A healthy city is one with a robust civic culture.
Newark has more than 150,000 registered voters, but less than 20,000 of them voted in the last mayoral election in 2022. We all need to do a better job getting ourselves, friends, family, and neighbors to the polls.
That said, as important as voting is, it represents just a small part of civic engagement.
Civic engagement is the way each of us chooses to interact with our democracy. It’s the venues and outlets we decide to participate in to ensure that our voices, interests, and concerns are part of the city’s decision-making process.
Civic engagement is how we build personal investment in the place we call home. Even more plainly, it’s committing to something bigger than oneself.
The good news is that Newark has no shortage of civic engagement opportunities. The bad news is that not enough people are participating in these opportunities.
Our city is rapidly changing, and its challenges grow more complex each day. From education to traffic to public safety, there are many reasons why getting involved civically is critical.
Sitting on the sidelines of democracy is no longer an option.
The stakes are too high. If you have ever thought about getting more involved in the city, here are a few places to consider starting at:
Attend A City Council Meeting
City Council Meetings are the bedrock of democracy.
In Newark, City Council members are our first level of representation. The Council votes, approves, and funds many of the city’s services, resources, and general functioning—the things we experience in our everyday lives as residents.
Council members also have a unique ability to elevate specific issues and concerns. Council Meetings are a chance to connect and speak to elected representatives directly. Many of Newark’s council meetings are open to the public and tend to be lively.
Even if you’re not ready to approach the podium to speak directly with the city’s governing body, attending a meeting is an important step. The visual of a packed city council chamber is its own accountability measure for elected officials. A sign that residents across all five wards care about and are impacted by the decisions made in that chamber.
Join A Block or Neighborhood Association
Newark has a long list of groups and associations that represent a single block, multiple ones, or even an entire neighborhood.
These associations are another way to get involved civically, especially if you don’t always have the time to attend a City Council hearing or cannot make the trip downtown. Block and community associations provide many ways to be involved, such as clean-ups, advocacy, and community safety initiatives.
They are often the first step for people who are not traditionally involved civically, because everyone cares about what is happening outside their front door or down the street. From the Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District to the Sanford Place Block Association, these organizations are not just places to complain; they get things done and are incredibly effective. It’s community service at its best.
And no, you don’t need to be a homeowner to join one of these groups. Most people living in Newark are renters and still have a vested interest in seeing their neighborhoods thrive. Finding your local block association might take some digging on Facebook or Instagram. Another great place to start your search is the Newark People’s Assembly. You may even end up starting your own.
Patronize
Newark has amazing “civic institutions.” The Newark Museum of Art, the Newark Public Library (all eight branches), and the many parks throughout the city. These public spaces are meant to unite people and instill that personal investment. Many of these institutions have funding streams tied to patronizing. So, it matters when you visit a library branch and borrow a book or use the computer. It matters when you visit the Newark Museum of Art (free for Newark residents). Parks, too, are at their bestand most resourced when people are in them. These institutions suffer when people don’t use them.
There are also opportunities to volunteer in all these places. Whether it’s time, talent, or treasure, public institutions need all the help they can get. This is what civic engagement is all about because often in serving or volunteering, you will discover even more people, ideas, and places worth fighting for.
Civic engagement is everything that happens between election days. Newark deserves a robust civic culture as strong as any other town or city.
A civic culture is not something that any elected official or agency can manufacture or create with paperwork. It’s up to us as residents. A conscious choice to be involved and seen. None of us needs to do everything, but if we all strive to do something – attach ourselves to something bigger in our communities, it can make all the difference.
