Primary Source Set: African Americans in Newark 1970-2020

Primary Source Set: African Americans in Newark 1970-2020

This guide links to a small number of items from our collections to get you started on research. To see many more items view the digital collection. You can also e-mail us or view our website for more information on non-digitized collections. Content note: some of the primary sources quoted include offensive racist language.

Overview: Since 1970, Newark’s African American community has continued to be an important presence . The Gibson administration attempted to address discrimination and other issues in Newark (Documents A and C). Gibson was followed by three more Black Mayors: Sharpe James, Cory Booker and Ras Baraka (Documents C, G and H). Newark also had it’s first Black female official Mildred Crump (Document E). Meanwhile various Black community groups and festivals continue to grow and flourish (Documents B and F). The COVID pandemic challenged the community in new ways (Document I).