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Tonight, election night in Newark, NJ, represents the 4th anniversary since Ras Baraka took over as mayor. We are reposting our original, author-narrated, audiobook covering the history and campaign leading up to that initial historic victory.*
Here for details about the book, plus many extras and more from the author Dr. Todd Steven Burroughs
*Originally published June 30, 2014
Term No. 4 starts tonight. Baraka’s machine pretty much runs everything now. I predict his symbolic accomplishment will be a housing complex downtown he has named Kawaida Towers. https://www.google.com/search?q=kawardia+towers+newark+nj&oq=Kawardia+Towers+&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgBECEYoAEyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigAdIBCDY5MDZqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&source=chrome.ob
There have been a lot of changes since this. (Including that I now live here!) Will Mayor Baraka manage gentrification and Black/Brown Power? Stay tuned.
By the way, one error I have to correct: Baraka is the 40th mayor, not 39th as I say. I did not count the interim mayor, but Wiki and history does, so I regret the error.
I would love to relocate to Newark if I can get a deal for office space(law office) and housing
PLENTY of space downtown for that office!
That was an intresting commentary, it painted your verbal illustrations of the city of Newark very well. There were a few gag worthy “rainbow coalition” and “Off into the sunset” quips, but overall all it was very informative. I actually learned that Amiri Baraka was married to a white jew originally. I’m left wondering if Baraka was communist oriented before or after his first marriage?
THANKS, David!
I tried to be a harsh, cynical journalist on this one, and it didn’t take. Sorry for the gagging. 🙂
Baraka became a Communist after traveling to Africa and learning that the African leaders were scientific socialists, not Black nationalists. He learned that Africans were using nationalism to promote backward thinking.
If you want to trace Baraka’s thinking, I would strongly recommend “The LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka Reader.”
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