Newark, New Jersey

Every city has a past. Some cities have a past that's easy to reflect upon, while others seem to bring back haunting memories of it's past. Newark, falls in between. Summer months bring about the fresh breeze of children's laughter. The mosquito's dance around the little children with sweet ice stained on their shirts as they play hide-and-go seek 'til the sun sets. Autumn produces a new beginning as the old layers of last year shed early with the leaves. Leaves dance playfully on the ground, as grandfathers rake piles of leaves for their grandchildren to jump into. Winter, births an abundance of snow, and the usual trends of snowball fights after middle-school. Ramen Noodles soup defrosted parts of my body when I'd arrive home from the usual girl verses the boys snowball fights. Spring, always seemed to produce a brown glow all the citizens of this city. The little bit of sun that kissed our skin erase the shadows of winter.

I never understood and knew what I had until I traveled to other cities. I've been to New Orleans, a melting pot of Jazz music and creole entree's. I have even been as far as Miami, to experience a variety of ethnic groups such as, Puerto Rican and Haitian. The words slipped off their tongues like sunlight off the skin of a rich colored Sudanian. But nothing filled me with a sense of joy that Newark fed me. I missed the portions of the city divided by culture. It's almost like entering Iron-Bound, Newark made me feel as though I was entering Portugal. I remember going in and ordering golden/brown rice with seafood, and the waiter came back with an old yet medium sized, silver pot filled with rice, shrimp, oysters, claims, stuffing, and underneath it all a perfectly steamed lobster. If I had known how to speak or read Portuguese I would have interpreted the presentation of the food without as much excitement as I did when I received it.

Newark, has an inner beauty, most factories are closed, but remain because it's a reminder of the role we played in the industrial boom, and why blacks from the south migrated up here. There's even a factory around the corner from my house that has been named a historical site because it once housed slaves transported into the U.S. In Newark we mourn together, when someone's life is lost to violence, as a collective group, as a family, we comfort each other, we cry, and we try desperately to fix what could have been prevented. Tragedies are not allowed to haunt us but to strengthen us. And like all cities the good and bad memories are to our benefit.

As a place of diversity we celebrate Hispanic holiday's with carnivals in the public parks. During West Indian holidays we have huge block parties and food that provides the most relaxing sleep following. During black outs, local kids gather to tell stories on the porches under a barely functioning flash light. While the parents sit on the porches bragging on how fast or how smart their children are. The benefit of being from Newark is that you grow up humble. Knowing how to treat your elders, how to love, and prosper in what ever it is you choose to do.

There was a time I was ashamed to be from Newark because I thought our citizens were misplaced in projects, thinking that people left their goals in the past, I thought we don't have as much grass as Florida, or we don't receive as much sun light as Southern California. But then I realized that spirits of our past walk and play along with us on the streets, at barbeques, and the parks. I knew that if I left Newark, I would be neglecting who I am, and who I'm proud to be. We are rich in poor, but functioning. We are alike, but also individuals. We have our problems, but as a community we search to fix them. Newark, better known as brick city, is a place for personal growth and continuous achievement. The ice cream man Mr. Softy afforded to give us free ice cream on hot days, the corner store never seemed to run out of penny-candy, Nu-nu always had her stereo on the porch for us to dance to, Radio Raheem always came around with big-nickels to pass out to the younger kids, and Reverend Thomas Redick summer program always provided free sandwiches and that one of a kind pineapple juice. Newark attempts to improve a person and that's why I love my city.

Kiera U

Submitted: Tuesday 13th April 2004, 1:58 PM

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