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- This is One-On-One.

- I'm an equal American just like you are.

- The way we change presidents in this country is by voting.

- I'’m hopeful that this is the beginning to accountability.

- Life without dance is boring.

- I don't care how good you are or how good you think you are, there is always something to learn.

- I did do the finale, and guess where my trailer was?

A block away from my apartment, it couldn'’t have been better!

- People call me 'cause they feel nobody's paying attention.

-_ It'’s not all about memorizing and getting information, it'’s what you do with that information.

- (slowly) Start talking right now.

- That's a good question, high five.

(upbeat music) - Hi, I'm Steve Adubato.

Welcome to a series we created called "Remember Them."

I'm here with our Executive Producer, Jacqui Tricarico, who co-hosts this show with us.

Jacqui, we're doing all right today?

- We're doing great, excited to get this one started.

- So, listen, this is a series that looks at a whole range of different people who are no longer with us.

They're from New Jersey, connected to New Jersey, but it had impact not just on the state and the nation, but in many cases the world.

Over my left shoulder, you see the book that was written by our longtime friend, Richard Roper, about Newark Mayor, Ken Gibson.

Ken Gibson, the first African American elected to a city on the Eastern Seaboard.

The interview we're about to do is with a historian out of Rutgers, Junius Williams, who knows the city really well.

Jacqui, this is, quote, before your time.

What strikes you about Junius Williams talking about Ken Gibson?

Also, the other person we're featuring today is Amiri Baraka, who was a playwright, poet, activist, fascinating figure and the father of Newark Mayor, Ras Baraka.

As you were preparing and researching for this show, what connected with you?

- Well, there's a big connection between Mayor Ken Gibson and Amiri Baraka.

Amiri Baraka really getting into politics, even though he was an artist and a playwright, he had his hand in politics.

But something that came up that I didn't realize was when the Mayor won that election, it wasn't the first time he ran for Mayor-- - That was 1970, he ran in 1966 and lost.

- Right, and he lost in Newark, but why did he lose Steve?

Because I know you know, a little bit more background on that and how things shifted in Newark and that is what led to him winning later on.

- Well, it's such a complicated history and there are so many books and places you can find information about Newark, but I will tell you this, as a young boy growing up in Newark, the 1960s into the '70s, a very tough time, 1967 rebellion slash riots, almost 30 people were killed in those riots.

The city was taken over by the national guards, there were tanks on our street that were trying to prevent the riot that went on for many days from continuing, people were killed, there were snipers on buildings, there were police officers that were assaulting others and were assaulted themselves, it was a brutal time.

That was 1967, 1966, Gibson runs for Mayor, he loses.

He runs again in 1970, the city has changed after the rebellion slash riots.

So many more whites moved out to the suburbs.

Our family stayed, my dad, Steve Adubato Senior, would be doing a feature on him as well, was one of the only white Italian American political leaders that supported Ken Gibson in 1970.

It was a bold move, it was a controversial move in the neighborhood we grew up on, but this is not about my dad, it's about Ken Gibson, and Junius Williams talks about him, and Amiri Baraka.

And in the second half, Jacqui, I'm interviewing Amiri Baraka from 2012 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, right?

- Yeah, and that was just a couple years before he passed.

So we'll have that interview on the back end.

But first up, we are gonna hear Junius Williams talking about Mayor Gibson and Amiri Baraka, and their connection to one another in Newark.

- Check out Junius Williams, the history of two iconic and very important figures in our Remember Them Series.

[UPLIFTING MUSIC] - We are honored to be joined by Junius Williams.

Who's the official Newark historian.

He's an author, a civil rights activist, host of a podcast called Everything's Political.

Good to see Junius.

- Good to see you too Steve, it's been a while.

- It has, and this is a really important segment because it's part of a series that we're doing simply called New Jersey Leaders Who Matter: Powering Equity and Social Justice.

Junius, let's start with Ken Gibson.

