also, as many as 15 million people may lose their health care coverage because of his cuts to Medicaid and failure to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies. These cuts are going to cause the cost of health care insurance to double, triple, even quadruple for 20 million more. It is also going to cause some hospitals and clinics in urban and rural areas across the country to close.

Hamm said Trump’s refusal to compromise on his proposed budget cuts has caused a government shutdown which may trigger more government worker layoffs. He has done all this while using his office and the government to enrich himself and his family in violation of the emoluments clause of the constitution.

“While increasing oppression at home he has been fomenting war abroad. Trump has continued to arm Israel in its genocidal war against the Palestinians. He is threatening war against Venezuela and other countries,” Hamm said. 

“In violation of United Nations conventions and international law he has attacked and killed civilians on boats in the Caribbean. The foreign policies of his administration continue to perpetuate genocide in Sudan and Congo, and catastrophe in Haiti. For all of the aforementioned reasons and many others Trump must go,” he said. 

For more information go to https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/841639/  or call the People's Organization For Progress at (973)801-0001, 

First African American Cardinal to Celebrate Black History Month in Newark

Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, retiring Archbishop of Washington, D.C., and the first African American Cardinal, will join Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, for the on Sunday, February 16, at 2:30 p.m. in Newark’s Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

Cardinal Gregory will serve as the guest homilist, with the Mass livestreamed on the Cathedral Basilica’s Facebook and YouTube pages. The liturgy will also feature songs celebrating the Black Catholic experience and tradition, a procession of banners depicting Black candidates for sainthood, and — for the first time ever — a liturgical dancer performing inside the Cathedral Basilica.

All are invited to attend. Those who own African or Caribbean cultural attire are encouraged to wear it in recognition of their heritage.

“We’re honored to welcome Cardinal Gregory, who has long championed inclusivity,” said Rahsaan Garlin, associate director of the archdiocesan African American, African, and Caribbean Apostolate, which organized the Mass. “Cardinal Gregory has shown through his leadership that the Catholic faith transcends ethnicity and color. We are all equal in the Church, and his example reinforces that.”

Cardinal Gregory’s visit follows his recent retirement as Archbishop of Washington, D.C., where he has served since 2019. He previously served as Archbishop of Atlanta and Bishop of Belleville, Illinois, among other leadership roles in the U.S. Church. A long-time advocate for social justice and marginalized communities, he was also the first Black bishop president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (U.S.C.C.B.). During his tenure, he oversaw the 2002 implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in response to the clergy abuse crisis.

As part of Cardinal Gregory’s visit, the apostolate is sponsoring an essay contest for juniors and seniors in archdiocesan high schools who are of African American, African, and Caribbean heritage. Students are invited to write about three aspects of the Mass that stood out to them. Several winners will receive prizes.

“We hope African American, African, and Caribbean young people will find inspiration in Cardinal Gregory’s visit,” Garlin said. “Many may not realize that an African American cardinal exists. Seeing someone who looks like them in such a prominent Church role sends a powerful message that they, too, can achieve great things in the Church.”

In addition to the Black History Month Jubilee Mass, the African American, African, and Caribbean Apostolate is planning other initiatives for the year ahead, including a March faith retreat for Black families and the annual Bishop Francis Luncheon in September. It will also continue to seek out ways of engaging African American, African, and Caribbean youth. Most recently, the apostolate held a bowling night to encourage interest in religious vocations.

To learn more about the African American, African, and Caribbean Apostolate and its mission of serving the Archdiocese of Newark’s Black Catholic community, visit www.rcan.org/aaaca/.

Mildred Crump a Newark political pioneer and icon has died

Mildred Crump, a longtime Newark councilwoman and pioneer for Black women in city politics, has died at age 86.

Crump became the first Black woman elected to Newark City Council in 1994 and the first Black woman named council president in 2006. She served as a Councilwoman from 1994-1998, and again from 2006-2021.

