59TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1967 NEWARK REBELLION WILL BE COMMEMORATED BY PEOPLE’S ORGANIZATION FOR PROGRESS ON JULY 12TH

The anniversary of a major uprising of the 1960s will be observed this weekend by a grassroots civil and human rights advocacy group. 

A march and rally will be held to commemorate the 59th anniversary of the 1967 Newark Rebellion, a cataclysmic event of that turbulent era. 

It will take place Sunday, July 12, 2026, 2:00pm, starting at the Rebellion Monument, 250 Springfield Avenue in Newark, New Jersey. 

This event is sponsored by the People’s Organization For Progress (POP), which has held some form of commemoration for the uprising since the group was founded 44 years ago in 1982.

“We are having this event because we believe it is important to remember what happened during the 1967 Newark Rebellion, why it happened, and how it is still relevant today,” Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress stated. 

“The 1967 uprising was one of the most consequential occurrences in the city’s 350 year history. It is integral to an understanding of present day Newark, and there are important lessons to be learned from it,” Hamm said. 

“It has been called the Newark riots. We do not call it a riot. We call it a rebellion because it was a collective response to the racist oppression of black people in the city, state, and nation,” he said. 

The commemoration will begin with a rally at the Rebellion Monument dedicated to those killed during the unrest. It lists the names of the 26 people who were killed during the uprising. 

The monument is located in an area unofficially known as ‘Rebellion Park,’ which is located on Springfield Ave between Hayes Street and Irvine Turner Blvd.

Participants at the event will march from the monument to the 1st Police Precinct, 10  17th Avenue, and back. The precinct is where the 1967 Newark Rebellion started. 

“The 1967 Newark uprising was sparked by a police brutality incident. Newark police officers beat an African-American cab driver named John Smith,” he said. 

“This led to a confrontation between protestors and police outside of the police precinct building in the city’s Central Ward, where Smith had been taken, which ignited the uprising that spread to other parts of Newark,” he said. 

The rebellion took place over a four day period. A force of 7,917 police and national guard were mobilized to put it down. A state of emergency was declared and martial law was established. 

When it was over 26 people had been killed, more than 700 injured and nearly 1,500 arrested. It resulted in millions of dollars of property damage. 

“The upheaval was catastrophic but it also gave added impetus to a dynamic movement for black political power that led to the election of Kenneth A. Gibson as Newark’s first African American mayor and eventually a predominantly Black city council during his second term,” he said.

Hamm said this year’s commemoration will focus on the ongoing problem of police brutality. He said that almost 1300 people were killed by police last year with less than 1 percent of the officers involved being charged with a crime. 

“We are going to demand justice for Wali Bey, Kohen Wiley, Deborah Terrell, Carl Dorsey, Major Gulia Dale III, Andrew Washington, Najee Seabrooks, Bernard Placide, and all victims of police brutality. We are going to demand that those officers that killed them be held accountable and prosecuted,” Hamm said. 

“This not only includes local police but also state troopers, ICE agents, National Guard, and officers belonging to other law enforcement agencies. 

“We are going to demand passage of bills by the New Jersey legislature that will enable cities and towns to establish police review boards with subpoena powers. 

“We are also going to demand passage of federal police reform legislation including the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act,” he said. 

The speakers at the event will include people who lived through the rebellion, family members of recent victims of police brutality, community leaders and activists. They will discuss how what happened then is still relevant today. 

For directions and other information call the People's Organization For Progress at (973)801-0001. 

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Coppin State University Lowers Costs for Residential Students Amid Rising Higher Education Expenses

As colleges and universities across Maryland and the nation continue to raise costs for students and families, Coppin State University, Maryland's most affordable university, is lowering costs for residential students through a series of strategic affordability measures designed to reduce expenses while continuing to invest in academic excellence, student success, and institutional growth.

Beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year, residential students and their families will benefit from a 12% reduction in board plan costs through a newly negotiated food service agreement. The university also will not increase mandatory student fees, helping to ease the financial burden on students and families at a time when the cost of higher education continues to rise.

Key Cost Changes for Residential Students

• Board plan rates will decrease by approximately 12% through a newly negotiated food service agreement.
  
  
• Mandatory student fees will remain unchanged.

University leaders say the reduction is the result of strong strategic financial management, operational efficiencies, and a continued commitment to affordability.

"When was the last time you heard of a university lowering costs? This is about putting students first," said Dr. Anthony L. Jenkins, president of Coppin State University. "At a time when families are facing rising costs for food, housing, transportation, and other necessities, we are doing everything we can to make college more affordable. Higher education remains one of the most powerful pathways to opportunity, and we want to ensure that cost is not a barrier to our students' success."

