The Baraka family opened the Shani Baraka Women’s Resource Center in 2017 after the death of its namesake, and sister of mayor Ras J. Baraka. Shani Baraka was considered to be an ideal community member. She was an educator and coached basketball in the community. At the time of her death in 2003, she was pursuing a master’s in administration and supervision. Her and her friend, Rayshon Holmes, were shot and killed by Shani Baraka’s estranged brother-in-law. Shani Baraka was 31 years old at this time. Shani Baraka was an educator and activist for her community. She was a teacher in the Newark Public Schools and coached the Malcolm X Shabazz High School Girls Basketball Team to championships. She was also an activist for LGBT and Women’s rights. In this spirit of involvement and support in the community, the center seeks to honor Shani Baraka with the resources it can provide women, children, and members of the LGBT community. The center’s services primarily fall under three categories: domestic violence, healthcare, and social services. They aim to aid women in trauma informed ways so that they can properly heal. The center also looks to provide resources and support for those all of all sexual and gender identities. For years now the center has dedicated itself to serving women and queer persons in Newark.Shani Baraka's sister commented on the center saying, “I was so happy. I was happy and saddened. I was happy that mayor had actually come to his mind that they were going to do it and sad that she wasn’t here to see it. Her mother came. Her mother and I cut the ribbon, Ray’s mom Sandy. My other son, the chief of staff, he organized it, but we were cuttin’ the ribbon together. There is a big mural in there of Shani and Ray next to each other with Maya Angelou over the top of it."

Baraka family breaking ground to build the center.

This booklet describes what is available at the center.

More Info

The Shani Baraka Women’s Resource Center is an agency in Newark dedicated to providing a variety of confidential resources to women. The name of the center comes from the name of a woman in Newark who was murdered by her estranged brother-in-law. This sudden death of her and her friend led her family to opening this center in her honor. The center offers resources for domestic violence, social services, and healthcare services for women and the queer community in Newark.

 Shani Baraka Women’s Resource Center

The Rainbow City: Mapping Queer Newark gives a snapshot of past and present queer spaces in Newark, showing a rich history of spaces and how they have changed. By pulling locations from Queer Newark Oral History Project interviews, we are able to find and mark locations no longer present, but were once significant to the queer community. By bringing this all together, the viewer can see how places in queer Newark have changed and continue to persist. 

For decades, Murphy's Tavern was a popular gay bar in Newark, NJ. It was supposedly the only gay bar in Newark in the 1969s and 1970s. The Tavern is no longer present today, but it is an important and rich part to Newark's queer history. The bar also worked with other gay bars in New Brunswick and Asbury Park, New Jersey to challenge antigay regulations on bars and taverns. In 1967, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that so long as they were well-behaved, there could not be restrictions on homosexuals patronizing taverns. The Tavern was eventually demolished in the early 2000s.A former patron of Murphy's described it as, "It was small. It was just a bar, you walk in the door and then there was this U­shape bar, old wood and there was paneling just 1970s. And that’s really what it was. You had the two sexy bartenders behind, male of course with no shirts on and you know. So it was just that type of environment,” (June Dowell-Burton 24).Although, not all members of the queer community were welcome. Angela Raine remembers Murphy's as being unwelcome for transgender individuals, "He just wasn't crazy about trans women being there. The only way that you actually were able to come in is if you really knew somebody that was close to the owner, and the owner knew you, or if they had a drag show. If they had a drag show, they didn't want you seen. They wanted you in the back or you had to leave after the show."While it was a popular gay bar, it was not exclusively a queer space, “They’re saying straight during the day, that most of the staff, who were bartenders at night, worked there during the day. Whether or not they were bus boys, or the cook, or whatever, they worked there. A lot of the patrons during the day were straight, but it was also mixed. You had gay people that have lunch there, you could get a good lunch there. That was the whole thing. I’m talkin’ about an affordable, decent lunch, for not that—it wasn’t that expensive. I don’t remember it being no more than, you could feed two people with $10.00. Then you talk about drinks on top of that? Yeah, so it was very much that, it wasn’t totally exclusive gay during the day. It’s just that they had a patronage. They had a lot of the business people who were looking for just to have a decent lunch (Aaron Frazier 17 Interview 3)."In the early 2000s the bar was demolished to make way for the Prudential center, removing an iconic and popular gay bar in the city.