We're gonna be showing some pictures of different, of these three folks that we're gonna be talking about.

Elected to mayor, elected in 1970 as the mayor of Newark, the first black mayor of a major Northeastern city.

Why was Ken Gibson so important beyond being the first in that regard?

- Ken Gibson represented a power shift in the city of Newark.

For some time, black people had been in the majority and yet the official hierarchy of running the city didn't reflect that population.

We had two Councilmen, one at large and one for the Central Ward.

And that was it.

The police department was 95% white, mostly Irish and Italian.

Most of the people in city who worked in the City Hall at the high positions were white - And did not live in the city.

- And did not live in the city.

And so it was time for a change.

So Ken was our choice.

I was his first campaign manager.

And what we had to do was to convince people that a black man could win.

Despite the numbers, a lot of people just didn't believe it.

And of course Addonizio had a lot of friends and the blacks... - The previous mayor who went to jail for corruption and frankly being tied to the mob, but also Mayor Gibson, who I was honored to know as a young man growing up in Newark, He also brought a sense of calm to the city after the 1967 rebellion, did he not?

- Yes, I think that was probably the greatest gift that he had and that he used.

Ken was very laid back, very calm and I think that convinced a lot of white people that they didn't have anything to worry about.

And that was important during that day because the city was very racially polarized.

There was a man named Anthony Imperiale in the North Ward.

- My neighborhood, - Your neighborhood, my neighborhood now.

Your father's neighborhood.

As a matter of fact, your father and him had a run in as to who was gonna be the chairman of the democratic party and your father won.

So this was a time of a racial polarization.

Unlike anything that I seen.

Until now, I would say that the Imperiale people were like the proud boys and the folks who stormed the White House.

I'm sorry, the Capital - The Capital.

And then folks, check it out it's not an understatement what Mr. Williams is sharing right now.

It was a bad time.

It just really was.

But, I want to ask you this about Amiri Baraka.

Playwright, poet, activist.

His contribution, and by the way, I was honored to interview Mr. Baraka at NJPAC, I believe in the last year of his life.

What was his greatest contribution in your view?

- He combined art and politics like nobody else that I knew.

He was a nationalist, but at the same time, he kept his eyes on the prize.

And the prize was to win in the mayoralty and the majority of the City Council.

Now we didn't do it at the first time, but eventually we did get the council as well.

I think in '74 to represent it to be more representative of the people that were here.

But Amiri Baraka was one of a kind, he had a national and international reputation as a poet, as a writer, as you said, various times.

But during the rebellion in 1967, a policeman hit him in the head and gave him a concussion, bloodied his head.

And he became known thereafter for his politics because he then had a platform that he hadn't, that he didn't have before.

And he used it to help get Ken Gibson elected.

Ken Gibson depended upon the organization that Baraka set up, called Committee For a Unified Newark.

More than Ken Gibson wanted to admit.

He did not, there was something that was Baraka's idea.

And it was called the black and Puerto Rican convention at which time for the election in 1970, people were supposed to come to that convention in 1969 and show their wares.

Some people did, most people didn't, but by that time, most of us had decided we wanted Ken and like all conventions they would say, let's say it was, people like Ken a lot.

But at the same time there was this idea.

And I think that idea was probably one of the most, it was not only generous, but I think it was a very influential idea and people ought to do it more.

- Yeah and It's so interesting.

I remember being a kid growing up in the city, that year, that election, and I'm not going to go into this except to say, in the neighborhood I grew up in, and Junius Williams knows this better than most, in the neighborhood I grew up in a 1970, in the race between Ken Gibson, who was an engineer and Hugh Addonizio, Mayor Hugh Addonizio who was indicted and ultimately went to jail for being quote mobbed up in my neighborhood.

Largely Italian-American, virtually everyone voted for Hugh Addonizio.

My father happened to go in a different direction and be supportive of Ken Gibson but that being said, the argument was even if he was corrupt, at least quote, he was white and that's how it was.

