ras baraka wife

was written and delivered by Ras Baraka at the home going celebration for his father, Amiri Baraka, on January 18, 2014. embezzling $332,116 from The Centre, Inc. [6], Baraka's career spanned nearly 52 years, and his themes range from black liberation to white racism. And cracking they sides at the notion A number of local politicians and lawmakers, including New Jersey Senators Cory Booker and Robert Menendez . He received his B.A. He and Hettie founded Totem Press, which published such Beat poets as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. The magic words are: "Up against the wall motherfucker this is a stick up! degree in education supervision from St. Peter's University in Jersey City in 1994. Ras Baraka: What We Want: Directed by Ayana Stafford-Morris. [60] Baraka held the post for a year, during which time he was mired in controversy, including substantial political pressure and public outrage demanding his resignation. Wigenton said she was concerned that a number of violations were alleged less than a month" after Jumah was sentenced. The victim was not named, nor was the victim's mother, who filed the complaint at the police precinct a few days after the incident. But as Baraka himself later admitted [in his piece I was an AntiSemite published by The Village Voice on December 20, 1980, vol. The state's Department of Community Affairs awarded Newark $10 million in transitional aid, which comes with a required oversight memorandum of understanding. [53], In June 1979 Baraka was arrested and jailed at Eighth Street and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. [78], The Newark Watershed comprises 35,000 acres of reservoirs and water treatment and supply systems for more than 500,000 customers in northern New Jersey including Newark and neighboring Belleville, Elizabeth, Bloomfield and Nutley. New Jersey State Legislature, Laws of the State of New Jersey, P.L.2003, c.123. The state retains the right to veto any action of the local board and has the final say in appointing the superintendent of the district. Ras Jua Baraka (born April 9, 1970[1][2]) is an American educator, author, and politician who is the 40th and current Mayor of Newark, New Jersey. [21] There he encountered openly rebellious artists who declared him to be a "cowardly bourgeois individualist"[22] more focused on building his reputation than trying to help those who were enduring oppression. ", "SCHOOLED Cory Booker, Chris Christie, and Mark Zuckerberg had a plan to reform Newark's schools. "Please respect their privacy at this time.". 2022 - Wiki and Biography world. On Aug. 13 the city of Newark, N.J., woke up to the shocking news of the death of Shani Baraka, 31. In 1998, Baraka was featured on singer Lauryn Hills album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and in 2003, he performed a collection of poems called Black Girls Learn Love Hard at the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival. He explained that this was, in its way, the struggle, what it meant to be living within a wage-labor economy. Finally, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East threw their weight behind him in March 2014. [3] Because there was no mechanism in the law to remove Baraka from the post, and he refused to step down, the position of state poet laureate was officially abolished by the State Legislature and Governor McGreevey.[61]. On May 13, 2014, Baraka was elected mayor of Newark. All rights reserved, JetBlue Flight Bumps Plane at JFK, 2nd Unusual Incident in Days, NYC Smoke Shop Worker Shot Following Dispute With Group Outside Store: Police, Michigan Family Gets Life in Prison for Killing Family Dollar Guard Over Face Mask Dispute, Finally, There's Snow In the Forecast! Baraka as an outspoken advocate of returning control of the Newark's school to local authority has called for the ouster of state-appointed Superintendent Anderson. Dress & Shoe size of Ras Jua Baraka. In 2010 Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, donated $100 million of his personal fortune through his foundation StartUp Education to the Newark school system. [83] Critic Naila Keleta-Mae argues that Baraka's legacy is one of "saying the unsayable", a course that likely damaged his own literary reputation and canonization. [54] In November 1979 after a seven-day trial, a criminal court jury found Baraka guilty of resisting arrest. In the 2014 local elections four of the municipal council candidates Baraka supported won their races, leading the expectation that the elected body, in which he needs five votes on the nine-member council to get any proposal passed, will be cooperative to his agenda. As of September 2014, the state's Local Finance Board, overseen by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, had not taken action. By 2015, FNF and its partners will have spent $200 million. A grand jury dismissed the assault charge, but the resisting arrest charge moved forward. When Newark Mayor Ras Baraka took office in 2014, he inherited a long list of challenges: entrenched poverty, soaring unemployment, weekly homicides and a bureaucracy struggling to meet the needs . Also, learn details Info regarding the Current Net worth ofRas Baraka as well asRas Baraka s earnings, Worth, Salary, Property, and Income. Though both sides recommended a six month addition to Jumahs sentence, Wigenton upped it to a year. [97] Through his father, some of his half-sisters are Kellie and Lisa Jones, and Dominique di Prima. On October 17, 2002, legislation to abolish the post was introduced in the State Senate and subsequently signed by Governor McGreevey, becoming effective July 2, 2003. [19][20] Baraka's slate for the municipal council included John Sharpe James (council member-at-large running for South Ward), Mildred C. Crump (council member at-large incumbent), Alturrick Kenney (at-large candidate), Patrick Council (at-large candidate) and Joe McCallum (West Ward candidate). Ras Baraka. The real highlight of the film is Amina Baraka, Amiri's wife of almost 48 years. Shani Baraka was killed with her friend, Rayshon Holmes, 30, in a double murder on Aug. 12 at her sister's house in . The Newark Watershed comprises 35,000 acres of reservoirs and water treatment and supply systems for more than 500,000 customers in northern New Jersey including Newark and neighboring Belleville, Elizabeth, Bloomfield and Nutley. He was principal of Central High School from 2007 until 2013. The state will reduce budgets for the city clerk and expenses for council members as part of the agreement. Finding aid to Beat poets and poetry collection, including Barakas The Systems of Dantes Hell manuscript, at Columbia University. [62], Baraka has called for the resignation of Cami Anderson, the state-appointed superintendent. [59] In May 2014, Newark, which already had control of operations (includes student transportation and other support services), was granted local powers over budget and finance, giving the local advisory board its first formal vote on the district's nearly $1 billion in annual spending. Baraka was born on April 9, 1970, in Newark, New Jersey, United States. [37], "Black Art" quickly became the major poetic manifesto of the Black Arts Literary Movement, and in it, Jones declaimed, "we want poems that kill", which coincided with the rise of armed self-defense and slogans such as "Arm yourself or harm yourself" that promoted confrontation with the white power structure. During the process his lawyer William M. Kunstler told the press Baraka "feels it's the responsibility of the writers of America to support him across the board". In late 2018, Jumah was sentenced to three years of probation, eight months of which she spent in home confinement. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. The ADL noted that the "4000 workers" conspiracy theory had initially referred to Jews writ large[75] and that Baraka was using a common antisemitic tactic of replacing references to Jews writ large with references to Israel and then claiming a comment is merely anti-Zionist. And be able to play "On Green Dolphin Street" or "Autumn Leaves" That gorgeous chilling sweet sound. He is 50 years old. In 2002, scholar Molefi Kete Asante included Amiri Baraka on his list of 100 Greatest African Americans. Ras J. Baraka is the 40th Mayor of the City of Newark. "[46] Shortly afterward an appeals court reversed the sentence based on his defense by attorney Raymond A. We also know that much of the vaunted Jewish support of Black civil rights organizations was in order to use them. Who was Howland Chamberlains girlfriend/Boyfriend. During the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival in Stanhope, New Jersey, Baraka read his 2001 poem on the September 11th attacks "Somebody Blew Up America? Chief investigative reporter Jonathan Dienst on crime, corruption and terrorism. With Diane di Prima he edited the first twenty-five issues (196163) of their small magazine The Floating Bear. The police version of events holds that they were called to the scene after a report of an assault in progress. As of June 30 there had been 43 homicides in 2014. Court documents show Jumah's. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka married Ghanaian Ghana Citizens TV Channel 3.38K subscribers 23 Dislike Share 3,586 views Jan 5, 2019 The Mayor Of Newark went Ghana to mary former Kumasi Mayor Maxwell. Jumah, who recently wed Baraka, was sentenced to three years probation, including eight months of home confinement, in March 2018, after admitting she cheated the government of $40,000 in taxes by underreporting money earned from her political consulting firm, Elite Strategies, LLC. He was married to Hettie Cohen in 1958 and they had two daughters, Kellie and Lisa Jones. [43], In 1966, Baraka married his second wife, Sylvia Robinson, who later adopted the name Amina Baraka. So come for the rent, jewboys one day, jewboys, we all, even my wig wearing mother gonna put it on you all at once.