This year marks the 50th anniversary of what some call the new work rebellion. Activistnel of discussed the impact of those right and how they changed the africanamerican city. This hourlong discussion was posted by the smithsonian is he him of African American history and culture. Panel is entitled newark rebuilt and reimagined. Welcome theasure to and star of the panel of the he is a Winner Association award for best column and coeditor of the bullets winning investigation of the resignation of james mcgreevey. Both the author of nonfiction and fiction works else around the life and literature and journalism of existing in new jersey. He is also a professor at Rutgers School of journalism. Judge Claude Coleman who was a onduty policeman the night the rebellion began. That since become a leader in the community. Native and is a graduate of Princeton University who became the youngest person elected to the school board at age 17. Theing him will be headmaster of the benedict prep school. He has been educating young men in downtown for the past 40 years. Finally on this panel is a woman and now isew jersey the executive director of the provincial foundation. They are a founding donor of this museum and a sponsor of the grand opening event. These join me in welcoming this panel. [applause] no pressure, here. Here we go. Ok, i am mark. I am a columnist at the star ledger. Everyone else has been introduced. If i could put on my reporter half as the moderator of this panel and begin to ask questions. We are going to start with recollections and i would like to begin with larry. Who was 13 years old at the time of the rebellion. Fromved two blocks away the fires on springfield avenue. You want my lb geno side. Not my Robert De Niro side. [laughter] go ahead. Of july 12he evening , i was across the street at a friends house. There it goes. Thank you. 1967e evening of july 12, i was 13 years old across the street from where i lived at my friends house. Ran upstairs and saw that springfield avenue was on fire. We all started running downstairs and we were going to see what was going on. My mother was across the street and she was on the porch and she said you are not going to springfield avenue. She probably saved my life that night. Porch isecond floor unfoldee the rebellion that night. I am sure the Previous Panel talked about the details of how it happened and everything. Towas not confined just springfield avenue that went into the neighborhoods that went from 16th avenue that was a commercial strip. We know what went on at that time. You would have asked me in the green room if i did have any fear, i did not have fear the first night. Maybe even the second night. I did not have fear until i saw the army. There was the National Guard but i did not know there was a difference is the National Guard and the army. I saw these military vehicles coming up with soldiers and jeeps as well as half tracks. I have never seen a tank in my life until the rebellion of 1967. We were under military occupation. The governor had declared a state of emergency with martial law. We could not leave our house. Doortodoornt searching for contraband. When they finally allowed us to leave they set up a checkpoint on 16th avenue. Cars were searched going in. Makes mee things that when i think back and going to do shopping about one week later. There was the smell of burning buildings you cannot take a step down without feel like glass crunch. We willt at that moment not have school and september. [laughter] that is what i thought. I was going to start as a freshman. Was how resilient people were. As catastrophic and is cataclysmic as that event was. For thingstake long to return to normal. School did start on time. There was this spirit of rebellion that came out of that moment. It affected the young people. In my first sit protesting and that is where i met the mayor. Literally two months after i met the mayor at the age of 17 i was appointed to the board of education becoming the youngest school board number in the history of the United States of america. There is a Straight Line [applause] there is a Straight Line for me from the rebellion to where we are today. Thank you. Judge, you were on the bad side of it. You are a 27yearold patrolman. Talk a little bit about that resilience that you saw not only in the community but also as we talked about in the green room once the smoke cleared how difficult it was to keep people in the city. Judge before the smoke began i i was a Police Officer at the time. Bill that would allow police to move wherever they wanted before that. Time i have been working to get policeman to stay in the city. With my career as a Law Enforcement officer and as a judge i have tried to live a life that would inspire others to live in the city. I felt that it was our city. We had finally gotten control of it. We spoke to other people to stay in the city and to run the city. I try to live my life in a way that would inspire others as a role model. Excuse me, i am sorry. Live asd i would try to a way to inspire people. I thought everybody should live there. Should all live here, and those who did not should move. That is exactly what the city needed. The middleclass blacks and whites live there. The right just confirmed that. Ofer that there was a lot groups in new jersey. It as a way to try to do some of those things to help the city and attract people to it. Relationshiphe that it had developed. It had become a very dangerous place to live. Everyone thought that before the riots, there was no doubt. People thought it was a unsafe toys to live and they did not want to live there. Themempted to convince otherwise. Wife did not want. O leave in 1966 she was living in east orange at the time. It did not want to move or my response to her was you not know what it is about. I convinced her to move to the city. We eventually moved on to chancellor avenue. Both of my kids were born and raised there. To move in ang minute when we have a very interesting perspective of being a child growing up before that i want to talk