And then Junius am I overstating that?

- The runoff between Addonizio and Ken Gibson was a campaign that Addonizio directed toward Amiri Baraka.

It was strictly based on race.

You can't trust Gibson because Gibson's got Baraka.

Now they didn't know that Gibson turned around and just kind of pushed Baraka aside.

They didn't know he would do that at the time, but that was very important.

We had, the other thing I wanted to say was we had a platform coming out of that convention, and that was a very important platform for us, but Ken, more or less ran on what Ken wanted to run.

- [Narrator] To watch more One on One with Steve Adubato find us online and follow us on Social media.

Wow, that-- we wanna thank, Junius Williams, for that in depth interview and provide some context in history about Ken Gibson primarily, but also Amiri Baraka.

Jacqui, I remember 2012 as we do this program, it was 10 years ago.

We're sitting at NJPac, it was one of the last interviews, it may have been the last interview that Amiri Baraka did.

And, I will say this, growing up as a kid, Baraka was not just a controversial figure, but because we didn't understand who he was and what he stood for.

And the community I lived in which was disproportionately Italian American, there was great fear, there was anxiety, there was anger.

And so the idea now, that I sat down with him and this poet, this playwright, this extraordinarily thoughtful, creative and yes, controversial figure, we sit down and remembering my dad and him, were connected in some ways around Mayor Gibson, but also enemies politically and other ways.

And then to sit down with Ras Baraka, The Mayor, and have so many interviews.

It just comes full circle, but this is back in 2012.

And for you, you can hear about Baraka, but what resonated for you as we throw to this.

- He just...

The way that he speaks, the way he articulates his messages, when he speaks, you wanna listen to what he has to say, and I think that has well, back then it really helped with his career, with his messages, he was very outspoken, and he was-- - And before his time, Jacqui, this is pre Black Lives Matter, and again, he was not, well, Dr. King, and I believe there's a book from Dr. King right up there.

He was not always aligned with Dr. King because he believed in more aggressive forms of protest.

So listen, complex figure, this is 2012-- - Very controversial, a lot of times, right, very controversial.

- Yeah, but important to listen to him, to think about what he's saying.

He literally died two years, right, two years after this interview.

So I cannot thank, the Baraka family and all the folks who provided the footage that will put him in context by showing some older pictures.

So, Jacqui Tricarico, Steve Adubato, this is Remember Them and we remember them, And one of the people we always have to remember is Amiri Baraka.

>> THIS ISCONVERSATIONS AT THE NEW JERSEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER.

I'’M I'’M STEVE ADUBATO.

IT IS MY HONOR AND PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE AN ICON.

NOT JUST IN THE CITY OF NEWARK AND NEW JERSEY, BUT IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

AMIRI BARAKA, POET, PLAYWRIGHT, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST, AND SOMEONE WHO I GREW UP HEARING ABOUT AS A YOUNG MAN IN HERE, IN THE CITY OF NEWARK.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU WITH US.

>> YEAH, THANK YOU.

>> YOU'’VE HAD A FASCINATING LIFE AND CAREER, HAVE YOU NOT?

>> YEAH, I'’D SAY THAT.

[LAUGHTER] >> WHEN DID YOU KNOW-- AND, BY THE WAY, MY DAD, STEVE ADUBATO, SR. AND YOU GO BACK A LONG WAY.

>> OH, GOD.

45, MAYBE 50 YEARS.

YEAH.

>> POLITICS, COMMUNITY ACTIVISM.

>> THAT'’S IT.

>> NOT ALWAYS ON THE SAME SIDE OF CERTAIN ISSUES.

>> YEAH.

>> BUT IN A TOUGH TIME IN NEWARK, 1967 RIOTS AS A LITTLE BOY, GROWING UP IN THE CITY, IT WAS A TOUGH TIME, NO?

>> VERY TOUGH TIME.