Coppin Continues to Lead on Affordability

The reduction in board plan costs further strengthens Coppin's position as Maryland's most affordable university. Following the new food service agreement, Coppin's annual board cost will be approximately $4,875, lower than every four-year public institution in Maryland.

Annual Board Costs at Maryland Public Universities

Institution	Annual Board Cost
Coppin State University	$4,875
University of Maryland Eastern Shore	$5,294
Frostburg State University	$6,010
Salisbury University	$6,130
Towson University	$6,290
University of Maryland, Baltimore County	$6,522
Bowie State University	$6,564
University of Maryland, College Park	$6,820
Morgan State University	$6,875

"Affordability is one of the most important factors influencing whether students enroll, persist, and ultimately graduate," said Dr. James Stewart, Associate Vice President for Student Development and Achievement. "When institutions reduce financial barriers, students are better positioned to focus on their academics, engage in campus life, and complete their degrees without the constant burden of financial stress. At Coppin, affordability is directly connected to student success. It supports recruitment, strengthens retention, and creates opportunities for students to move confidently toward graduation and meaningful careers."

Student Success and Affordability Initiatives

The affordability measures complement several additional student success initiatives designed to help students reduce the cost of earning a degree.

Summer SOAR

• Students who successfully complete 30 semester credit hours during the academic year are eligible to receive up to six credit hours of free summer tuition.
  
  
• The program helps students accelerate progress toward graduation at little additional cost.

Expand Eagle Nation

• Provides in-state tuition rates to students from states with two or fewer Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
  
  
• Expands access to a Coppin education for students nationwide.

Enrollment and Student Success Highlights

Coppin's affordability efforts are designed to reduce costs, minimize student debt, increase degree completion, expand access and opportunity, and propel students toward economic mobility.

More students and families from across the country are choosing Coppin. The university is the fastest-growing institution in Greater Baltimore and Maryland's leading HBCU for male enrollment growth.

Recent achievements include:

• A record 24,000 undergraduate applications, the highest number in institutional history.
  
  
• A 75% retention rate, the highest in university history.
  
  
• A 77% male retention rate, the highest in university history and significantly above the national average for Black male students.

"Higher education remains one of the greatest pathways to economic mobility," Jenkins said. "Coppin continues to demonstrate what is possible when a university is committed to expanding access, putting students first, and preparing graduates for meaningful careers and lifelong achievement. We are standing on a promise made 126 years ago: to nurture potential and transform lives."

PEOPLE’S ORGANIZATION FOR PROGRESS WILL HOST COMMUNITY READING OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS’ SPEECH “WHAT TO THE SLAVE IS THE FOURTH OF JULY?”

As the nation begins to celebrate its 250th anniversary of independence, a grassroots civil rights organization will have a public reading of a speech by a nineteenth century slavery abolitionist which offers a unique perspective on the 4th of July.

There will be community recitation of “What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July,” by Frederick Douglass. It will take place on Thursday evening, July 2, 2026, 6:00pm at Bethany Baptist Church, 275 West Market Street in Newark, New Jersey.

The program is sponsored by the People’s Organization For Progress. It is free and open to the public.

“We are having this program because we felt it was important to hear the perspective of a Black abolitionist on celebrating the nation’s independence while millions of Black people were still enslaved within its borders,” Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress stated.

“We also believe that this activity will give us further insight into the state of race relations in the United States today,” Hamm said.

“We are calling this a community reading because the presentation will be a collective effort. We are inviting community leaders, activists and residents to each read portions of the speech,” he said.

Frederick Douglass is the most famous abolitionist of his era. He was born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey. His recognized birthdate is February 14, 1818. He was born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland. Douglass was self-emancipated and self-educated.

He escaped from slavery at age 20 and went on to join the abolitionist movement. He became an author, statesman, and one of the greatest orators of his time. Douglass was also the most photographed person of his century. He was about 77 years old when he died on February 20, 1895 in Washington, DC.

The speech was given at an event observing the 76th anniversary of U.S. independence on July 5, 1852 at Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York. It was organized by the Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society. This was nine years before the start of the Civil War.

“The program is timely because it takes place after the Juneteenth holiday on June 19th, which celebrates emancipation, and before Independence Day on July 4th, which observes the country’s founding when Black people were enslaved,” Hamm said.

“When Frederick Douglass asked the question ‘what to the slave is the Fourth of July?’ in 1852, nearly four million of black people in this country were enslaved,” he said.

“So now, 174 years later we must ask the question what should this holiday mean to the descendants of those who were enslaved in this country on July 4,1776,” he said.

“In his answer to the question Douglass made a scathing criticism of slavery in the U.S. I am certain that if he could speak now he would be relentless in his critique of the ongoing racism, white supremacy, racial inequality, injustice, and oppression that exists in this country today,” Hamm said.

For more information contact the People’s Organization For Progress (POP) at 973 801-0001.

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