[9][58]. While Anderson's resignation made the situation less politically volatile, Baraka opposes the creation of more charter schools, and believes they come at the expense of public schools. Barakas office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Failure to do that has consequences.. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 9 April. A New Jersey State Comptroller report issued in February 2014 revealed irregularities and corruption within the Newark Watershed and Development Corporation, which is the process of being dismantled after being taken over by the city. Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Shani's brother, Ras Baraka, is presently the deputy mayor of Newark. He is from NJ. He was previously a member of the Municipal Council of Newark and the principal of the city's Central High School[3] until he took an indefinite leave of absence to run for the 2014 Newark mayoral election, which he won on May 13, 2014. [6] He also recorded the intro to The Score, The Fugees' second album. In 2013 through June 30, the city recorded 41 homicides. Ras Baraka Wiki, Biography, Age, Wife, Net Worth, Family, Instagram, Twitter & More Facts . He was born to his father Amiri Baraka, a poet and activist, and his wife Amina Baraka. "Progressive Agenda" Signers of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's May 12, 2015 launch of the The Progressive Agenda to Combat Income Inequality included Ras Baraka - Mayor of Newark New Jersey .. United front for ACA. He played an influential role in the Black Arts Movement and served as poet laureate of his native New Jersey. Baraka was sworn in as the city's 40th mayor by former Governor of New Jersey Richard Codey at ceremonies at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on July 1, 2014 for a four-year term. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. In May 2010 he defeated then-councilman Oscar James II in a highly contested election, on a platform critical of Mayor Cory Booker. According to Wikipedia, Google, Forbes, IMDb, and various reliable online sources, Ras Jua Barakas estimated net worth is as follows. !. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Jerry Wonda's video for "What We Want" has nearly 1,000,000 views across the internet in just over two weeks and was featured as part of ESPN ESPY Awrds. She was allegedly attending social events -- like banquets where alcohol was served -- forher jobas a legislative aide without alwaysgetting approval,court records show. The simple assault charge was filed in Newark municipal court in July, transferred to Jersey City municipal court and eventually dismissed for lack of prosecution in November of last year. In 2019, Jumah was accused of assaulting Baraka's teenage daughter in a domestic dispute at the mayor's home . The restrictions are in addition to earlier steps Baraka took two weeks ago, ordering an 8 p.m. curfew for non-essential businesses when the city's positivity rate was 11%. Together, the couple is parents to a son named Jua Nyamekye Imamu Kofi Baraka (b. [needs update] The donation precipitated an effort to reform and restructure the system. But he and his second wife, Amina. [12], Between 2002 and 2006 Baraka was Newark Municipal Council member and in 2002 was appointed deputy mayor, and served that position until 2005. [69], Most American white men are trained to be fags. This communications network of sidewalk kiosks provides Newark residents and visitors with free, gigabit Wi-Fi, mobile device charging, phone calls to anywhere in the U.S., access to municipal services, maps and directions, and real-time local information on city streets at no cost to taxpayers or users. Baraka, as an outspoken advocate of returning control of Newark's schools to local authority, has called for the ouster of state-appointed Superintendent Anderson. Amiri Baraka video interview at underyourskin, Last edited on 15 December 2022, at 22:01, Blues People: Negro Music in White America, State University of New York at Stony Brook, United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow, Fieldworks: From Place to Site in Postwar Poetics, "Newark mayor's new chief of staff Amiri Baraka, Jr.: 'I've got my brother's back', "Amiri Baraka - Poets.org - Poetry, Poems, Bios & More", "Historical Overviews of the Black Arts Movement", "Baraka refutes criticism. The mayor and Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose made the announcement on Saturday. He had a sister, Sondra Lee Jones later Kimako Baraka who was brutally murdered in her apartment in Manhattan Plaza in 