Crump became the first Black braille teacher in Detroit, her hometown, before relocating to the Garden State. She was also a founding member of the New Jersey Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., the National Political Congress for Black Women of Newark, and the Global Women’s Leadership Collaborative of New Jersey, dedicated to women’s issues in Africa.

[SOURCE: NJ.COM]

Melba Moore To Be Honored In Newark, NJ With a Street Named In Her Honor

The Honorable Newark, NJ, Mayor Ras Baraka and Councilwoman At Large, the Rev. Louise Scott-Rountree will present a street renaming dedication, honoring The Marvelous, Tony Award-winning, Grammy nominated R&B legend, The Marvelous Melba Moore.

The event is taking place on Friday, September 8th, 2023, 11 am ET, at the intersection of William and Mercer Streets in Newark, NJ – across the street from Ms. Moore’s alma mater, Arts High School. The street will be renamed Melba Moore Plaza.

This has been a banner year for The Marvelous Melba Moore. She appeared on The Tamron Hall Show, walked the runway for the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women event, released a new single - a remake of the Ashford & Simpson R&B classic, "It Seems To Hang On", as well as earning a Star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame on August 10th, 2023.

Building in Newark to be renamed after Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver

Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, the first Black woman elected to statewide office in New Jersey history, was remembered in a memorial service Saturday as a trailblazer who fought to help those in need.

During the funeral service Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo announced the county’s family assistance and benefits building in Newark will be renamed after Oliver and there will be a bust of her displayed at the county courthouse in the city.

Witness says he has new information about Malcolm X assassination

Attorneys representing the family of Malcolm X revealed what they call a star witness Tuesday in their ongoing legal pursuits related to his assassination in 1965.

The witness said he had new information he could provide, all these years later.

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A post shared by Ben Crump (@attorneycrump)

Newark's Shakur Stevenson stops Shuichiro Yoshino to become mandatory challenger for the WBC lightweight title

After winning titles at featherweight and junior lightweight, Shakur Stevenson moved up once again, this time to face Shuichiro Yoshino in a 12-round WBC lightweight title eliminator in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday. Stevenson finished Yoshino in the sixth round of a one-sided bout to become the mandatory challenger to the WBC lightweight title. [SOURCE: ESPN]

The Martin Luther King “We Won’t Go Back” March To Be Held In Newark

The People’s Organization For Progress is sponsoring The Martin Luther King “We Won’t Go Back” March that will be held on Martin Luther King's actual birthday, Sunday, January 15, 2023.

The organization will be marching to protest racism, sexism, facism, and war.

The march will begin at 2:00pm at the Martin Luther King Statue, 495 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Newark, NJ.

For more information call POP at (973) 801-0001. Contact POP if your organization would like to co-sponsor this event. Please wear masks and practice social distancing.

The People's Organization for Progress works to empower communities and fight for their needs. P.O.P. confronts issues about equality, justice, poverty, racism, umemployment, affordable housing and education, violence(of any sort), etc., as well as local, national, and international issues.

Newark NJ Residents March Against Violence

Newark residents took to the streets Saturday for a citywide peace walk.

The walk was a call to action for business leaders, the community and families to help end gun violence.

March For Jayland Walker to be held in Newark NJ

The People’s Organization For Progress (POP) will have a march and rally to demand justice for Jayland Walker on Friday, July 15, 2022, 5:00pm starting at the Lincoln Statue, 12 Springfield Avenue in Newark, New Jersey.

The Lincoln Statue is located at the intersection of Springfield Avenue and West Market Street.

Mr Walker was killed by Akron, Ohio police on June 27, 2022. He was unarmed when police fired 90 rounds hitting him 60 times.

“The manner in which Jayland Walker was killed, the amount of force and number of bullets fired was abominable and should be condemned by people of conscience across the country and around the world,” stated Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress.

“The officers who killed Mr Walker must be held accountable. They should be fired immediately and prosecuted at both the state and federal levels,” Hamm said.

Newark NJ renames park after Harriet Tubman

Newark marked Juneteenth Monday by renaming a park after American abolitionist and activist Harriet Tubman.

