In May 2006, a group of 22 arts, culture, education, government, and community organizations in Newark made history. They gathered at The New Jersey Historical Society to discuss another major historical event that, for the past 40 years, has dictated the political, social, and cultural identity of Newark: the 1967 “Summer of Discontent.”

The decade of the 1960s marked a pivotal time in our nation’s history. Urban centers across the country witnessed the dispossessed and marginalized in our society taking action to call attention to their plight. No longer would the poor and oppressed be content with the status quo.

July 12, 2007 marks the 40 th anniversary of what is commonly referred to as the Newark Riots—five days of violence that rocked the foundations of the city, the state, and the nation. To commemorate that pivotal time, several arts and cultural organizations, many of them formed in response to the urban rebellion of 1967, have come together to plan a series of events designed to help the city build on the current wave of hopefulness that has taken hold in Newark.

The group, the self-named “Big Bad Committee,” formed to discuss the progress Newark has made in response to the events of 1967 and to coordinate programs and events that are planned in observance of this 40 th anniversary. The committee sees this as an opportunity to engage in activities, exhibitions, performances, and programs that commemorate the past, affirm the present, and envision the future, through the many voices that are connected to Newark.

As Clement A. Price, Ph.D., co founder of the group, has said: “The group sees this as an opportunity and obligation for civic institutions to help the city and, indeed, the nation better understand what happened here and the complicated legacies of that era. We hope that these commemorative events will enrich Newark’s civic culture, acknowledge the emotional impact of 1967, and shed light on Newark’s progress beyond 1967. “

Aljira, A Center for Contemporary Art
Bethany Baptist Church
Bongiorno Productions
Central Civic Association
City of Newark – Office of the Mayor
Hispanic Development Corporation
Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience, Rutgers University
LISC
New Community Corporation
NJN
Newark Public Schools – History High School
Newark Arts Council
People’s Organization for Progress
St. Benedict’s Prep
The Star Ledger
State of New Jersey Department of State
The New Jersey Historical Society
The New Jersey Performing Arts Center
The Newark Housing Authority
The Newark Museum
The Newark Public Library
WBGO/88.3