Murphy's Tavern was a gay bar in Newark, New Jersey for many decades. Along with gay bars in New Brunswick and Asbury Park. Murphy's Tavern helped challenge regulations on homosexuals going to bars. In 1967, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that so long as they were "well-behaved", there could be no restrictions on homosexuals patronizing bars and taverns. Although it was not always welcoming for all members of the queer community, it became more welcoming over time. For decades, Murphy's was a popular destination for the queer community in Newark. The Tavern eventually closed and was demolished in the early 2000s. 

Murphy's Tavern

“And the other, the First Choice, as I said, was lesbian. It was more of a dance place.” (James Credle 5 Interview 2) First Choice was a lesbian bar that opened sometime during the 1980s and continued into the 90s. First Choice is remembered today as one of the main places where lesbian women in Newark would go to dance and socialize.Although the bar was most commonly referred to as First Choice, June Dowell Burton asserts that its official name was actually the Night. It is uncertain whether the Night was the bar's actual name, since Burton admitted she might not be remembering it correctly. The bar’s supposed real name was a reference to the fact that it was only open to gay people after dark. This was common for gay bars in Newark at the time.First Choice was owned for most of its existence by two African American gentlemen named Bob and Al. Although we do not know if Bob had any other job besides owning First Choice, we do know that Al’s primary job was working for the Newark Board of Education. According to Aaron Frazier, Bob was famous in the Newark LGBTQ community for being well endowed. A man named Craig was also involved in running the bars day to day operations. Craig was known for his very laid back personality. Bob is the only one of the bar’s owners that is still alive today.When Bob and Al initially opened First Choice, they intended it to carter to both gay men and women, similar to Murphy’s Tavern. However, when Bob’s mother Tilly began getting involved in the bars affairs sometime around the mid-90s, the bar’s focus shifted to cater to mostly lesbian women. First Choice was most commonly frequented by Hispanic and African American women of color. The bar itself was apparently very small, not much larger than a normal sized office. Some gay men, notably Don Ransom and Aaaron Frazier, did not like the women who frequented to First Choice, calling the “snooty.”First Choice was the most often mentioned lesbian bar out of all of the interviews in the Queer Newark Oral History Project. Lesbian women attended other bars in Newark besides First Choice, with Murphy’s Tavern probably being the most notable example. However, all of those bars catered to clientele besides just lesbian women. First Choice was one of the only spaces in Newark that was exclusively for lesbian women. Even though it may no longer exist, the interviews in the Queer Newark Oral History Project show that the LGBTQ community still remembers First Choice as one of the most significant queer landmarks in Newark history.

The Night was a lesbian bar and club in Newark New Jersey. Here, women could go dancing and meet up with other girls. It was a small, inconspicuous space, but was still a popular location for Newark's lesbian community. Although, no longer present, it was one of few lesbian businesses in Newark. 

First Choice/ the Night

The AAOGC “is a community based non-profit organization founded in 2001 by it’s founder and current Executive Director Gary Paul Wright, to ensure that men of color who were gay-identified, bi-sexual or men who had sex with other men (MSM) had a voice in the fight against HIV/AIDS…” (http://www.aaogc.org/about/) His goal was to educate men at risk for HIV/AIDS and provide a safe space for everyone who entered. Eyricka Morgan spoke in an interview about feeling uncomfortable in other organizations with similar goals but finding safety in the AAOGC. Project Wow felt more focused on gay men and Eyricka did not feel like that was the right space for her. Eyricka gravitated to AAOGC before they were even funded for transgender women and that generosity kept a special space in Eyricka’s heart.“his office was always open for us to talk or we know we need is come somewhere downtown anything. We know that we could come near we can say and we could talk. They like never ran us away. He never liked made me feel as though that it was wrong being a transgender or because they were then funded for transgender then that we weren’t allowed and things like that. So it was pretty cool.” (Eyricka Morgan 5) Time in Youtube Video 5:44- 6:04Significance: This goes to show how important it is to have a variety of safe spaces for the LGBTQ community. You can’t expect everyone to feel comfortable in the same environments. Eyricka is the perfect example of someone who tried different LGBTQ spaces and stuck to the ones that felt most comfortable to them.

