Title A mayor for all the people? : reflections on the Kenneth A. Gibson era in Newark : 1970-1986 / edited by Robert C. Holmes and Richard W. Roper

Published New Brunswick, NJ : Rutgers University Press, [2019]

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Description 1 online resource Contents On being first -- Navegating racial politics -- Friends and family -- Trying to make city government work -- An in-depth look inside city government : Mayor Gibson's right-hand man -- Working with the anchor institutions -- Forces beyond a mayor's control -- Mayor Gibson reflects -- Conclusion : Richard W. Roper Summary "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 Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index Notes Online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on November 13, 2019) Subject Gibson, Kenneth A. SUBJECT Gibson, Kenneth A. fast Subject Mayors -- New Jersey -- Newark -- Biography African American mayors -- New Jersey -- Newark -- Biography Urban renewal -- New Jersey -- Newark Interviews -- New Jersey -- Newark African American mayors Economic history Interviews Mayors Politics and government Social conditions Urban renewal SUBJECT Newark (N.J.) -- Politics and government -- 20th century Newark (N.J.) -- Economic conditions -- 20th century Newark (N.J.) -- Social conditions -- 20th century Newark (N.J.) -- Biography Subject New Jersey -- Newark Genre/Form Biographies Biographies. Biographies. Form Electronic book Author Holmes, Robert C., approximately 1944- editor. Roper, Richard W., editor Coleman, Bonnie Watson, writer of foreword ISBN 9780813598802 081359880X

Other Titles Reflections on the Kenneth A. Gibson era in Newark, 1970-1986

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