Ras Baraka facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ras Baraka
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| 40th Mayor of Newark | |
| Assumed office July 1, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Luis Quintana |
| Member of the Newark Municipal Council from the South Ward |
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| In office July 1, 2010 – July 1, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Oscar James |
| Succeeded by | John James |
| Member of the Newark Municipal Council from the at-large district |
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| In office November 2, 2005 – July 1, 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Donald Kofi Tucker |
| Succeeded by | Mildred Crump |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ras Jua Baraka
April 9, 1969 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Linda Jumah
(m. 2019) |
| Relations |
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| Children | 4 |
| Education | Howard University (BA) Saint Peter's University (MA) |
Ras Jua Baraka (born April 9, 1969) is an American politician, writer, and teacher. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Baraka is the 40th and current mayor of Newark, New Jersey. He was first elected in 2014. He was sworn into office on May 13, 2014. He has been reelected twice, in 2018 and 2022.
Before becoming mayor, he served on the Municipal Council of Newark. He was also the principal of Central High School in Newark. Baraka is planning to run for governor of New Jersey in the 2025 election.
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Early Life and Education
Ras Baraka grew up in Newark, New Jersey. His father was the famous poet and activist Amiri Baraka. His mother was Amina Baraka.
He went to schools in Newark Public Schools. Later, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Howard University. He also received a Master of Arts degree in Education Supervision from St. Peter's University.
Career in Education
From 2007 to 2013, Baraka worked as the principal of Central High School. This is one of the city's high schools.
Poetry and Music
Ras Baraka has a passion for poetry and spoken word. He edited a book of poems called In the tradition: an anthology of young Black writers in 1992.
He also appeared on singer Lauryn Hill's album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1998. He narrated several parts of the album. He also recorded the introduction for the Fugees' second album, The Score.
Baraka dedicated his poetry book Black Girls Learn Love Hard to his sister, Shani Baraka. She passed away in 2003. He has also performed his poetry at the city's Dodge Poetry Festival. In 2019, he released a spoken word video called What We Want.
Early Political Career
Serving on the Newark Municipal Council
From 2002 to 2006, Ras Baraka was a member of the Municipal Council of Newark. This council helps run the city. In 2002, he was also named deputy mayor. He held that position until 2005.
In 2005, he was elected to complete a term on the council. In 2010, he won an election against Oscar James II. This election was shown on the TV show Brick City. The show featured Baraka and other people from Newark.
Mayor of Newark
Becoming Mayor
Ras Baraka first ran for mayor when he was 24 years old, in 1994.
He ran again in the 2014 Newark mayoral election. He ran against Shavar Jeffries. Many groups and people supported Baraka. These included the Communication Workers of America union. Former New Jersey governor Richard Codey also supported him.
On May 13, 2014, Baraka was elected mayor of Newark. He received more votes than his opponent. He took over from Luis A. Quintana. Quintana had been serving after Cory Booker left to become a U.S. Senator. Baraka was sworn in as the city's 40th mayor on July 1, 2014.
He was re-elected as mayor in 2018 and again in 2022.
Starting as Mayor
After winning the 2014 election, Baraka began meeting with important leaders. He met with Governor Chris Christie. He also met with Essex Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr..
He announced his team to help him start his new role. His brother, Amiri "Middy" Baraka, Jr., became his chief of staff.
What He Has Done as Mayor
Many people see Ras Baraka as a very forward-thinking politician. He has been praised for helping Newark's economy grow.
Newark Schools
The Newark Public Schools system serves about 40,000 students. For many years, the state of New Jersey controlled the schools.
In 2010, Mark Zuckerberg, who founded Facebook, donated $100 million to the Newark school system. This money was meant to help improve the schools.
There were plans to change how the schools were run. Some plans suggested closing some public schools. They also suggested opening more charter schools. Many people in Newark did not like these plans. They felt the community was not asked for its ideas. They worried about students having to travel far from their homes.
Baraka ran for mayor promising to bring local control back to the schools. In 2014, Newark gained more control over its school budget. The local school board could now vote on how nearly $1 billion was spent each year. However, the state still had the final say on some decisions. Baraka asked for the state-appointed superintendent, Cami Anderson, to step down. She resigned in June 2015. Baraka believes that creating too many charter schools can hurt public schools.
Improving Water Systems
The Newark Watershed manages the city's water supply. It provides water to Newark and other nearby towns. In 2014, a report found problems with how the water system was managed. Baraka called for a full review of the agency.
In 2019, Baraka's team started a big project. They worked to replace old lead water pipes. These pipes were causing lead to get into the drinking water. By 2021, they had replaced over 20,000 lead pipes. This helped make the city's drinking water safer.
City Finances
In 2014, Newark faced a budget problem. Baraka said the city might need help from the state. If the state gave money, it would also mean the state would watch over the city's finances. The state did give Newark $10 million. This came with an agreement for the state to oversee the city's money.
Model Neighborhoods
In 2014, Baraka started a program called Model Neighborhoods. This program aimed to help neighborhoods that were facing problems. It looked at many different issues to make communities better.
Valentine's Day Lot Sales
In 2014, the city had a special sale for Valentine's Day. Married couples could buy empty building lots for $1,000. The rule was they had to build a house on the lot within 18 months. Many lots were sold. However, by 2015, not many houses had been built. This was often because people had trouble getting money to build.
Kailasa Scam
In March 2023, Baraka and other city officials met with people claiming to be from a country called "Kailasa." They thought Kailasa was a Hindu island nation. Newark officials signed documents to make Newark a "sister city" with Kailasa.
Later, it was found that "Kailasa" was not a real country. Baraka and other city officials did not know it was a scam until after the meeting. City Hall called it a "regrettable incident." Many people in Newark were embarrassed that officials did not check if Kailasa was real.
2025 Gubernatorial Campaign
On February 19, 2024, Ras Baraka announced he would run for governor of New Jersey. This election will be in 2025. He wants to bring "progressive overhaul" to New Jersey. His plans include ideas like "baby bonds" and "universal basic income." He also believes that how people are put in jail and policed in New Jersey is unfair and costly.
Personal Life
Ras Baraka is a father to three daughters: Amandla, Assata, and Raisa. In 2019, he married Linda Jumah. They had a son, Jua Nyamekye Imamu Kofi Baraka, in 2019.
His father, Amiri Baraka, had other children. So, Ras Baraka has half-sisters named Kellie and Lisa Jones. He also has a half-sister named Dominique di Prima.
See also
- Mayors of Newark, New Jersey
- Street Fight (film)