1984. On Wikispro,Ras is ranked in the list of most popular Politician,s. A surge of violence in the second half of 2013 pushed the homicide total to 111, the most since 1990. Baraka's appeal continued up to the State Supreme Court. Jumah works as a legislative aide for Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker, D-28th Dist. Baraka's son Jua Nyamekye Imamu Kofi Baraka was born in 2019. degree in political science from Howard University in 1991; and earned his M.A. Columbia University. Ras J. Baraka mayor of Newark, N.J., published author and educator will headline the events during his free, public keynote address at 7 p.m. Jan. 23 in Trout Auditorium, Vaughan Literature Building. Lets see, how rich is Ras Jua Baraka in 2021? [1]Baraka means "blessing, in the sense of divine favor".[1]. [84], In August 2014, citing a $30 million deficit in the city's 2013 budget and an anticipated $60 million deficit for 2014, Baraka said that Newark would likely have to ask for emergency aid from the state, which, if received, would require state oversight and involvement in the city's financial affairs. At that time about 9,000 Newark residents were "underwater", where payment balances are higher than the fair market value of the property. Yesterday's mayoral. [31], After the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965, Baraka changed his name from LeRoi Jones to Amiri Baraka. The plan has met with stiff resistance from large segments of Newark's population, with critics saying there's no evidence it will increase student performance. That alone would have qualified him as one of America's most effective current mayors. [33] The Black Arts Repertory Theater School's closure prompted conversation with many other black artists who wanted to create similar institutions. [18] In August 2013, fellow council members Mildred C. Crump and Ronald C. Rice issued statements formally backing Baraka's candidacy. We have estimated [30] He eventually divorced Hettie and left her with their two bi-racial daughters. With a forward-thinking agenda that reduced crime to its lowest levels in five decades . McGreevey learned that there was no legal way, according to the law authorizing and defining the position, to remove Baraka. According to Shaw, he dropped the honorific Imamu and eventually changed Amear (which means "Prince") to Amiri. But a month into her sentence, Jumahs probation officer accused her of breaking the terms of her supervised release that allowed her to avoid prison. Proud Dad Hon Maxwell Kofi Jumah and Grandma Hon FREAMA, the Chief of Staff Decor and coordination @fobiaa_flora_and_decor Graphics @marhryan Photo @bronzetti_multimedia Photo @pk_photographygh Video @Asante kwadwo Cordination in Accra @bottlekraft_services [90], In 2014, Baraka initiated a program, called Model Neighborhoods, intended to take a comprehensive approach to addressing the factors causing troubled neighborhoods. Baraka himself denied that the poem is antisemitic due to the use of word Israeli rather than Jewish. The play premiered in 1964 and received the Obie Award for Best American Play in the same year. It was Ginsberg who worked to free Baraka from the clutches of the Newark police during the 1967 uprising after the cops had cracked Baraka's head open and "jailed" him in the office of the chief of police. His campaign was financed by a teachers unions, many of them from outside New Jersey. Political icon and former Newark mayor Kenneth Gibson died on March 29 in West Orange, at 86.His wife, Camille, said he had been ill for quite a while.Ken Listen 4:48 News In December 2013, the Communication Workers of America, a trade union which counts 2000 members living, and thousands more working in Newark, endorsed Baraka. Baraka's son Jua Nyamekye Imamu Kofi Baraka was born in 2019. In response to legal action filed by Baraka, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that state officials were immune from such suits, and in November 2007 the Supreme Court of the United States refused to hear an appeal of the case. Jumah ran into trouble with her probation officerearlier this year. [68] Baraka's funeral was held at Newark Symphony Hall on January 18, 2014. Postal Service seized The Floating Bear #9; the FBI charged them for obscenity over William Burroughs' piece "Roosevelt after the Inauguration". ", "Newark mayoral race narrows to 2 as another candidate drops out", "Crump and Rice endorse Baraka in Newark mayor's race", "Newark mayoral contenders Ras Baraka, Anibal Ramos pick up union endorsements", "Newark mayoral slates start to coalesce", "CWA set to endorse Baraka in Newark mayoral contest", "Newark mayor's race: Jersey City mayor Steven Fulop endorses Baraka", "Newark mayor's race: Baraka awash in labor union endorsements", "Newark mayor's race: Baraka, Jeffries hold dueling events at city supermarkets", "Mayor-elect