Ras in 60

State of the City Address 2025

Listen to Mayor Ras J. Baraka's powerful State of the City Address in this bonus episode of Ras in 60.

Back to the Basics: Discussing Affordable Housing, Newark's Restaurant Week, Invest Newark's Retail Reactivation Plan and Returning for a New School Year

The newest season of Ras in 60 has arrived, sparking excitement and anticipation! We hope your summer was a fantastic mix of fun, relaxation, and endless possibilities! In this thrilling season premiere of season 5, Hosts Mayor Baraka and Desireé Hadley kick things off with a detailed conversation about affordable housing with, Deputy Mayor/ Director of the Department of Economic and Housing Development, Allison Ladd. This segment is followed up by a discussion with Invest Newark's Chief Business Development Officer and Director of Marketing, Emily Manz who talks about Invest Newark’s initiative of investing dollars into local small businesses through their Retail Reactivation Plan and the three chat it up about Newark’s Restaurant Week. Restaurant week is from October 25th - November 3rd. But wait, the excitement doesn't stop there! The hosts are later dive into the 2024-5 school year and the 10-Point Youth Literacy Action Plan with Newark Superintendent Roger Léon and the Director of Newark's Office of Comprehensive Community Education, Dr. Sharnee Brown. The guests discuss how the 10-Point Youth Literacy Action Plan is being incorporated into Newark schools and across all youth programming and extracurricular activities. The group dives into strategies and tips on what families, educators, and community members can do to ensure our young people reach their fullest potential in the classroom. Watch/Listen now on your favorite streaming platform! people reach their fullest potential in the classroom. Watch/Listen now on your favorite streaming platform! Audio Engineer: Carter "Roc" Mangan Jr. www.TheRocProductions.com [https://gate.sc/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.TheRocProductions.com&token=c6a3d5-1-1727877601871]

Community Engagement: Newark Pride & Summer Fun

Summers in Newark are full of free entertainment, activations, and events for the entire family. From Newark's youth to seniors – Newark’s summer lineup promises something for everyone. On this episode of Ras in 60, Mayor Ras J. Baraka and co-host Desiree Hadley discuss International Pride Month, Newark Pride and the 2024 Summer Fun lineup. Ras in 60 hosts are joined by the cast of the 2005-2006 Logo Network scripted series Noah’s Ark to discuss their show’s impact and their special appearance in Newark on June 29th. Included in this conversation are the Newark LGBTQ Commissioners, Susu Stewart, Della Walker, and Citi Medina who all discuss the LGBTQ events scheduled to take place during the North 2 Shore Festival, International Pride Month and Newark Pride month. On the second half of the show Mayor Baraka and co-host, Ms. Hadley are joined by the Director of the Arts and Education District, Victoria Walker; the Director of the Newark City Parks Foundation, Marcy DePina; and the Director of Recreation, Cultural Affairs, and Senior Services, Donnell Redding to discuss the plethora of family fun programming scheduled to take place throughout the summer. From the seniors all white yacht party to the Afro Beats Festival, to community movie nights, the City of Newark will be activated with events sure to further embrace our sense of community while keeping the entire family outside and thoroughly entertained this summer. Listen in now to hear the exciting list of programming scheduled for our Newark community. For a list of Newark Summer Fun programming, visit Summerfuninnewark.com [https://summerfuninnewark.com/].     Audio Engineer:  Carter "Roc" Mangan Jr. www.TheRocProductions.com [http://www.therocproductions.com/]

Discussing Newark's Re-engagement Center

The Re-engagement Center was officially opened on March 26th. The center enables young people aged 13-24 to reconnect with programs leading to a high school diploma or an equivalent credential and moves them toward employment. Students 21 or over who have aged out of city schools are referred to GED and high school equivalency program options. The center’s mission is to create diploma pathways with advanced support to empower the community of students and their families to reap positive impacts pre- and post-graduation. The programs are designed to pro-actively minimize the negative effects that come hand in hand with not completing high school. We will discuss the opening of the Re-engagement Center and what that means for Newark's youth with the Director of Newark Works and the Summer Youth Employment Program Tyreek Rolon and the Superintendent of Newark Public Schools, Roger Leòn. Later in the show, we’ll be joined by one of the center’s participants, Stephan Young, who will share his personal story about his experience with the Re-Engagement Center.  Audio Engineer:  Carter "Roc" Mangan Jr. www.TheRocProductions.com [http://www.therocproductions.com/]

Newark and Proud of It: A Look at the Last Decade of Change

Mayor Ras J. Baraka presented his 10th annual State of the City Address on March 12th, in a joyful, impassioned, and triumphant speech to the residents of Newark assembled at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, located at 1 Center Street.   In his address, Mayor Baraka reflected on his administration’s achievements of the past decade starting from his “David moment.” Describing himself as “just a kid from Clinton Avenue and 10th Street…Amiri and Amina’s son, an activist, a poet, a teacher with nothing in his hands but a rock and a sling shot,” he proclaimed, “It’s only when we face Goliath that our circumstances begin to change. We can’t miss our David moment out of fear and trepidation.”   The mayor went on to delineate a remarkable sequence of improvements and upgrades to Newark living, focusing on the administration’s accomplishments over the past 10 years. Stopping along the way, he commended municipal employees who have gone above and beyond the call of duty and residents who have benefited from city initiatives, he shared a compelling vision for the future. Listen to this episode now and share with your social circle.    Audio Engineer:  Carter "Roc" Mangan Jr. www.TheRocProductions.com [http://www.therocproductions.com/]