Engage with History,
Inspire our Tomorrow

The 50th Anniversary of the 1967 Newark Rebellion

“Commemoration of the 1967 Newark Rebellion requires us to remember the past, while also teaching and sharing its lessons with our youth. It is critical that young people growing up in a new Newark, born of the political movement and outcomes of those historic five days, remember those who created the Rebellion, particularly the people who lost their lives fighting for freedom.” -Junius Williams

Please join us for a week of events to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of what Newark historian Dr. Clement Price has called “the defining moment of Newark’s 20th Century history.” Click on the flyer below for details.

In this short documentary, Newark residents, activists, and city officials remember events during the rebellion and reflect on the legacies of tragedy and empowerment coming out of this historic moment. For more information on the 1967 Newark Rebellion, please visit https://riseupnewark.com/chapters/chapter-3/part-2/

1967 Newark Rebellion 50th Anniversary Program

In this video, Newark residents reflect upon the 1967 Newark Rebellion 50 years later. The clips come from a series of oral history interviews conducted by Junius Williams as part of efforts by the Ad-Hoc Committee for Newark’s History to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Rebellion. Share your memories of the rebellion here: https://riseupnewark.com/share-your-story/

#REALTALK: WHO WILL TELL OUR STORY?

If people don’t tell their own stories about black power, their own adventures and interpretations of “the truth” as they saw it, what will happen to their individual and collective voices? A need to record these voices and educate our next generation birthed The North: Civil Rights and Beyond in Urban America. Our interactive archive preserves the stories of the “foot soldiers” in the Civil Rights and other Movements in the North, starting with Newark, NJ.

“The North” identifies and highlights organizations and individuals who were instrumental in advancing the cause of black empowerment in each city studied; and the opposition they faced in critical steps along the way.

The North: Newark

Choose a chapter to get started

One

Who's Got The Power? Pre-1950s

Five

Hear Her! Women of color in struggle for their rights

TWO

The Emergence of Black Power 1950-1960

THREE

Power & Politics Before and After The Newark Rebellion 1960-1970

FOUR

The Ken Gibson Years 1970-1974

Press Play: Hear Their Voices

Visualize the Journey

The Great Migrations (1900-1950)

A man and woman reading their bible inside their apartment at 22 Clayton Street. (New Jersey State Archives)

A Culture of Resistance (1930-1960)

Rally held by supporters of Father Divine, who had an estimated 5,000 followers in Newark at the peak of his popularity and influence. (Newark Public Library)

Demanding Police Reform (1965)

Newark residents join a march led by James Farmer and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) to demand a police review board. (American Civil Liberties Union)

The Newark Rebellion (1967)

National Guardsmen detain three men during the Newark Rebellion (Newark Public Library)

National Conference on Black Power (1967)

Amiri Baraka addresses a press conference inside the Spirit House (Amiri Baraka Papers, Columbia University)

The Election of Mayor Ken Gibson (1970)

Ken Gibson (right) chats with James Brown and one of the “Gibson Girls” during a campaign event. (Amiri Baraka Papers, Columbia University)

BUT THEN ONE DAY WE LOOKED AROUND AN REALIZED THAT MANY OF OUR FRIENDS (AND ENEMIES) WHO MADE THAT JOURNEY, OR SIMILAR JOURNEYS, WERE NO LONGER WITH US…TO LAUGH WITH, RELIVE OLD CONQUESTS, OR JUST TELL LIES. TOO MANY HAVE MOVED TO PLACES UNKNOWN, GOTTEN SICK, OR PASSED ON THE NEXT LIFE.

SO MANY OF OUR COLLECTIVE STORIES GO UNTOLD.

THESE STORIES MUST BE TOLD.

– Junius Williams, Civil Rights Leader –

Engage with History, Inspire our Tomorrow