Baraka and Booker agree to work together to benefit Newark", "Mayor elect Ras Baraka announces transition team", "Newark mayor's new chief of staff Amiri Baraka, Jr.: "I've got my brother's back", "Uber agrees to $10M fee, driver background checks in deal with Newark", "Newark's kids' conditions improving, but they still lag behind rest of NJ: report", "Judge Orders a State Takeover Of the Newark School District", "Suit Seeks to Halt Newark Schools Takeover", "Why Aren't Chris Christie, Mark Zuckerberg, and Cory Booker Defending Newark's School Chief? [67] Later reports indicated that he died from complications after a recent surgery. In 1989 Baraka won an American Book Award for his works as well as a Langston Hughes Award. He is a man of above-average stature. Ras Jua Baraka entered the career as Politician In his early life after completing his formal education. Mayor, Favorite Vacation Spot: Martha's Vineyard. He succeeds Luis A. Quintana, after completing the term of Cory Booker, who had resigned after being elected to the United States Senate in October 2013. In its short time BARTS attracted many well-known artists, including Sonia Sanchez, Sun Ra and Albert Ayler. Mr. Baraka said his sister maintained . Baraka was featured on singer Lauryn Hill's 1998 The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, as the narrator of several interludes on the album. In October 2013 Baraka introduced his program to deal with crime and gang violence in the city, the Ras Baraka Blueprint to Reduce Crime and Violence in Newark It includes "Project Chill", which incorporates elements similar to Boston's Operation Ceasefire and other engagement with gang members and intervention programs. An important artist in her own right, poet, actress, singer, and dancer, she was also an avowed activist often to the left of her husband. [36], Baraka even uses onomatopoeia in "Black Art" to express that need for violence: "rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr tuhtuhtuhtuhtuhtuht" More specifically, lines in "Black Art" such as "Let there be no love poems written / until love can exist freely and cleanly", juxtaposed with "We want a black poem. The United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey is investigating the matter. All Rights Reserved. Ras Baraka: 1991 mayor of Newark, New Jersey July 1, 2014- Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick: 2001 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 20th district Feb 3, 2019 - Ras Baraka (Mayor of Newark) and Linda Jumah's marriage ceremony. Ras Baraka Wiki, Biography, Age, Wife, Net Worth, Family, Instagram, Twitter & More Facts, Mary Eliza Mahoney Wiki, Biography, Age, NetWorth, Family, Instagram, Twitter, Social Profiles & More Facts. In April 1965, Baraka's "A Poem for Black Hearts" was published as a direct response to Malcolm X's assassination, and it further exemplifies the poet's uses of poetry to generate anger and endorse rage against oppression. [80], A short excerpt from Amiri Baraka's poetry was selected to be used for a permanent installation by artist Larry Kirkland in New York City's Pennsylvania Station. Brown, Civil Rights Lawyer, Dies at 94", "Various US labels (2) - jazz album covers", "Spirit House Movers (Jihad): Black & Beautiful Soul & Madness (CD)", "Poet, Playwright and Political Activist Amiri Baraka (1934-2014) Taught at Stony Brook", "Judge Delays Ruling for a Month on Sentencing of Imamu Baraka", "TV: Documentary Film Examines Amiri Baraka", "The bizzaro history of the poet laureate", "Daughter of Controversial Poet Is Killed at Her Sister's Home", "Man again seeks to overturn conviction for murder of two women in Piscataway", "Metro Briefing: New Jersey: New Brunswick: Conviction In 2 Killings", "Amiri Baraka, former N.J. poet laureate and prolific author, dead at 79", "Amiri Baraka dies at 79; provocative poet lauded, chided for social passion", "Amiri Baraka's funeral to be held at Newark Symphony Hall", "Art is a Weapon in the Struggle of Ideas: Interviewing Amiri Baraka", "Amiri Baraka vs Connie Chung CNN, October 2002", "Amiri Baraka: a long history of hostility to Jews and Jewish concerns", "Newark: Court Will Not Hear Poet's Lawsuit", "Criticized Poet Is Named Laureate of Newark Schools", "Commissioner Fox Unveils New 7th Avenue Concourse at Penn Station N.Y.: Built For Today's Crowds and Tomorrow's Capacity Needs", "Author Amiri Baraka: 'Tales of the Out & Gone', "On Amiri Bakara: Who Was That Masked Man? Newark mayoral candidate Ras Baraka, right, is greeted by supporters after casting his vote, Tuesday, May 13, 2014, in Newark, N.J. Tuesday's election will decide whether Shavar Jeffries, a former state assistant attorney general, or Baraka, a city councilman, will take over the seat Cory Booker occupied from 2006 until October 2013, when he won a special election to succeed