State of the People POWER Tour Calls on Newark to Take Action for Black Liberation

Hundreds of people gathered at the Newark Symphony Hall on Tuesday, May 13 for the State of the People POWER Tour to discuss various issues affecting Black communities and strategize on how to bring about liberation.

The tour is a national grassroots campaign focused on advancing justice and liberation through collective action. It spans 10 cities across the United States from April to June, with each tour date featuring workshops, panels, service projects, rallies and town halls led by local and national changemakers. 

“We are developing a Black agenda that is informed by you all,” social justice advocate and political commentator Angela Rye said, addressing community members present at the event.

At the Newark convening, local leaders spoke in panels relating to worker rights, housing discrimination, faith-based organizing, gun violence and many other issues impacting people in Newark. Speakers like social justice activist Larry Hamm, Essex County Commissioner A'Dorian Murray-Thomas, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and others urged audience members to find practical ways to get involved and start doing the work.

Many leaders also expressed a desire to partner with community members. 

“Let's continue to create that synergy [and] stay in connection,” Murray-Thomas said. “As a local elected official, [I want to] create a collective agenda through the county … to make sure we have a county-wide agenda on climate justice because you can’t talk about climate justice and not talk about racial justice [or] elected officials who are also a part of that work with the people.”

According to the website, the tour’s overarching mission is to uplift, unite and mobilize Black communities. The focus is on the people. In one sense, having public discussions allows for people to connect through shared experience.

It also creates the opportunity for meaningful change to take place because the community the tour is meant to reach is leading the conversations. A significant portion of attendees were Newark residents who know what the city needs. By raising their concerns and suggesting potential solutions at this event, they can push the movement toward tangible progress.

The town hall portion gave residents the opportunity to speak to leaders directly.

“The purpose of this town hall is to gather information so that we know what needs to go into the Black agenda,” news personality and town hall host Joy-Ann Reid said. “I know that this city knows how to stand up. I know that this city knows how to work.”

Newark has a long history of activism for Black liberation that dates back to the nineteenth century. Notable efforts include the Colored Anti-Slavery Society of Newark’s abolitionist work in the early-to-mid 1800s and the Newark chapter of the NAACP’s push for civil rights starting in 1914. Major events also took place in Newark: the first Black Power Conference and the Newark Rebellion both happened in 1967.

Today, Newark’s Black community remains active in honoring the city’s history and keeping the justice and arts movements alive. Given the event’s focus, Symphony Hall — New Jersey’s oldest and largest Black-led arts and entertainment venue — was a fitting location.

Baraka appeared at the start of the rally, which was the last portion of the day. Born and raised in Newark himself, the mayor offered a poignant address that took the audience to church.

“This moral moment that we’re in affects us all … they’re attacking poor, Black, and Brown people in this country,” the mayor said. “We gotta dance on the head of the devil. This is our David moment. [Your] crown lives in the middle of controversy. The thing that has been promised to you is surrounded by high walls, and the gates are guarded by giants. If you’re running from conflict and controversy, you’ll never get what was promised to you.”

To end, Baraka emphasized that collaboration is necessary and gave a collective call to action.  

“Division is what causes us to not be able to advance the way we need to advance. Our collective push is how we win. How do we bring our community together? First [in building] a larger coalition,” Baraka said. “If there are 10 things and we agree on eight, we need to unite around the things we agree upon and not fall apart on the [things] we don’t agree upon. We’re not going to agree on everything, but [we] have to figure out how to be disciplined enough to be together because our enemies are real. 

To hear more about the State of the People POWER Tour or attend a tour date near you, visit https://stateoftheppl.com/.