Mayor Ras Baraka unveiled the name change of Washington Park to Harriet Tubman Square.

Queen Latifah breaks ground on Rise Living housing development in Newark NJ

Queen Latifah (Dana Owens) joined Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Tuesday at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new mixed-used project she is partnering with local developers to build in the city’s South Ward.

12-year-old Prosperity Wilson from Newark is missing!

UPDATE:Prosperity has been found and is safe! MISSING 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN NEWARK FOUND SAFE

Police in Newark are desperately searching for a missing 12-year-old girl who struggles with her mental health.

Prosperity Wilson was last seen just before 4 p.m. Tuesday on the 100 block of 4th Avenue.

Wilson suffers from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

She is 5'2" tall and 234 pounds. She has a light brown complexion, short brown hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a tie-dyed hooded sweatshirt, gray tights, black and red Jordan sneakers, and she was carrying a pink and blue book bag.

Director O'Hara urges anyone with information about the whereabouts of Prosperity Wilson to call the Department's 24-hour Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477). All anonymous Crime Stopper tips are kept confidential and could result in a reward.

The People’s Organization for Progress To Hold March Voting Rights On MLK Birthday In Newark

A Newark group is planning to hold a march on Saturday, the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., in support of voting rights and several social justice issues.

The People’s Organization for Progress (POP) is spearheading a rally at noon. It will begin at the Lincoln Statue, 12 Springfield Avenue in Newark. Those who plan to attend the march are asked to wear masks and practice social distancing.

“The right to vote in the United States is under attack,” POP Chair Lawrence Hamm said. “We are calling this march to demand passage of legislation that will protect and strengthen voting rights.”

“Since the November 2020 presidential election nearly 400 bills have been introduced in 48 states to restrict voting rights, and 34 of these have become law in 19 states,” Hamm continued. “The POP is calling for passage of the Freedom To Vote Act (S 2747), For The People Act (H.R. 1), and The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 4). These bills will protect and strengthen voting rights.”

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka tests positive for COVID-19

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka tested positive for COVID-19, he said.

The mayor said he is asymptomatic, and so far his family has not tested positive for the virus/

I tested positive for COVID yesterday and thankfully my wife and son tested negative. By the grace of God I'm okay and have no symptoms at all. I'm going to retest on Friday and Monday as well, and I thank everyone for your well wishes. Please wear your masks and get vaccinated!

— Ras J. Baraka (@rasjbaraka) December 22, 2021

Newark NJ’s Shakur Stevenson wins super-featherweight championship

In just his 17th professional fight, 24-year-old Newark NJ native, Shakur Stevenson stopped veteran Jamel Herring in 10 rounds to take Herring’s WBO 130-pound title.

Stevenson has now won major belts in two divisions.

“I feel like Jamel Herring is a great fighter. He’s tough. He’s real tough, he’s got great boxing skills, he’s got great power. I was just the better man tonight,” Stevenson told ESPN’s Bernardo Osuna. “Now that we’re not fighting, I love Jamel Herring, he’s definitely my friend. I don’t got no problem with Jamel. Tell his wife I’m sorry, I don’t want no trouble with you! She’s tough.”

New $77M court building in Newark named after Martin Luther King, Jr.

A new $77 million building along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Newark that houses 11 new courtrooms and offices for elections officials opened on Thursday.

The facility is called the Martin Luther King, Jr. Justice Building and a 22-foot statue of the late civil rights activist stands outside the structure. Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Jr. said naming the structure after King was a natural fit since it’s located next to a plaza and a smaller statue that was dedicated to him in 2015.

The third and fourth floors of the building will house courtrooms for tax and general equity courts, which were formerly located in the Wilentz Justice Complex on Washington Street. The first and second floors will have offices for the Essex County clerk, superintendent of elections, board of elections, surrogate and the board of taxation.

Gov. Phil Murphy said naming the building after King was a step in the direction of gaining equality. Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver also said King “would be proud” of the project.