to father and. In the monastery there. That he was going to return to saint an addict. The rebellion did not give him any pause at all. Came back without hesitation, can you talk a little bit about that. Story of i got sent their by my parents. I got off of the train in woodbridge and i was supposed to find it. [laughter] i was the oldest in my family. It and by day to i could take everybody where i was. I knew that i was home. I had no idea why. I knew i was home. Adopted and raised by the community of newark. Ofas happy to get out morristown. The rebellion did not deter me. I ran down south orange avenue. We want to get back to you after we talk about her experience. We went to talk about the education of the rebellion for the next generation rate can you get your thoughts together on that . About how little bit as a kid or seven years after the rebellion. Divorces, but two i still know how to talk to women. [laughter] the problem is i do not listen. You look much younger than that. Talk about that. City was so of the connected to the rebellion even for someone like you who was born seven years after. Absolutely. Well i had a awareness growing up in the city in the late 70s and 80s. Often. Not talked about i think the cultural norms that were developed during that time good or bad there was some understanding of the history of that time. Things that i think was interesting growing up in the city is that there was a clear awareness that there was something negative associated like growing up outside of the city. There was this stigma that people would ask where you are from. That was throughout the state. I think that is what it did. It created a really nurturing cocoon. It created a nature of resilience for people that was really a environment where you would thrive. Thinking about memories of that time there was a really strong sense of community. A celebration of culture and art. A real sense of celebrating your identity. As a person of color and is a African American. School which was established a few years after the rebellion. Nurtured in this sense of self. You could be anything you wanted to be. There was a level of responsibility for those who did have the ability to take advantage of opportunities. That required coming back to the community to give back and to continue to help the Community Grow and thrive. I think it is interesting, there are a number of leaders with the next generation that were nurtured. Commitment or sense of responsibility. Spousesany of our talked about that with that quintessential characteristic of being committed to the city. Ive been dedicated to give back, that was something that was really nurtured at a young age. To making surese we supported that next generation and continued to move forward. Segue intoa perfect Saint Benedict we talked about that in the green room as well. Rebellion the school became predominantly African American. Staff have a agenda there. To do very much what she just said. Can you talk about that . Father ed i was told to tell the story anytime im in front of anybody. Shecan market down as speaks as i am sure she does every night. She can report that i did this. Saint benedict closed in 1917 to 1972. Everybody in the monastery was white, that is not the case now. Students inber of the school increase the standards were dropping. It created a huge problem in our monastery. We wound up closing it. 14 people from the monastery left and they went to martin county. We were left trying to decide what to do and we decided that we would try to do a educational venture. It was never our intention to reopen the school. We created this venture that was a new logo and we were trying to play off of Saint Benedict. It was not going to be the old school. One man said i want to ask you how come it was written as Saint Benedict prep, now it is no longer that . There was no reasonable answer. The next morning it was reopened. Not by me or by anybody but by carl. The Africanamerican Community after the rebellion reopened Saint Benedict prep. They say yougroups have to shut up and listen. Up and find out accompany people through life. That is what we are trained to do with teenagers. Lose their life if they are young. Have tried to do that for 45 years to help them discover their or amplify their voice. Sense most people feel if they are not heard any larger society. Make arguments and wayt for things and that they feel like they really do influence people and they can change minds. That is what we are trying to do. I just want to introduce you, i was coming to you right now. I was going to say very few people have gathered those voices together in great number over a long. Of time. Pick the ball up and keep going. Sayy i just wanted to people talk about a stigma. I have never felt stigmatized. I have never felt stigmatized about being in the city and i have never felt stigmatized about the rebellion. I have always been proud to say i am from the city. It is a great city. We fight back. [applause] ashamed ier been guess it is a you are speaking to but i think it is important do discuss this history. When the popular narrative is given out most of the time and justifiably so people talk about my mother came and the civil rights contribution. Most of his activity was primarily in the south. With a few exceptions. Whole other side of the narrative in the 1960s that is not told. That is up the rebellion. It was not one or two, it was not just new jersey and detroit. And 1968 there were nearly 400 rebellions in the country. 