The office was originally opened as a place where Black gay and bisexual men along with men who had sex with men (MSM) could join in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The space advocated for resources and support from the local government and provided a safe space for these men to congregate.

The African- American Office for Gay Concerns

“Really any art spaces to me are queer friendly. I mean not every art space. But for example, I just showed in Art Front Galleries on Broadway. They’re a wonderful, wonderful gallery” (Marina Carreria 14) Art Front Galleries is a non-profit corporation that promotes temporary art galleries that educate about urban environments. Art Front Galleries started in 2013 as a loose coalition of artists in Newark. In 2016, they became officially incorporated as a nonprofit corporation. On their website, they claim that their mission statement can be summarized in five words: begin, give, educate, provide, and demonstrate. They, as an organization, want to begin to revive blighted businesses, give underserved communities access to art, educate young adults about the business of art, provide new venues for art, and demonstrate a repeatable process. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Art Front Galleries is currently not holding in person exhibits. However, Art Front Galleries does have a number of virtual exhibits on their website. Those exhibits include: curiosity + optimism, Neutral Nation, the five elements, Folsom St.Parade, Heliotrope, Dream Reflections, Quarantine With Helicopters, Ansiedad Enmascarada, Dracula, O’Rourke/Dingman Collection. You can visit their exhibits at:On May 2nd, 2019, ArtFront Galleries held an LGBTQ art gallery called Out Loud from the hours of 6pm to 9pm. The main theme of the event was LGBTQ Identities in Urban America. According to Marina Carreria, the event attracted a very good turnout, particularly amongst young queer men of color.It was the first time for many of these men interacting with art in a formal art gallery setting. The positive buzz about Out Loud inspired its curator, Rafael Cuello, to make a series of shows over the course of 2019. Since Out Loud, many of ArtFront Galleries’ events have become safe havens for LGBTQ youth in Newark.We choose the Art Front Galleries to represent Newark’s rich history of queer art because of its monumental impact on the LGBTQ community. Art spaces are unique from all of the other places that we have included on this map because art is not exclusively a queer medium of expression. There certainly have been many artists throughout history that have had nothing to do with the LGBTQ community. For this reason, many members of the LGBTQ community do not realize that art galleries can potentially be queer friendly spaces. The Art Front Galleries are important because some of their shows helped introduce many members of the LGBTQ community to art. Shows such as Out Loud helped open up a whole new world of new queer friendly spaces to those who attended them.

Art Front Galleries is a non-profit organization that supports local artists and educates people on urban environments. While it is not a queer organization, the organization hosts work from many queer artists in Newark and has hosted LGBTQ galleries and exhibits. They actively promote under represented artists in the art world.

Art Front Galleries

“It’s not just oh, we really like to write poetry and want to share it. It’s really how we get the art that we’re producing, so that we’re opening up conversations in these communities that kind of need to be had. We try to approach that with poetry. I think we’re doing a lot of good work or at least we’re trying to do a lot of good work, but that’s them.” (Marina Carreria 23)Brick City Collective is a “multicultural multimedia group of Newark-native writers /artists working for social change through literature and art.” (instagram page) Founded by Marina Carreria in 2014, the organization strives to use their voices to make social change happen. Hosting monthly readings at the Newark Public Library as well as hosting events in smaller spaces all over Newark shows the connection this organization has with it’s community. In an interview with Queer Newark, Marina speaks about seeing a bright and fulfilling future for the organization.“Brick City Collective is still one of the things that keeps me grounded to Newark – is organizing readings in Newark for the queer community, the artistic community, the writer community, really for anybody. I want people to just come off the street and just kind of hear us read. One of the beautiful things is that, because all of us are really, I don’t want to say we’re socially conscious, but we all have our causes and the things we work towards. A lot of us do work that talks about LGBTQ activism, social change to help immigrants, to help residents.” (Maria Carreria 23) Significance: Marina Carreria on the artist she works with and why Newark: “They either work in Newark or they live in Newark or they’re from Newark in some capacity. That’s what I think sets Newark-ians apart from a lot of places. I see artists doing work in Jersey City, even in West Orange. I see local artists doing work in their communities and neighborhoods but there’s just something about Newark artists where I feel like everything we do is really intentional and for the city. Collectively, we give a shit about what this place is going to look like. I think the city has a good chance to remain Newark” (Marina Carreria 24).

