PROGRAM UPDATES “State of the People” POWER Tour Comes to Newark: A Call to Action for Black Liberation, Community Healing, and Collective Power

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                   Media Contact: Desiree Peterkin Bell, 646-489-1620

comms@stateoftheppl.com

PROGRAM UPDATES “State of the People” POWER Tour Comes to Newark: A Call to Action for Black Liberation, Community Healing, and Collective Power

NEWARK MAYOR RAS J. BARAKA TO ADDRESS NATIONAL TOUR 

Other guests include Deputy Mayor Lakeesha Eure, Joy-Ann Reid, Angela Rye, Tamika Mallory, Dr. Stacie NC Grant, Derrick Johnson, Dr. Chris Pernell, Newark Poet Laureate Mia X, Maya Wiley, Dr. Wes Bellamy, Alphonso David, Mixed Media Artist Sharaya J, Young Guru, and more special guests

Newark, NJ — May 12, 2025–On Tuesday, May 13, the city of Newark, a beacon of resilience, resistance, and renewal, will host the State of the People POWER Tour at the iconic Symphony Hall. This multi-city, national campaign—led by a diverse coalition of organizers, educators, activists, artists, and everyday people—is not just an event. It is a movement grounded in care, culture, and strategy. The State of the People Power Tour is uniting cities across the country with one shared purpose—to co-create a future rooted in self-determination, love, and liberation.

Long a frontline city in the fight for justice, the day will feature immersive programming including panels, workshops, a town hall, service activations, and a dynamic community rally featuring speakers, music, and movement-building. Workshops will include: workforce development, arts as activism, protecting Social Security and Medicare, financial empowerment and more. At the heart of it all is a shared belief: our people already hold the solutions—we just need to come together. Citizens of Newark know they are not building something new from scratch but strengthening what they already have—each other.

The rich cultural legacy and deep roots in the city’s history of artistic expression and engagement make Newark Symphony Hall the perfect venue for this day. As New Jersey’s oldest and largest Black-led arts and entertainment venue, Symphony Hall has long served as a cornerstone for cultural innovation and community empowerment. Its grand stage has hosted generations of legendary performers, civil rights leaders, and local visionaries, making it an ideal setting to amplify the voices and stories of the people. Centrally located in the heart of Newark, the venue is more than a performance space—it is a symbol of resilience, pride, and the transformative power of the arts to inspire collective action and unity.

NOTE: Members of the public are encouraged to register online HERE

EVENT DETAILS:

WHAT: State of the People POWER Tour - Newark

WHEN: Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 9:00AM - 7:00PM EST 

WHERE: Newark Symphony Hall, 1020 Broad Street 

RSVP: Media are encouraged to RSVP: HERE 

 

UPDATED SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS

9:00am-10:00am Opening Plenary

• Derrick Johnson
• Maya Wiley
• Alphonso David
• Angelo Pinto
• Betty Crockett
• Reverend Dr. Starsky Wilson
• Karen Finney, Moderator

10:15am-1:15pm Workshops (additional participants TBA)

Building Generational Wealth – ACRE BOYZZ

Worker’s Rights – Building Power Together: From Workplace Rights to Social Transformation, Safanya N. Searcy

Financial Education – Economic Empowerment is Revolutionary, Led by Santino Drew

Public Safety – Public Safety and Violence Prevention, Led by Activists

Black Male/Civic Engagement – Black Men: Our Vote, Our Power, Dr. Wes Bellamy, Larry Hamm, Ali McBride

 

Health and Wellness– Planting the Seeds of Wellness, Dr. Leeja Carter, Fallon Ayaan, Rhonda Alin, Delicia Trotz & Khafeeon Love

Faith Based Organizing and Civic Engagement – Organize the Church / Organize the Temple: Building Faith Based Organizing Power in your Community, Min. Archange Antoine Charlene Walker, Rev. Regena Thomas, Rev. Barry Wise II, Rev. Ronald Tuff-Green Faith, Rev. Dr. Boyer 

Seniors – Securing Our Safety Net: The Future of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, Dr. Chris Pernell and Rev. Gina McKinney.

Emergency/Environmental – Environmental Justice & Community Preparedness: Protecting Our People, Amen Adio, Chloe Desir, Kim Gaddy

Arts and Culture – Art is Activism, Lisa Durden, Mia X, Suliman Onque, Fayemi Shakur, Desiree Hadley, Mysonne Linen, Councilman Dupre Kelly

Gun Violence – Breaking the Cycles of Gun Violence / Expungement, Charlene Walker, Rev. Dr. Russell Owen, Damon Venerable, Cass Severe, Dameon Stackhouse, Mark Fury, Esq. 

AI: Innovation Tech & Entrepreneurship – Power Moves Only: Using AI to Get Hired, Get Paid, and Build What’s Yours, Nakia White

Civic Engagement and Elected Office – Step Forward - Your Journey To Elected Office, A'shanti Gholar

Education – Dissecting Education: The Keys to Our Children Thriving, Dr. Antoine Gayles, Kimberly Brown, Mia Jones, Professor Bashir Muhammad Ptah Akinyele

Tools For Social Change – More than a Line Item: Budget Advocacy for Economic Justice & Power Mapping, Amanda Hollowell, Emile Washington

Black Women/Civic Engagement - Black Women: Leading People, Leading Change: Dr. Stacie NC Grant, Karen Finney, Dee Marshall, Maya Wiley, Holli Holliday 

1:15pm-1:45pm Lunch is served to all attendees. Hot meals will be provided by Chef Raz, a Newark-based Black Owned Caterer.  

2:00pm-3:00pm Town Hall, Setting a Path for the 

• Future – A Way Forward 
• Joy-Ann Reid, Moderator
• Angela Rye
• Tamika Mallory
• A’Dorian Murray-Thomas
• Maurice Mitchell
• Ryan Haywood, and more

2:45pm-3:45pm Outdoor DJ with food trucks. 

4:00pm-7:00pm Community Rally with speakers, and entertainment

Mayor Ras Baraka will speak at 4pm 

Other participants include: 

• Joy-Ann Reid, Co-Host
• Mysonne Linen, Co-Host
• Fajr Kegler, Newark Poet
• Tamika Mallory
• Alonzo Black
• DeJuana Thompson
• Khalil Tutt
• Aliya Clark
• Maurice Mitchell
• Performance by Sharaya J, and more

    National Partners and Participants

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About State of the People: The State of the People Power Tour is a nonpartisan, people-centered movement. It’s not about left or right—it’s about what’s right for our people. It’s about mobilizing communities, building bridges across issues, and fueling a future where everyone thrives. The State of the People POWER Tour is far more than an event — but an evolution. A national, multi-city campaign designed to connect our communities, co-create shared agendas, and strengthen long-term Black power. This is our answer to fragmentation and despair: a rising rooted in care, strategy, and self-determination. Together, we declare — we are the architects of our future.

To learn more, visit: www.stateoftheppl.com