I, UH, WAS LUCKY TO SURVIVE THAT TIME, AS A MATTER OF FACT.

>> WHY DO YOU SAY THAT?

>> WELL, THE SIDES WERE DRAWN, REALLY, ESSENTIALLY, RACIALLY.

THEY WERE NOT-- ALTHOUGH THAT'’S NOT TRUE.

YOUR FATHER WAS SMART ENOUGH TO SEE AROUND THAT AND SNEAK THROUGH THAT.

BUT, UH, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, IT WAS HARD, HARD TIMES.

>> LOT OF HATRED, WASN'’T THERE?

>> HMM?

>> LOT OF HATRED.

>> OH, YEAH.

YEAH.

>> WHITE AND BLACK HATRED.

>> WELL, SEE, THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE BLACK PEOPLE WANTED SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THEY HAD, AND THE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF HARD-LINE, ADDONIZIO, SPINA THING THAT WAS OUT, WE WEREN'’T GOING TO ACCEPT THAT.

>> WE SHOULD CLARIFY FOR FOLKS.

HUGH ADDONIZIO WAS THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEWARK.

A CORRUPT MAYOR, CONTROLLED BY THE MOB.

THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS A CORRUPT POLICE DEPARTMENT.

DOMINICK SPINA WAS THE HEAD OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

AND AFRICAN AMERICANS WERE TARGETED.

>> YEAH, WELL, HE TARGETED ME.

I KNOW THAT.

>> [LAUGHS] AND NOT FOR YOUR POETRY.

>> NO.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, ONE TIME WE WERE TRYING TO GIVE A POETRY READING AT THIS PLACE CALLED THE LOFT, AND THE POLICE STOPPED US FROM EVEN GOING IN THERE.

ONE TIME I WAS REHEARSING A PLAY IN THAT LOFT, AND A POLICEMAN CAME AND TOOK THE SCRIPT OUT OF MY HAND.

I MEAN, SEE, THAT'’S DIFFERENT NEWARK.

PEOPLE DON'’T EVEN KNOW THAT EXISTS, BUT IT WAS.

>> BEYOND THE POLITICAL ACTIVISM WHICH CONTINUES TODAY, BECAUSE YOU HAVE A GREAT COMMITMENT TO THIS CITY, YOU LOVE THIS CITY VERY MUCH, WHEN DID YOU KNOW, MR. BARAKA, THAT POETRY, WRITING, WOULD BE SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR LIFE?

>> WELL, WHEN--ACTUALLY, WHEN I WAS SMALL, I USED TO WRITE-- LIKE, I WROTE LETTERS TO PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT, ALTHOUGH I NEVER--I COULDN'’T-- I DIDN'’T KNOW HOW TO MAIL '’EM.

I STUCK '’EM IN THE RADIO.

>> YOU STARTED A NEWSPAPER AT TEN YEARS OLD.

>> RIGHT.

I HAD A NEWSPAPER.

RIGHT.

WHICH I WROTE OUT ALL THE COPIES MYSELF.

YOU KNOW, AND PASSED '’EM OUT TO OUR LOCAL... >> WHAT WAS THE MESSAGE?

>> WELL, THE MESSAGE WAS AT THAT TIME THAT SOMEBODY WAS GONNA ROB US.

I DON'’T KNOW WHERE I GOT THAT IN MY MIND, BUT THAT-- >> AND YOU WERE IN NEWARK, THOUGH.

>> I WAS IN NEWARK, YEAH.

OH, YEAH.

RIGHT UP THE STREET.

YEAH, I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN THIS TOWN.

MY FOLKS HAVE BEEN IN THIS TOWN ALMOST 100 YEARS.

WE'’VE BEEN HERE A MINUTE, YOU KNOW, AND THE WHOLE WRITING THING, ACTUALLY WHEN I GOT TO BARRINGER, YOU KNOW... >> BARRINGER HIGH SCHOOL.

>> YEAH, WHERE YOUR FATHER WENT, WE ALL WENT THERE.

