A mayor for all the people? : Kenneth Gibson's Newark : 1970-1986

In 1970, Kenneth Gibson was elected as Newark, New Jersey’s first African-American mayor, a position he held for an impressive sixteen years. Yet even as Gibson served as a trailblazer for black politicians, he presided over a troubled time in the city’s history, as Newark’s industries declined and its crime and unemployment rates soared. This book offers a balanced assessment of Gibson’s leadership and his legacy, from the perspectives of the people most deeply immersed in 1970s and 1980s Newark politics: city employees, politicians, activists, journalists, educators, and even fellow big-city mayors like David Dinkins. The contributors include many of Gibson’s harshest critics, as well as some of his closest supporters, friends, and family members—culminating in an exclusive interview with Gibson himself, reflecting on his time in office. Together, these accounts provide readers with a compelling inside look at a city in crisis, a city that had been rocked by riots three years before Gibson took office and one that __Harper’s__ magazine named “America’s worst city” at the start of his second term. At its heart, it raises a question that is still relevant today: how should we evaluate a leader who faced major structural and economic challenges, but never delivered all the hope and change he promised voters? "Kenneth Allen Gibson, the first African American mayor of Newark, New Jersey, was born in 1931 in the town of Enterprise, Alabama. He graduated from high school in Enterprise in 1950 and joined the U.S. Army as a civil engineer. He remained in the Army until 1958. After his discharge, he took a job as a New Jersey State Highway Patrol trooper while simultaneously attending Newark College. Gibson graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1963. After college Gibson took an engineering position for the Newark Housing Authority where he oversaw urban renewal projects from 1960-1966. In 1966, he became Newark's chief structural engineer. He was also the head of Newark's Business and Industry Coordinating Council and served as vice president of the United Community Corporation, which fought poverty in Newark during that time. In 1970 Gibson ran for Mayor of Newark, New Jersey and defeated incumbent Hugh J. Addonizio, who was subsequently convicted of extortion and conspiracy charges. Gibson took over a predominantly African American city, still recovering from the race riot of 1967 which left 23 people dead. He was credited for economic revival that resuscitated the city's economy. When he first came into office, the city was in the midst of a population loss from 400,000 to 300,000. By the end of his first term, the numbers slowly began to grow again as Gibson encouraged the return of middle class residents with urban housing developments such as Society Hill."--Provided by publisher CONTENTS FOREWORD PREFACE INTRODUCTION How should we measure the historical significance of the Kenneth Gibson era in new ark? Chapter 1 ON BEING FIRST Chapter 2 NAVIGATING RACIAL POLITICS Chapter 3 FRIENDS AND FAMILY Chapter 4 TRYING TO MAKE CITY GOVERNMENT WORK Chapter 5 AN IN-DEPTH LOOK INSIDE CITY GOVERNMENT Chapter 6 WORKING WITH THE ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS Chapter 7 FORCES BEYOND CONTROL Chapter 8 MAYOR GIBSON REFLECTS Conclusion GIBSON’S LEGACY the man, the time, and the place, 1970–1986 AFTERWORD NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS INDEX