 Brick City Collective is an artist collective that seeks to promote social change through their art. It was founded in 2014 by Marina Carrieria. It hosts events all over Newark, engaging in various forms of art, such as monthly readings at the Newark Public Library. It seeks to encourage change and uplift the voices in Newark.

Brick City Collective/ Brick City Speaks

“I’m so excited for them to have a home finally in the library but they’re a wonderful resource,” (Marina Carreria 14). The Newark LGBTQ Community center is a grassroots organization dedicated to providing a safe space and resources for the queer community in Newark and currently housed in the Newark Public Library. The organization was founded in 2013 as part of the Liberation in Truth Church before changing its name. Prior to its foundation it had struggled to to gain support and funding; and efforts to create the organization were a direct reaction to the murder of Sakia Gunn in 2003. In 2003, the murder of Sakia Gunn, a young, Black lesbian, shook Newark to its core. Even though the city had a thriving queer community, it was still dangerous to be openly queer in the city. As a response, community members began advocating for an organization dedicated to creating a safe space and advocating on behalf of the community. This struggle would go on for ten years before finally gaining support and funding. This was a tragic event that continues to shape LGBT activism in Newark.“We talked about that, Patreese and I, and yeah she was happy to hear that I was at the second anniversary party for the LGBTQ community center just the other week and they actually got a bunch of young people out,” (Blair Dorosh Walther). The community center has become an integral part of the Newark LGBT community center. They help all people in the community, reacting to what the community needs during any specific moment. The center has partners all around the city to build a safe and connected space for the local LGBTQ community.

The Newark LGBTQ Community center is a grassroots organization dedicating to serving the local queer community. The organization was founded in 2013 as a response to the murder of Sakia Gunn in Newark. Although finding a physical home has been a challenge, it currently resides inside the Newark Public Library.

Newark LGBTQ Community Center

“What I had to do, because I was coming out of the church scene at that time, I had to feel safe. I had to get on the PATH train. I remember being terrified as it was going to Christopher Street because I knew anyone who gets off at 17 Christopher Street is gay. I knew once I got off of that train—that was my perception at the time. Once I got off of that train, I'm like, oh, my God. Everybody's gonna know I'm gay. Everybody's gonna know that I'm coming out here to look at boys and all of that,” is how Joseph Canarelli remembers the PATH train.For the queer community, the PATH train goes beyond a train that takes them from New Jersey to New York, and back, it was a place that connected them to a broader queer community. In 2012 PATH celebrated its 50th year of operation. The PATH train was not meant to have queer associations, yet the community has made space for themselves here. Not all queer locations are inherently queer and this is an example of the community finding community where they could.The PATH train continues to connect communities from New York and Newark and be used by the queer communities.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey established the Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation (PATH) in 1962. The rails operate 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, connecting Manhattan with neighboring New Jersey communities. While this is not an explicitly queer location, riding this train connected the Newark and New York queer communities. 

