Newark 50 years later
It was a Wednesday like any other. Racial, economic and governmental tensions ran high in my hometown of Newark. Smoldering below the surface was a foreshadowing of conflict, but the incidents of July 12, 1967 sparked a fire of rebellion and violence unlike any the city has seen since.
As we recognize the 50th anniversary of the Newark riots, or as many residents call it the “Newark Rebellion and Occupation,” we memorialize the 26 members of our community who lost their lives in the turbulent five-day span. We also reflect on the ways Newark was forever changed. I was only a child at the time, but I will never forget the reverberations of protest that shook the very foundation of Newark, New Jersey – for better and worse.
The arrest, alleged police brutality and immediate rumor of death of an African American cab driver, John Smith, sparked the riots in Newark. On the evening of July 12, 1967, Smith was arrested by two Caucasian police officers and accused of tailgating, wrong-way driving, assault and using offensive language against an officer of the law.
He was taken to the Fourth Precinct police station by the officers. Residents who witnessed the arrest and transition to the police station reported that Smith was seriously injured and beaten by the police officers. This ignited rumors that Smith was dead, killed while in custody. Ultimately, Smith was alive, but was confirmed to be badly beaten.
In an action of non-violent civil disruption, civil rights leaders attempted to form a march to the police station to protest the arrest and reported death. As the night went on, the tension between officers and residents transformed from peaceful to dangerous.
A Molotov cocktail was reportedly thrown into the precinct, forcing the officers to quickly evacuate to the waiting crowd. The fighting began, the National Guard was eventually called and activities of the bustling city halted in the wake of five paralyzing days of protests, fire and destruction.
Following years of racial profiling, disenfranchisement, poverty and distress, a city already fraught with racial tension had reached its boiling point. The summer of 1967 precluded comparably shocking riots in several other cities across the nation facing similar issues.
On the 50th anniversary, I think it is important to reflect not only of the incidents of July 12-16, 1967, but to celebrate and embrace the significant and positive changes in Newark.
Newark was once a city of segregation, where its primarily minority residents often felt treated as second-class citizens. Post-riots, African Americans were significantly more visible in City Hall and the surrounding areas.
In the wake of the Newark riots, my father, Donald Payne Sr., and uncle, William Payne, became two of the strongest Newark political advocates, using the Bergen Street business district as their most visible base of operations.
A half century later, many of the same concerns of injustice and disenfranchisement plague our country. Across the United States – including in my hometown – police and community relations are often fraught. Just as in 1967, protests continue to flare up in cities in the United States, continuing the coast-to-coast debate over police training, inequality, race relations, poverty and criminal justice reform.
African Americans are 2.5 times more likely than Caucasian Americans to be killed by police officers. Communities and advocacy groups are still marching in the streets to protest wrongs and discrimination.
Charged political and social climates are giving way to massive rallies and civil disturbances. However, it is undeniable that much has improved since that fateful summer 50 years ago – in Newark and across the nation. Reform is slow, but changes in policing strategies and public attitudes about race is evolving.
Some still consider the riots a black eye in Newark’s history, but I see a vibrant city that has rebuilt and rebounded robustly. Newark is a leader in the East Coast tech start-up renaissance, a pulsating transportation hub and culture capital with steadily increasing tourism. I am proud to represent the 10th Congressional District in New Jersey, and daily encourage non-residents to witness the growth and rebirth of Newark.
In these days, where we still see significant civil unrest, I encourage all communities to study the riots of 1967. In Newark, we acknowledge the riots each year not to celebrate, but to remember.
We recognize the riots each year so that we remember how important it is to continue moving our city forward. Newark has recovered, and so will similarly affected cities around the nation.
I will never forget the events of 1967, and work daily to fight against all forms of inequality and injustice until the day of riots and rebellion are relics of the past.
Donald Payne Jr., Democrat, represents the 10th Congressional District.