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Kenneth Gibson, Newark’s First Black Mayor, Dies

HeadlineApr 01, 2019

And former Newark Mayor Kenneth Gibson, who in 1970 became the first black mayor of a major Northeastern city, died Friday in West Orange at the age of 86. He served four terms in office. Gibson was elected amid heightened racial tensions in the city and three years after riots known as the “Long Hot Summer of 1967” claimed 26 lives. Gibson focused on housing and public health during his tenure but was also criticized for failing to bring stable jobs to the local economy. He was tried on bribery and fraud charges in 2001 and eventually pleaded guilty to tax evasion. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka wrote in a Facebook message, “1970 was a year of transition and difficult times. Gibson paved the way for every major African American elected official in this state and many places around the country.”

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