1971 there were over 1000 urban uprisings in United States of america. Aberrations, they historic struggle for freedom and justice. Just because it took a different form from the nonviolent protests of the south does not mean that they were any less legitimate. They were a legitimate expression of our desire and selfdetermination. [applause] we were in a apartheid city, i remember segregated movie theaters. I remember when black people could not eat. I remember when a black man could not buy a hat. I am old enough to remember when people did not come downtown. We were not welcome downtown. I can remember when the only job get was at first national. It was either the janitor or a getcleaning made. We could not be bank tellers we had to struggle against that. That uprising in 1967 was predictable. Many people knew it was coming, it was not even the first. Every major city in new jersey had a appraising and i tell you and cause ofdition those uprisings in 1967 are still existing. [applause] towe do not do something change the situation there will be more rebellions in United States of america like ferguson and baltimore. Larry, youre a member would you cannot be on the front page . The question is [laughter] i have forgotten now too. How have youis gathered those voices together and move your social agenda people were engaged to some extent but had given up on the city in another sense. People have never stopped struggling. I think this was touch on the Previous Panel. People were struggling before 1967. Many people do not know that one of the first civil rights demonstrations that ice in the 1960s was at the white castle on hawthorne avenue. Sell black people hamburgers but they would not hire black people. That were organizations were created. I am sure it you talked about a number of organizations that were struggling before 1967 and through 1967. A number of organizations have continued since then. My organization is just one of them. We are a product of the uprising of 1967. Our organization is 34 years old. 33 of those 34 years old we have commemoration for the uprising even before they put a monument up in 1997. People struggled because they had to. Struggle because it is a cool thing to do. People struggle because they are unemployed, they struggle because their rent is too high. They struggle because this school is substandard. As long as those conditions exist people will struggle. Andnizations like ours those that you belong to any audience we facilitate and bring people together so that we can continue. I will say this, one of the biggest mistakes that we made ther 1967 was that we took struggle out of the street. We have to push back in the street. Movement of Mass Organization more today than ever before. Judge, we talked to you before and you were a very integral part of the new africanamerican leadership after the rebellion. We had some very interesting discussions about the politics and the city coming andr black leadership opportunities gained and lost because of that. Would you elaborate on that for us please . I will. Its my belief that its a constant struggle and its never over. After the riots and even after some negotiation had been done, the conditions that were the catalyst for the riots themselves, there was still a lot more to do. And i think a lot of it depends have. Leadership that you ive seen a lot of cities in my life, and ive been around a lot ofbut ive seen a cities overcome these struggles, when it wasnt just caused by racism. It was caused by other things. Butthey had problems, theyve all overcome them. Like the city of pittsburgh, overcame the closing of the bills. Through leadership, they a hightech society. It still turned into a tourist had beerere they places, you could buy a beer, play games. They attracted an audience there. We didnt see that happen in newark. Now, the struggle has been going on, and youve been struggling for quite some time. Ed, hes doing by the way, im a proud member of board. Eds father ed has been struggling for quite some time too. You maketruggle depends sometimes too on the political conditions that are there and how those struggles are really realized. And sometimes the Political Leadership is just not there to that. When you are involved in newark, of you can back me up on this, its difficult to get to help. O do anything we cant get the suburban communities to help us with the school system. To pay taxesnt being given to newark students. Newark students require more money. If youre another student, youre perhaps spending 10,000 per student. Newark, youre spending 13,000 per student. You need more money there, you have more needy students there. So to get people to contribute to get developers to relocate to your town thats going to jobs, thats going to create an environment that will be flourishing, you have to be people. Attract these and to me, it just hasnt been there. Lucky, i think, some of the administrations, i well. Theyre doing very i dont want to say anything about the ones that are here or are there. At but in the past, they have not been that successful at that. So when developers or when persons outside your town view theyretively, and already viewing newark negatively, and when they view a negative way, its hard to attract people in your town, to put the money there, to shop town, to buy homes in your town, when the school as good as they ought to be. When theyre afraid of the afraid ofen theyre the other conditions in the city, its just hard to do that. I said leadership is a big part of that. Youre not just larry just a vacuum. Erate in peopledependent on the around you to help you and to help make conditions better. Has not been that there. That ise of the things so integral to the health and of thetinued success city are those institutions that dont leave. And, you know, our hosts host is our prudential. Talk to shanai a little bit about the prudential legacy and have the other members of the panel chime in as they see fit. Talk a little bit view of prudentials continued success of the city. And especially i know youre this, but its role while the city was on life support. So ill start with the personal, and ill talk about it personal reflection. So i started with prudential 13 ago, as a Program Officer for their education program. Thing that the one strikes you, i think, as a lifelong newark resident, coming to an institution like realizeal is i didnt as a resident how much of my investmentsched by that were made by this company, in a very quiet way. Of the ongoing challenges is that it is a company that authentically believes in doing the work and t