THE PAYNES WENT.

>> DONALD PAYNE.

BILL PAYNE.

>> WE WERE ALL OVER THERE AT THE SAME TIME.

>> DONALD PAYNE.

>> I TOOK A CLASS IN WRITING, SEE.

BUT THAT'’S WHY I WENT TO BARRINGER, BECAUSE BARRINGER IS THE ONLY PLACE YOU COULD TAKE LATIN AND SPANISH AND CREATIVE WRITING.

SEE, SO I USED TO COME FROM THE CENTRAL WARD ON THE FIVE KENNEDY BUS EVERY MORNING TO GO TO BARRINGER.

SOMETIMES I'’D HAVE TO RUN BACK.

>> DID YOU KNOW-- I MEAN, WHO THOUGHT AT THE TIME, AND MAYBE YOU DID, MAYBE YOU DIDN'’T, THAT "I COULD MAKE A LIVING DOING THIS"?

>> YEAH.

WELL, IT'’S NOT-- I DON'’T THINK THAT CAME FIRST.

FIRST THE PASSION COMES.

IT'’S WHAT YOU WANNA DO.

AND I ALWAYS TELL STUDENTS THAT, YOU KNOW.

>> '’CAUSE YOU TEACH.

>> FIRST FIND OUT WHAT YOU WANNA DO.

>> I'’M SORRY.

>> AND THEN YOU'’LL FIND A WAY.

JUST FIND SOMETHING YOU'’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT AND YOU WANNA DO, AND YOU'’LL FIND A WAY.

YOU'’LL JUST KEEP-- YOU WON'’T BE RICH.

YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS TELL '’EM THAT.

YOU WANNA BE A POET?

SWEAR TO POVERTY, '’CAUSE THAT'’S ABOUT IT.

BUT, UH, NO, YOU HAVE TO FIND OUT SOMETHING YOU WANT-- AND THAT WAS ONE THING BARRINGER WAS...

ALTHOUGH, WE WERE LITTLE MINORITIES IN THERE, AND SOMETIMES WE HAD TO FIGHT OUR WAY TO GET BACK HOME, BUT STILL THERE WAS A LEVEL OF INSTRUCTION IN THERE THAT WAS GOOD.

>> DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE WOULD BE NO WAY TO SEPARATE YOUR POLITICAL ACTIVISM FROM YOUR WRITING?

>> WELL, NOT AT THE BEGINNING.

YOU SEE, BECAUSE THIS-- YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, IT'’S THE COUNTRY ITSELF THAT CHANGES.

>> YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I MEAN?

SO THAT, UH, EARLY 1950s IN NEWARK IS ONE THING.

I MEAN, I WENT TO SCHOOL HERE.

FIRST, I WENT TO COLLEGE HERE AT RUTGERS.

WHEN THERE WAS ONLY TWO BUILDINGS.

NEWARK RUTGERS.

THERE WAS ONE DOWN ON RECTOR STREET AND ONE NEXT TO THE VETERAN'’S ADMINISTRATION, AND THEN I WENT TO HOWARD.

BUT ALL THIS CHANGES, YOU KNOW, SO THAT BY THE TIME I GOT TO COLLEGE, THE IDEA OF WRITING WAS IMPORTANT TO ME.

BUT IT WASN'’T TILL LATER THAT THE WHOLE MOVEMENT, THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT BEGAN TO BE, UH-- YOU KNOW, BY THE TIME I GOT OUT OF THE AIR FORCE WAS ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT--THE MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT, YOU SEE.

SO I GOT OUT OF THE SERVICE AT THE SAME TIME THEY WERE BOYCOTTING THE BUSES IN MONTGOMERY.

YOU KNOW, ROSA PARKS, MARTIN LUTHER KING, THAT WAS A DIFFERENT KIND OF REALITY, DIFFERENT KIND OF UNDERSTANDING.