PATH Train

The New Jersey Community Research Initiative is a nonprofit charity organization that provides numerous health services and opportunities for peer-to-peer interaction for LGBTQ community.The organization initially started over 30 years ago when the Center for Disease Control gave the organization’s founders a demonstration grant to teach Newark’s Youth about HIV prevention. During the organization's early days, most people heard about the organization through word of mouth, because they were very hesitant to give out their address or phone number. Since then, the organization has become one of the most prominent charities in Newark, collaborating with organizations such as Rutgers, Newark Pride, and the LGBT Commission. The NJCRI organization has grown over time in expanding more services to the people of Newark. They serve over 20,000 citizens on average.Some of the specific services that NJCRI conducts include are: COVID-19 vaccinations, boosters/testing, Monkey Pox vaccinations, by appointment and scheduled clinics. Medical services making an appointment for specific things, Prep support services or for testing/counseling. HIV/AIDS testing services. Community Outreach such as crossroads Drop-in Center provides food, laundry and other support services for the homeless and underserved community members. Counseling and Behavorial Health Services like Substance abuse, mental health and wellness, psychiatric support services available. Transgender medical and support services specialized support services, hormone therapy, testing, counseling and outreach.The purpose of having this organization is for everyone to live a better healthy life. It helps people go to a place that provides services that can help them from any trouble they are having throughout their daily lives. The NJCRI has the ability/ power to save people lives in its community suffering from certain illnesses. The New Jersey community research initiative has an impact on the community due to its advantages and the opportunity it provides for those within that community and should be gaining more attention because people may be needing help and not know help is right near them for free.

The New Jersey Community Research Initiative is a charity organization that offers a variety of different health related services to the people of Newark. In 1988, the focus was to provide treatment for those infected with HIV virus and they mentioned that they recently celebrated their 20th anniversary. Over the course of those 20 years, The NJCRI has changed as an organization from focusing solely on all aspects of maintaining a healthier life. Today, the organization is renowned throughout Newark as one of the primary organizations working to improve the lives of people.

New Jersey Community Research Initative

“Well I would say it (the environment for gay students at Rutgers in 1989) was capricious. There were just pockets of great support but it was like a minefield trying to find them.” (Louie Crew Clay 3) Rutgers Newark is one of the three major campuses for New Jersey’s State University, Rutgers University. Unlike many of the other locations that you will find on this map, Rutgers Newark has a somewhat complicated history with the LGBTQ community. In the past, Rutgers was progressive in some ways, being one of the first universities in the United States to post an anti-harassment statement about gay and lesbian people. Rutgers also hired James Credle, a gay man, to be one of their deans. However, there were numerous instances throughout Rutgers’ history of its student body discriminating against LGBTQ students and faculty. When Louie Crew Clay, a gay man who was a Rutgers professor, accidentally outed himself, he was accosted by a student. A Rutgers dean offered to have the student suspended or expelled. Clay, however, choose to educate the young man about the LGBTQ community.Today, Rutgers Newark has numerous resources available for its LGBTQ students to feel comfortable and included at the university. The Queer Newark Oral History Project, the resource that this project is based on, is housed at the Department of History at Rutgers Newark. All three of the people who have contributed to this project are currently students at the university. According to Marina Carreira, Rutgers Newark is one of the largest LGBTQ spaces in the city. However, Aaron Frazier blames the university for bringing an increased police presence and gentrifying certain parts of the city. Rutgers Newark remains a controversial LGBTQ space in Newark.Some of the LGBTQ related services that Rutgers Newark offers to its students include: a counseling center, information about how to change your name RU Pride, student health services, Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance, LGBTQ+ Raiders: Peer to Peer Support Program, and a webpage on MyRun. Rutgers Newark is the largest university in the city of Newark. College towns have, traditionally, been areas that are more socially progressive than the rest of society. Rutgers Newark, as New Jersey’s State University, is no different. Today, Rutgers has an extremely welcoming environment for its LGBTQ students. Besides all of the services mentioned in the previous paragraph, Rutgers Newark also offers a number of classes related to LGBTQ issues. These classes help educate students who, coming out of traditional school systems, are probably not that familiar with queer related issues. This, combined with all of the resources that Rutgers offers, has made the Rutgers LGBTQ community feel supported and educated about themselves.

Rutgers Newark is the Newark branch of Rutgers University. The university has a long history with the LGBTQ community, both good and bad. For example, Rutgers University was one of the first universities in America to post an anti-harassment statement about gay and lesbian people. Today, Rutgers has numerous classes and resources available to make sure that its LGBTQ students feel welcomed and supported.

