Newark is a city found in New Jersey State in the U.S. It has the highest number of city dwellers in the state. The city gained prominence during the industrial revolution as it became one of the cities that embraced manufacturing during its formative years. This had an effect of causing the number of its dwellers to increase rapidly. Newark took a turn in post-war years as it faced a lot of challenges that made a good proportion of the population migrate to other cities. However, the city is experiencing a rebirth as it is seeing the number of manufacturing firms return their operations and population rising. The paper evaluates the measures the local government has put in place to ensure the city regains its lost glory. It also concentrates on the economic, political, social and cultural transformation Newark has experienced as indicators of its rebirth
Political Rebirth
Newark has in recent years put up several policies meant to improve the political image of the city. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Newark experienced some of the turbulent political storms among other cities in the U.S. There was widespread corruption by local government officials and the high number of riots (Gamber, 2011) . This led to the population decline as people moved to other regions to look for a better political climate. With a new political structure, the city is experiencing the political environment which is playing a significant role in attracting more investors and new settlement. In the years after World War 2, Newark experienced racial zoning as the number of African American dwellers increased prompting many Whites to move out. Many labelled it as a Black city and feared moving in. However, there has been a combined effort by the local government and other organizations to rid the city off the political ills it has experienced for decades.
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Police brutality has been identified as one of the problems that have bedeviled the city and its dwellers. Due to the high number of African Americans, police forces have unleashed terror to some of the residents drawing condemnation. The local government led by the mayor of Newark has put in place measure to address this issue. In 2015, the city established a task force referred to as the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) to look into the issues raised against the Newark Police Department (NPD) by a number of people (McGregor, 2016) . Activists and other stakeholders have also put into task the Department of Justice (DOJ) in dealing with cases of terror and violence leveled against Black people by the police in Newark.
Economic Rebirth
Gaining from the policies put in place by the local government and other stakeholders, Newark is attracting investors in large numbers who want to reap from the economic boom occurring in the city. The biggest beneficially of this rebirth is the housing sector as new apartments are put up while the old ones are being refurbished. Many have likened the situation to resemble Brooklyn in the neighboring New York which experienced a housing boom in the late 90s and early 2000s. As the number of city dwellers in Newark continues to rise, the demand for houses is increasing resulting in the price hike by the developers (Newman, 2004) . In the last few years, the city has managed to transform from deserted town to one of the most sought after urban centers in the United States.
The industrial sector is the second area that is greatly contributing to the economic rebirth of Newark. Many firms are coming back to the city due to its favorable policies put in place and the growing population. Cool political temperatures are also contributing greatly to the industrial comeback as the number of riots and crime has gone down tremendously. Notable among those firms seeking a place in Newark are the tech companies with some of them moving their operations in the city while others are considering choosing it as a strategic market for their products and services. With the establishment of industries and other firms in Newark, the rate of unemployment has reduced by a bigger margin and leading to a big drop in the number of crimes.
Social-Cultural Rebirth
The city is embracing back the cultural diversity that existed in the years before the 1960s. Prior to this rebirth, Newark has been greatly associated with racial intolerance with the great divide emerging between the Whites and Blacks. The transformation started in 1970 with the election of Ken Gibson. During his reign, the local government undertook a massive campaign to change so of the landmarks like schools and avenues to portray the diversity in culture and heritage the city desired (Tuttle, 2009) . Racism was one of the contributing factors that led to a large population of Whites move to other regions while others refused to move in. They saw it as a city in decline due to the growing number of African Americans. Due to the policies put in place by recent governments, Newark is experiencing harmonious co-existence among people of different races. Other races have found refuge in this city greatly influencing other spheres like business and politics.
With several transformative policies put in place, people in Newark are more participating in government affairs than before. The combined efforts among various groups have seen the city uproot some of the evils that have plagued it for decades. With the stern action being taken by the local government, the rate of individual liberty has gone up compared to post-war years. Unlike in the 60s and 70s, African Americans face less harassment from local police. There is increased co-existence and cooperation among various groups in combating social ills. The economic come back has also played a significant role in creating a better social life among city dwellers. Settling of firms in Newark has helped reduce the inequality that has led many to engage in crime to earn a living.
Conclusion
Newark has experienced a great transformation since 1950s to 1970s when the city was haunted by a dark era. The bad features associated with the city included frequent riots, a high rate of crime, racial discrimination, and economic stagnation. Many White people fled the city due to the influx of African Americans citing racial influenced reasons. However, this has changed in the recent past as Newark is attracting many investors and dwellers due to the policies put in place by recent administrations. With the increase in population, there is increased demand for houses making the price of properties rise rapidly. The city has also experienced a cultural rebirth as many people are embracing different cultures without prejudice.
References
Gamber, F. (2011). Where we live: Greater homewood community corporation, 1967-1976. In Baltimore ’68: Riots and Rebirth in an American City .
McGregor, A. (2016). Politics, Police Accountability, and Public Health: Civilian Review in Newark, New Jersey. Journal of Urban Health . https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-015-9998-4
Newman, K. (2004). Newark, decline and avoidance, renaissance and desire: From disinvestment to reinvestment. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science . https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716204264963
Tuttle, B. R. (2009). How Newark became Newark: The rise, fall, and rebirth of an American city. In How Newark became Newark: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of an American City .