AND, UH, SO BY THE TIME I THEN WENT TO NEW YORK TO LIVE... >> IN GREENWICH VILLAGE?

>> YEAH, I MOVED TO THE VILLAGE BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE A WRITER.

I FIGURE ALL THE BIG-TIME INTELLECTUALS WENT THERE.

THERE WAS KIDS FROM BARRINGER THERE TOO.

>> WHO ELSE WAS HANGING OUT THERE AT THE VILLAGE AT THE TIME?

>> THERE WAS A GUY NAMED ALLEN POLITE WHO WAS A POET, BLACK, AND HE WAS A CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNER AT BARRINGER.

AND I WAS A CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNER.

SO HE BECAME MY IDOL.

BUT, UH, THEN I UNDERSTOOD HE WENT TO NEW YORK TO WRITE.

SO THAT SOUNDS INTERESTING.

>> WHEN DID YOU KNOW THAT... LET ME TRY IT THIS WAY.

THE FIRST PIECE THAT YOU WROTE THAT GOT ATTENTION...

I DON'’T MEAN MASS APPEAL, BUT GOT ATTENTION.

PEOPLE SAID, "THIS GUY HAS SOMETHING.

HE'’S TALENTED.

HE SPEAKS WITH A POWERFUL VOICE, AND WE NEED TO LISTEN."

WHAT WAS THAT PIECE?

>> WELL, IT WAS A POEM CALLED PREFACE TO A 20-VOLUME SUICIDE NOTE.

>> HOLD ON.

PREFACE TO A 20-VOLUME SUICIDE NOTE.

>> RIGHT.

>> [LAUGHS] IT DOESN'’T ROLL OF THE TONGUE.

>> NO, IT DOESN'’T ROLL OFF THE TONGUE.

BUT WHEN I--I PUBLISHED THAT IN A LITTLE JOURNAL IN TAOS, NEW MEXICO.

>> MM.

>> AND, UH, I GOT A POSTCARD FROM LANGSTON HUGHES, SAYING, "YOU KNOW, HAIL LEROY FROM HARLEM.

UNDERSTAND YOU'’RE COLORED."

AND I SAID, "MUST BE A PRETTY BAD GUY," YOU KNOW.

I MEAN, I GET A POSTCARD FROM LANGSTON HUGHES, WHO I ALWAYS KNEW.

YOU KNOW, EVEN GROWING UP IN NEWARK, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD TO KNOW LANGSTON.

YOU KNOW, HE'’S IN THE NEWSPAPERS AND STUFF.

SO THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT I REALLY WAS DOING SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANT, ANYWAY.

>> DO YOU HAVE, UM, ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO DO JUST FOR A MINUTE?

>> WISE ONE.

AND THAT'’S SPELLED "Y'’S WHY'’S WISE."

"IF YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF SOMEWHERE, LOST AND SURROUNDED BY ENEMIES WHO WON'’T LET YOU SPEAK IN YOUR OWN LANGUAGE, WHO DESTROY YOUR STATUES AND INSTRUMENTS, WHO BAN YOUR OOM-BOOM-BA-BOOM, YOU'’RE IN TROUBLE.

THEY BAN YOUR OOM-BOOM-BA-BOOM, YOU'’RE IN DEEP, DEEP TROUBLE.

PROBABLY TAKE YOU SEVERAL HUNDRED YEARS TO GET OUT.

AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, THERE'’S A RIVER MADE OF HUMAN BONES.

BLACK IVORY.

BLACK IVORY."

>> HMM.

>> SO THAT'’S FROM A BOOK CALLED Y'’S.

YOU KNOW,WHY'’S WISE.

AND I GOT THAT FROM JIMMY BALDWIN, WHO SAID-- >> JIMMY BALDWIN--JAMES BALDWIN.

>> JAMES BALDWIN, WHO SAID, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW SOMETHING, ASK WHY.

AND IF YOU KEEP ASKING WHY, YOU'’LL GET WISE.