“Just over a year since the murder of George Floyd, we are on that long road to pursue equality and justice,” said Murphy. “And this building - in the name of an American hero unlike any other - is a huge step forward in that direction.”

The King statue that sits outside of the new building is made out of bronze and sits on an 8-foot-tall granite pedestal. It was created by Jay Warren, from Oregon, who also sculpted the smaller King statue that sat outside the neighboring county Hall of Records. The smaller statue was moved to the back of the new building.

“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools,” the engraving on the pedestal reads, quoting King. “But I know somehow, that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars. I have decided to stick with love, hate is too great a burden to bear. Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?”

The project was funded through Essex County’s capital budget. Construction started in May 2020 and was completed in 13 months.

[SOURCE: NJ.COM]

Newark NJ to unveil statue of George Floyd

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka on Wednesday is set to unveil a statue of George Floyd that officials say will be displayed outside City Hall for at least a year.

“The artwork honors the life of George Floyd, an African-American man who was brutally murdered by a white Minneapolis police officer,” the mayor’s office said in a statement. “Mr. Floyd’s death elevated the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement which has resulted in an international response, including protests, police reform measures, and the removal of Confederate statues from public parks and racist names from organizations.”

Baraka will join actor, director, and filmmaker Leon Pickney, who commissioned the 700-pound statue and the sculptor, Stanley Watts, among other officials at the event, according to the mayor’s office. The event is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. outside City Hall on Board Street and will be streamed via the city’s Facebook page.

The statue was donated to the city this week as part of an effort to develop a “world class public art program,” in Newark, the announcement said.

[SOURCE: NJ.COM]

Seton Hall and Prudential Center to host 2025 NCAA Regional in Newark NJ

Seton Hall University and Prudential Center in Newark NJ have been selected to host an NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament regional in 2025, the NCAA announced Wednesday as part of its unveiling of more than 450 selections of host sites for preliminary rounds and final sites of predetermined championships in Divisions I, II and III, with most to be held from 2022-23 through 2025-26. The regional will take place March 27 and 29 in 2025.

In response to the news, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Tweeted:

Happy to have @NCAA #MarchMaddness return to Newark in 2025!!!

This will be the first NCAA men's basketball tournament site in the state of New Jersey since Prudential Center and Seton Hall hosted the East Regional in 2011. Seton Hall is one of six BIG EAST schools to receive a men's basketball tournament site in this cycle, joining Creighton, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence and St. John's.

The proud home arena for Seton Hall men's basketball, Prudential Center was ranked a top-10 venue in the U.S. earlier this year and annually hosts the biggest names in entertainment and sports.

The NCAA sports committees made the nearly 450 selections of host sites based on criteria that included the ability to create an outstanding experience for student-athletes, along with adherence to NCAA sport-specific bid specifications.

Specifications can include, but are not limited to, providing optimal facilities; ease of travel to the location and ample lodging; and adherence to NCAA principles, which include providing an atmosphere that is safe and respects the dignity of all attendees.

Shakur Stevenson moving up to junior lightweight

Shakur Stevenson is vacating the WBO featherweight world title to move up to the junior lightweight division.

"We're moving on up ... We're getting all the belts, and everyone at 130 [pounds] can get it," Antonio Leonard, who co-promotes Stevenson, told ESPN on Thursday.

Stevenson, 23, won the vacant featherweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Joet Gonzalez in October. On June 9, Stevenson stopped Felix Caraballo in a non-title junior lightweight fight.

"I just didn't want to keep making that weight," Stevenson told ESPN. "I think I should be in the rankings to fight for a title [at junior lightweight] ASAP. I think I deserve it."

At the junior lightweight division, the belts are held by Miguel Berchelt (WBC), Jamel Herring (WBO), Joseph Diaz Jr. (IBF) and Rene Alvarado (WBA).

"We're putting all those guys on notice at 130," said Leonard, adding that Stevenson could be ready to fight again in August. "They can bring the belt, vacate them, because Shakur's going to whup everybody -- it don't matter who it is. We're taking on all comers."

[SOURCE: ESPN]