Our Latest Articles
Newark’s Military Park carousel reopens, but questions about cost and longevity remain
After a prolonged period of dormancy, the Chambers Family Carousel at Newark’s Military Park reopened on Oct. 23rd at $450,000, bringing back an attraction that has been absent from the downtown park for years.
The small carousel claims a 26-foot diameter on the 6-acre park in the heart of the business district. With very few children-centered playgrounds in the city, the carousel presents an opportunity for families and children to make the heart of Newark a family-friendly space.
Feature image: Newark’s Military Park carousel at night. (Photo credit, Ryan Novosielski for Public Square Amplified)
Newark gets three low-income housing units, but research shows more is needed
The homes were built as Newark continues to face affordability challenges. Research conducted by Rutgers Law School’s Center on Law, Inequality, and Metropolitan Equity (CLiME) found that rents in Newark have risen faster than incomes, increasing concerns about housing stability and homelessness. The report highlights differences among Newark’s five central wards, with the East and Central Wards experiencing new construction, which is driving rapidly rising rents.
A Newark group takes on the NJ prison industrial complex
They founded RCSG in 2017, and now, nearly a decade later, they’ve built a space where returning citizens can transition back into their communities. RCSG is both a resource-sharing organization and a union that advocates for humane conditions and rights for people who are incarcerated, having successfully advocated for several new laws under former Governor Phil Murphy, including restoring voting rights to people on probation and parole and allowing former felons to serve on juries.
Making a home in Newark
A quiet Sunday unfolds in a meditation on home, empathy, and mutual aid. Through time with family and a prayer service at Delaney Hall, Halashon Sianipar and his kids realize community in simple acts of care.
No one is safe just for existing: Remembering Sakia Gunn
Newark, NJ - In 2003, Sakia Gunn was walking home in Newark with her friends when a man pulled up, made advances, and did not like the answer he got. She said no. He stabbed her in the chest.
She did not survive.
She was only 15.
More than 20 years later, I still think about how easy it is for a girl to lose her life over something like that. Saying no. Walking away. Existing in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong person nearby.
Supporters rally for LaMonica McIver as court case continues
Newark, NJ - U.S. Representative LaMonica McIver returned to court on Oct. 21 as she continued her heated legal battle against the Department of Justice. This ongoing case began after federal officers arrested Newark Mayor, Ras J. Baraka, during his oversight visit to Delaney Hall with McIver, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Rep. Rob Menendez Jr. on May 9.
Threats of arrest will not stop the ‘No Kings’ rallies this Saturday
Newark, NJ - On June 14, President Trump's birthday, the No Kings movement organized millions of people to draw attention to what many believed was the decline of US democracy and denounce the planned military parade on the Capitol. Over 2,100 demonstrations took place in all 50 states.
A city in motion: Newark’s rhythm of travel
Newark, NJ - The way Newark moves is layered and every movement tells a story of patience, perseverance, and adaptation. Some wait at bus shelters, leaning against glass panels or resting on benches, watching cars stream past.
Others ride through intersections on scooters or bikes, slipping between traffic and construction as if it’s second nature. Inside the bus, rows of seats frame the rhythm of daily life, people boarding, sitting, exiting, all sharing the same ride.
Breaking News | LaMonica McIver pleads not guilty in federal court hearing
Newark, NJ - U.S. Representative LaMonica McIver appeared in court on June 25, adding another chapter in her legal battle against the Department of Justice. On June 10, McIver was indicted on three counts of “forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers” as they tried to arrest Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka outside Delaney Hall on May 9. If convicted, McIver could face up to 17 years in prison.
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