U.S. Sen. Frank . [74][10][11], However, antisemitism watchdog organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) denounced the poem as antisemitic. After becoming a full professor of African Studies at Stony Brook in 1985, Baraka took an indefinite visiting appointment in Rutgers University's English department in 1988; over the next two years, he taught a number of courses in African American literature and music. [30], During his tenure as mayor he has earned praise for improving Newark's economic prospects. Baraka was elected as Council Member At-Large on the Municipal Council of Newark in 2005. This experience was yet another that influenced Baraka's later work. In August 2013, fellow council members Mildred C. Crump and Ronald C. Rice issued statements formally backing Baraka's candidacy. "[72] that was accused of antisemitism and met with harsh criticism. Know Ras Baraka, Estimated Net Worth, Age, Biography Wikipedia Wiki . [7], Baraka's poetry and writing have attracted both high praise and condemnation. Karen Yi may be reached atkyi@njadvancemedia.com. The New Jersey Globe projects that Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has won a third term in office, defeating challenger Sheila Montague by a huge margin in the state's largest city. (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com). Mayor Barakas futurist agenda has included the implementation of a groundbreaking partnership called Hire. Linda Jumah, 37, appeared before U.S. District Judge Susan Wigenton more than a year after her probation officer alleged she came home later than allowed and attended social events without permission for her job as a legislative aide. Thank you! Melvin Peters "Historical Overviews of The Black Arts Movement", in. He had read as part of the city's Dodge Poetry Festival. The deal calls for Uber to pay Newark $1 million a year for 10 years for permission to operate at Newark Liberty International Airport, which serves the New York City region and is one of the busiest airports in the nation. He is not dating anyone. Ras Baraka (born April 9, 1970) is the Mayor of Newark, New Jersey. This was a decision he would come to regret. He won reelection in the 2018 mayoral race. His interest in jazz evolved during this period. He was previously a member of the Municipal Council of Newark and the principal of the city's Central High School until he took an indefinite leave of absence to run for the 2014 Newark mayoral election, which he won on May 13, 2014. [66] It includes "Project Chill", which incorporates elements similar to Boston's Operation Ceasefire and other engagement with gang members and intervention programs. Baraka ran his first campaign for mayor when he was 24 years old, in 1994. Baraka was featured on singer Lauryn Hill's 1998 The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, as the narrator of several interludes on the album. Directed by Ayana Stafford-Morris and produced by Udi Aloni . Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. The violations outlined several issues, including repeat instances of Jumah coming home late -- past the time allowed by her probation officer, court records show. His father, the late Amiri Baraka, was a legendary poet and playwright. [67][68][69][70][71][72] As of June 30 there had been 43 homicides in 2014. In a press conference in front of his . In 2014 Carol Widom campaigned for Ras Baraka for Mayor of Newark. In 1990 he co-authored the autobiography of Quincy Jones, and in 1998 he was a supporting actor in Warren Beatty's film Bulworth. At that time about 9,000 Newark residents were "underwater", where payment balances are higher than the fair market value of the property. Baraka was elected mayor of Newark on May 13, 2013, edging his challenger Shavar Jeffries by 24,358 to 20,593 of 44,951 total ballots cast. Quite frankly it is important to communicate that it is a serious thing to be on probation, Wigenton said. News never stops. Ras Baraka won, and Sarah Gonzalez of WNYC explains how the mayor-elect plans to run Newark. In 1961 Baraka co-authored a "Declaration of Conscience" in support of Fidel Castro's regime. In November 2005, Baraka was voted to complete the term vacated by the deceased Councilmember-at-Large Donald Kofi Tucker. In 1987, together with Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison, he was a speaker at the commemoration ceremony for James Baldwin. The same year, he moved to Greenwich Village, working initially in a warehouse of music records. "This is a mayor who comes to work . In 2015, Baraka was named Most Valuable Mayor on The Nations Most Valuable Progressives list. [15], Baraka ran in the 2014 Newark mayoral election against former Assistant State Attorney General Shavar Jeffries,[16][17] after fellow council members Anibal Ramos, Jr. and Darrin S. Sharif dropped out of the race.