>> I HOPE THIS IS RELEVANT FOR OTHER PEOPLE, BUT I'’M GONNA DO SOMETHING SELFISH.

GROWING UP IN THE CITY OF NEWARK IN THE 1960s AND '’70s, AND KNOWING OR THINKING I KNEW ABOUT YOU, AS A FIERY, OUTSPOKEN, CONTROVERSIAL FIGURE WHO OFTEN SAID THINGS, AT LEAST AS I INTERPRETED THEM, AS VERY, UH... "ANTI" WHITE.

SIMPLISTIC EXPLANATION, I'’M SURE.

>> YEAH, IT'’S TRUE.

>> DO YOU THINK WE ARE ANY-- THE FACT THAT WE'’RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION HERE IN THIS CONTEXT IN NEWARK...

I DON'’T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS OR DOESN'’T MEAN.

ARE WE ANY BETTER OFF?

>> WELL, IT'’S ALWAYS A KIND OF DUEL--DUALITY TO THAT.

ON ONE HAND, IT'’D BE HARD TO SAY THAT IF YOU HAVE AN AFRO- AMERICAN AS THE PRESIDENT, THAT'’S THE SAME AS THE TIME WHEN I GOT DRAGGED UP THE STREET AND BEAT IN THE HEAD.

IT'’S NOT THE SAME.

MY SON, RAS, IS A COUNCILMAN HERE IN THE SOUTH WARD.

>> HE'’S A FINE COUNCILMAN.

>> AND SO IT'’S NOT THE SAME, BUT WE STILL HAVE FUNDAMENTALLY THE SAME PROBLEMS.

>> FUNDAMENTALLY?

>> WELL, RACISM IS STILL ALIVE AND WELL.

I'’VE NEVER HEARD A PRESIDENT TALKED ABOUT AS BADLY AS, SAY, OBAMA.

THE PEOPLE SAY--UP THE STREET HERE FROM NEW JERSEY PAC ARE STILL LIVING BELOW STANDARD.

YOU KNOW, IT'’S STILL VERY HARD, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE VIOLENCE IN THAT SCHOOL IN CONNECTICUT... >> WE'’RE TAPING RIGHT AFTER... >> THERE WAS A GUY SHOT RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE.

HE FELL RIGHT... TO THE BOTTOM OF THE STEPS AND BLED TO DEATH AS MY WIFE AND I WATCHED HIM.

>> IN NEWARK.

>> IN NEWARK.

RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE.

SO IT'’S--IT'’S A MIXED KIND OF SITUATION.

ON ONE HAND, THE REAL, QUOTE, "INTEGRATION" HAS GONE ON AT THE TOP LEVEL OF AMERICA.

BUT IN TERMS OF THE OTHER, CAN I SAY 90 SOME PERCENT, OF THE AFRO-AMERICAN PEOPLE, THEY'’RE STILL HURTING.

>> TELL ME YOU'’RE HOPEFUL.

>> WELL, I'’M HOPEFUL '’CAUSE WE'’RE ALIVE.

AND WE'’RE NOT GONNA STOP.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LEGACY IN THE HISTORY OF STRUGGLE.

I MEAN, ME STRUGGLING, MY SON STRUGGLING, MY WIFE STRUGGLING, THEY'’RE NOT THE FIRST BLACK PEOPLE WHO STRUGGLE.

BUT THEY KNOW THAT THAT'’S WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO AS A MATTER OF MAKING SOME MOTION, YOU KNOW.

>> YOU HONOR US BY BEING HERE.

>> WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

- [Narrator] Remember Them with Steve Adubato has been a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by PSE&G, NJM Insurance Group.

RWJBarnabas Health.

The New Jersey Education Association.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

Prudential Financial.

New Jersey Institute of Technology.

And by The Russell Berrie Foundation.

Promotional support provided by New Jersey Globe.

And by New Jersey Monthly.

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