This past Tuesday, The Newark Times covered a panel discussion on Newark;s current renaissance and the city’s future. Moderated by Rashawn Davis, former Newark City Council candidate and youngest person to ever be certified on a ballot in Newark, the panel included Emily Manz from Have You Met Newark?, Evonne Davis of Gallery Aferro, Citi Medina from MEDINA=CITI, and Milly Silva of 1199 SEIU.
Rashawn Davis told The Newark Times, “This panel discussion was incredibly important because not only does it show the diversity of Newark’s renaissance, but it also shows how the benefits of this renaissance are accessible to anyone who wants to be a part of it.”
Panelists spoke on their personal experiences in Newark, what brought them to the city, and their point of view as it relates to business development, technological advancements, the artist community, and political representation of Newark’s diverse population. Evonne Davis made the point that media outlets and pundits have claimed that Newark had been experiencing a renaissance at different periods of the last 20 or so years and that in the case of the very real and present renaissance, the artist community in particular has an opportunity to learn from what has happened in other areas of the country and suffer the same unfortunate end result. Emily Manz spoke of some advancements being made to prepare Newark youth to learn coding and take an active part in tech developments.
Attendees included notable Newarkers like Kevin Newell as well as Newark elders such as Richard Cammarieri. More panel discussions are planned to take place throughout the city to continue the conversation and ensure that Newark residents voices are heard.
