Newark Mayor Ras Baraka is set to be the featured speaker at the 22nd annual Fannie Lou Hamer Human and Civil Rights Symposium on Oct. 7, at Stockton University‘s Performing Arts Center. The event, with a theme of “Good Trouble: The Fight to Preserve our History and Democracy,” honors the legacy of civil rights icon Fannie Lou Hamer.
Baraka, now in his third term as Newark’s 40th mayor, is known for his progressive governance. Under his leadership, the city has seen crime rates drop to a 50-year low, a decrease in unemployment, and the full replacement of all 23,000 known lead service lines. A native of Newark, he also holds several national leadership roles, including co-chair of the National League of Cities Reimagining Public Safety Task Force.
The symposium pays tribute to Fannie Lou Hamer, a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement. Hamer’s electrifying testimony at the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City brought national attention to the struggle for voting rights, ultimately influencing the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Stockton University hosts the event annually to inspire students with influential speakers. Past speakers have included Ndaba Mandela, the grandson of Nelson Mandela, and former New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Sheila Y. Oliver. The symposium is a collaborative effort sponsored by various campus organizations, including the Africana Studies Program and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
