Category: Community Activists
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Mildred Roberts Helms
1907-2002 Mildred Helms was a community activist, who 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 Gardens. Mayor Sharpe James said, “She was a creative, wonderful, hardworking woman….With a ready smile, winning sense…
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Anna Lois Russ Jones
1911-1987 Anna Jones was the mother of Amiri Baraka who was active in the community in education and civic activism, and a champion sprinter in her youth. She was also administrator of Community Hospital, Newark’s Black hospital, for many years. Born in Alabama, Anna lived in Newark from around 1926. She attended Tuskegee, Fisk, and…
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Delores Rich
1948-1996 Delores Rich was 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. Delores and others organized to pressure the state to allow tenants to return and continually organized for better conditions…
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Marion Roberson Kidd
1928-2012 Marion Kidd was a community activist working for welfare rights, who also worked many years with the North Jersey Community Union. In 1966, she led a group of welfare mothers to complain about welfare issues to the Essex County Welfare Board. In 1967, she was chairwoman of the UCC Welfare Committee, for Area Board…
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Annette “Tony” Doyle O’Flaherty
1920-2000 Annette O’Flaherty served in leadership roles in labor, social service, county and city. She was president of the CIO Women’s League of New Jersey, a member of the Newark local assistance board, Essex County Manpower Office director and spokeswoman, and chairwoman of Newark Emergency Services for Families Homeless Task Force. She was also active…
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Naomi Sylvia Charner Campbell
1925-2017 Naomi Charner was a graduate of South Side High who lived at 712 Bergen St and 140 Somerset St in Newark. In 1947, she attended Upsala College and was a senior and Vice President of the Phi Omega Chi Sorority. She had also founded an interracial organization known as the Four Freedoms Action Committee.…
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Sister Carol Patricia Johnston
1944-2013 Sister Carol was born and raised in Newark and attended St. Vincent’s Academy, becoming a Sister of Charity in 1962. She was Director of the Women and Family Program at St. Columba Neighbor Club, Newark. She was project and planning Director for Ironbound Community Corporation. A boulder honoring Sister Carol in Riverfront Park says,…
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Sister Deborah Humphreys
1950-2024 In 1975, Deborah Humphreys founded and served as executive director (1975-1980) of El Club Del Barrio( St. Columba Neighborhood Club) in Newark. It worked to prevent eviction, repair housing, and enforce tenant rights, as well as other social services. After founding El Club Del Barrio, Deborah worked as a Legislative Aide for Senator Lipman…