Overview
Newark Future Forum: Building Together brought together leaders, community organizers, youth, and philanthropic organizations to discuss critical topics surrounding racial equity, community empowerment, economic justice, and youth leadership in Newark. Presented by Victoria Foundation and hosted at Rutgers University-Newark, the forum provided a platform for meaningful dialogue and strategic collaboration. It aimed to inspire action across various sectors to strengthen community power, foster economic justice, and promote youth self-determination. Attendees engaged in discussions led by thought leaders in philanthropy, social justice, education, and economic development, all with the shared goal of creating a more equitable future for Newark’s diverse communities.
Opening Plenary
Building Collective Power: Community-Led Solutions for Equity and Justice
This panel discussed the evolving landscape of philanthropy with a provocative and candid conversation about the role of movement funders in organizing philanthropy to transform society, emphasizing collaboration and coordination among funders. The conversation also covered the importance of political power in combating rising authoritarianism, the need for philanthropy to support youth organizing, and the necessity for philanthropy to be transparent and accountable. The panelists stressed the importance of unrestricted, multi-year funding and the need for philanthropy to align with movement priorities, including endowments and solidarity economy projects.
Featured Speakers
- Nyoka Acevedo, Fund Coordinator, Youth Organizing and Culture Change Fund
- Jennifer Ching, Executive Director, North Star Fund
- Lisa Owens, Executive Director, Hyams Foundation
- Moderated by Craig Drinkard, Executive Officer, Victoria Foundation
Keynote Address
Reclaim Your Community: You Don’t Have to Move out of Your Neighborhood to Live in a Better One
The Newark Future Forum keynote address was delivered by Majora Carter, an award-winning community revitalization strategist, MacArthur Fellow, and author. Majora’s address centered on the importance of talent retention in community development, urging communities to invest in local entrepreneurship and neighborhood revitalization rather than abandoning “low-status” areas.
Featured Speakers
- Majora Carter, Principal, Majora Carter Group
Breakout Sessions
The session, True Liberation Requires Collective Action, featured a powerful discussion on fostering racial equity and justice through collaboration. Panelists Ryan Haygood, Esq., president and CEO of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice; Cuqui Rivera, outreach director at the Latino Action Network Foundation; and Rahsaan Harris, Ph.D., of Princeton University, shared insights on their work addressing systemic racism and building collective power within impacted communities and the nonprofit sector.
Featured Speakers
- Ryan P. Haygood, Esq., President and CEO, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
- Rahsaan Harris, Ph.D., Princeton University
- Cuqui Rivera, Outreach Director, Latino Action Network Foundation
- Moderated by Sharnita C. Johnson, Vice President of Strategy, Impact and Communications, Victoria Foundation
This session explored strategies to cultivate wealth and nurture well-being within Black and Brown communities, with speakers providing examples of how organizations can advocate for wage increases, combat displacement, expand individual and collective ownership, and transition to a clean energy economy.
Featured Speakers
- Adriana Abizadeh, Kensington Corridor Trust, Executive Director
- Hazel Applewhite, Ironbound Community Corporation, Chief Executive Officer
- Vivian Fraser, Urban League of Essex County, President & CEO
- Nia Evans, Boston Ujima Project, Executive Director
- Rei Fielder, Boston Ujima Project, Director of Coalitions, Policy, and Grassroots Organizing
- Moderated by Lisa Owens, Executive Director, Hyams Foundation
This session highlighted the unique contributions of youth leadership in Newark, showcasing how young people are taking the lead on issues like housing security, gentrification, and community organizing. The speakers emphasized the importance of creating spaces where youth can collaborate with adults to drive change.
Featured Speakers
- Mark Comesañas, Executive Director, My Brother’s Keeper Newark
- Marquise Wright, Youth Panelist, My Brother’s Keeper Newark
- Amanda Ebokosia, Founder & CEO, The Gem Project Inc.
- Breanna Campbell, Youth Panelist, The Gem Project Inc.
- Tené Howard, Executive Director, Sadie Nash Leadership Project
- Lutfillah Chambas, Youth Panelist, Sadie Nash Leadership Project
- Tasha Grant, Founder & Artistic Director, Maroon Theater Project
- Domonique Bateman, Youth Panelist, Maroon Theater Project
- Moderated by Nyoka Acevedo, Fund Coordinator, Youth Organizing and Culture Change Fund