Category: Activists and Community Leaders
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Bessie Lanier Smith
1924-1966 Bessie Lanier was born in Virginia but graduated Arts High in 1942 with a major in music. She was prominent in the Clinton Hill anti-poverty activities with United Community Corporation and as…
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Ruth McClain Rambo
1940- Ruth Rambo, known at the time as Ruth McClain, is a graduate of Fisk University. In the 1960s she took a job with the Urban League and became one of it’s first…
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Mildred Roberts Helms
1907–2002 Community activist, encouraged the building of affordable housing in Clinton Hill. In 1972, she helped found the Clinton Hill Area Development Corp which built 151 units of housing in Clinton Hill Community…
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Willie Belle Hooper
1906-1999 Born in Georgia and attended school, including getting a teaching certificate in Florence, S.C, after which she taught in several rural schools. According to her daughter, Newark would not accept her teaching…
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Anna Lois Russ Jones
1911-1987 Mother of Amiri Baraka. Born in Alabama, lived in Newark from 1926. Attended Tuskegee, Fisk, and Shaw College. Administrator for Community Hospital for many years. Community relations specialist for the Newark Housing…
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Delores Rich
1948-1996 President of the Aspen Riverpark Tenants Association, who did lots of organizing for tenants in the building. Tenants were forced out of the old Prudential Apartments to allow Aspen to renovate it.…
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Marion Roberson Kidd
1928-2012 Born in Newark. Worked 15 years with the North Jersey Community Union later named Newark Community Health Center, as a Social Outreach Manager and clerk in the Social Security program. She was…
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Mrs. Mary Gordon Barnett Hill (Mother Hill)
1803-1884 The first President of the Newark Women’s Christian Temperance Union from 1874 to 1882, and afterwards an Honorary President. “As an organizer she showed great discrimination and tact in securing the right…