by Emmanuel Young
South Jersey Information Equity Project
The Honorable. Ras Baraka, Mayor of Newark, visited Rowan University on February 20, 2024, to discuss his plans for New Jersey and how he envisions helping his state.
Rowan University’s Institute for Public Policy & Citizenship (RIPPAC) is a university-led organization that helps educate its students and the public on politics and policies. They do this by holding events and inviting guest speakers to discuss the issues within New Jersey and how they plan to resolve them, as well as career development and other programs.
“The Vision of New Jersey” is a series of seminars where the University invites representatives of the state to speak on their vision of a safer and better state. Many of these guest speakers are mayors, senators, and U.S. congressional representatives.
This time, they invited Ras Baraka to discuss his goals to better New Jersey. He was greeted by Dr. Dworkin, Director of RIPPAC, who welcomed him to the University and thanked him for coming down from Newark.
Mayor Barka is the 40th mayor of the City of Newark and has served as its mayor since 2014. Since then, he’s worked to better the city he calls home by tackling issues that the city faces. He was met by students and staff of the University as well as supporters of him after it was rumored he may run for governor.
He’s made the news on his success in reducing the crime rate in Newark to the lowest it has been in 5 decades. He also made progress in increasing the bandwidth of Wi-Fi and communication to city parks and other public areas.
The mayor addressed Newark’s main topics: housing, education, immigration, and cost. Believing more affordable housing should be made using state taxes and support the people who live in the area.
“We are not talking about issues solely targeted toward black people but problematic to the state of New Jersey, and we have a responsibility to address them together.”
Mayor Baraka talked about his belief that “politics should stay in the way of progress,” or the people will get content. He encouraged more people to be inclusive, to read more into the policies, and to participate in the community to ensure all voices are heard.
He also stated that residents of all groups should be able to have basic living and affordable housing and that New Jersey should work for the people as much as the citizens work for the state.
“We talk about people in categories, rich and wealthy or middle class, but this is not what New Jersey is,” He told the audience. “We are working families trying to make sense of all the politics and press… trying to save the little we can as we watch all we work for disappear in the high cost of living in this country and this state.”
He later went on to talk about how jobs should not discriminate from hiring people in specific fields just because they are reformed convicts, documented immigrants, or black or brown but by their character. Believing every individual should be allowed to work and provide for their family.
He concluded his speech by announcing his campaign for the governor’s office and encouraging young people to take the initiative to pursue public office roles.
“We need you; it’s hard work, and nothing is easy,” he said, looking into the audience. “It’s worth fighting for…The stairs are harder than the elevator, but you feel you accomplished something when you reach the top.”
This story was produced as part of the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University’s South Jersey Information Equity Project fellowship and supported with funding from the Independence Public Media Foundation.
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