Rutgers University - Newark 

“Opened by Bobby White, "one of the top female impersonators" in Newark area. He's deceased. Ace Mungin (b. 1956) starts working for White as a DJ. White's partner was Dorian Paris. White and Paris would "rent out a big hall and have these big outlandish balls. They'd rent out the Mason's Hall on Bergen Street or Tyrees (the Irvington Manor), or the Coronet, and they would pack 'em in." White wore amazing costumes – "like a star has just walked through the room. Lavish gowns with sequins." *Queer Newark Website)Ace Mungin worked under Bobby White, remembering how packed the club would be. Aaron Frazier on the otherhand, attended as a guest and talked about what the club looked like on the inside.“It's very, very underground. But you went up the stairs. You paid your little $5.00. You go in. They gave you a ticket or whatever, and then you went through what looked like, say, almost like a place where they could do performance. Then, they had another space where it's just like a lounge area. You could sit there. You could conversate with whomever. Then, you had the dance floor, which was really nice.” (Aaron Frazier 11-12).Significance: Alike Halsey Street, this location did not have a lot of information about it online. Many gay clubs find themsleves opening, closing and re-opening in the same area, generally due to keep it’s elusive appearance as well as ensuring the safety of their guests. Aaron Frazier talks about the changing of locations. “Because the Doll House moved I want to say three times because it was there for a moment, but then, I think the city really didn't want to see us carrying on on William Street and that close to City Hall. Then, all of a sudden, moved from William Street to Elizabeth Avenue over top of the Holme’s Liquor. It was over top of there on Elizabeth Avenue.” (Aaron Frazier 1)

The Doll House was a very underground gay club. “I would say it was exclusively gay, but if you brought somebody straight, long as they knew to respect everybody in there, there was no problem.” (Aaron Frazier 17 Interview 2) It has a sparkling reputation as the owners were loved. While in business, the club changed locations at least three times.

Doll House

“The stroll. The stroll for the MSM’s, for the men who have sex with men, was Halsey Street. From, you can actually say, Washington Park perimeter, 500 Broad Street all around, and I’m talkin’ about McCarter Highway, all the way, as an ex-stroll person. Bernie and them was teasin’ me about this a couple of weeks ago—“Bitch, we will see you anywhere,” because if it was a spot that I thought that was conducive to contouring a date, yes, I was there.” (Aaron Frazier 20)(third interview (0:50:14-0:50:55 third transcript)To be honest there is little to know documentation of Halsey’s affiliation with the LGBTQ community. Everything you need to know is passed through work of mouth. Aaron Fazier mentioned in his interview that people just knew where the hotspots were. Once many queer spaces like Le Joc, Doll House and S.R.O found a home on Halsey street but something has changed. This street is still popular with creative shops and beautiful apartment buildings but it is not the LGBTQ space it used to be. Aaron mentioned in this interview that he felt like gentrification is the culprit. He pointed out the moment he felt like things started to change in his interview. “The other incident would’ve been when Dana Rone, who was an out lesbian council woman, nephew got pulled over on the stroll, and she came, and from that point, that’s when it changed, because Rutgers Police were very nasty to people on the stroll.” (Aaron Frazier 21)Significance: Popular strolling area. “This is cruisin’. The stroll was all about crusin’. Nine times out of ten you could pick up a date, and it wasn’t always a pay date. Those who was out there paying, you knew who they were.” (Aaron Fraizer 21) Strolling was a way for gay men outed and closeted to search for other gay men under the radar. Their would be areas in towns or even in parks that were known for being a place gay men could find a new sexual partner or new friend. Here in Newark, the area Aaron Fraizer describes was a route he used to take when he was on the stroll. His friends even joke with him about how he was always outside on the stroll.

One thing you’ve probably noticed is that a lot of the locations mentioned in this project are near or on Halsey Street like the Newark LGBTQ Center. Halsey Street passes through the city's four historic districts: James Street Commons-Washington Park at the north, the abutting Military Park and Four Corners and, after a two block break, Lincoln Park at the south.

Rainbow City: Mapping Queer Newark

Shani Baraka Women’s Resource Center

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information