CHICAGO-Once one of America's most poverty and crime-ridden cities and the subject of late-night comedian's jokes, Newark, N.J., has become an American turnaround story. How? Its current mayor began by just doing "something."
Cory Booker has risen to national prominence as mayor of Newark, where crime has been reduced and a population outflow has been reversed. Although big challenges remain, Booker shared an inspiring vision, philosophy and thoughts on what can lie ahead with CO-OP's THINK Conference. It's a story that begins in a tent.
Booker had been elected a city councilman in Newark and had grown frustrated with the inability to get much done and the opposition he was facing. The mayor ordered his car be frequently ticketed. His phone was tapped by police. And when a woman in a housing project called him to ask for help with problems, an exasperated Booker ended up arguing with her and walking home in disgust.
But with the council of someone who urged him to do "something," he ended up heading to the troubled housing project and saying he would live in a tent and go on a hunger strike in an attempt to drive change.
"I called a press conference. And I said 'This is the United States of America; how can we have a place where people live in such fear?' And prison security guards came and said we're not going to let you be here alone. Eventually hundreds of people came."
Booker, who said he worked to start a credit union while at Yale and learned how a "credit union can empower a community," spent much of his remarks stressing how the model manifested by credit unions can do great things.
"If you have compelling values, stubbornness, resiliency, determination, you can change things, and that's how my brother and I grew up in the world," said Booker. "My parents wanted us to be fearless in pursuit over our ideals and common aspirations. I think your theme (of disrupton) is so, so important. My parents would tell me every day how I am where I am because of the disruptive power of love. My parents called it a conspiracy of love."
An American 'Prophet'
Booker said he was inspired by the "great American prophet, Chris Rock," who observed that the most violent street in every city is named after a man who preached nonviolence, Martin Luther King. He said he has worked to make that street-and all others-safer in Newark.
"There is an old saying that when you are jumping into the darkness you will either find new ground beneath you or the universe will send you new people to teach you to fly," said Booker, sharing the story of how one woman walked him to the center of MLK Blvd. and asked him what he saw. After he pointed to abandoned buildings and despair, she began walking away. "She said, 'You need to understand that the world you see outside of you is the world you have inside of you. If you only see potholes and despair that's all you will ever see. But if you are one of those stubborn people who sees hope and the face of God, you can help me.'"
Booker praised people who refuse to surrender to cynicism and are became change agents. "When I got off my high horse I was in awe of what I witnessed," said Booker. "My vision has been inspired by people whose own visions were so intoxicating to me that it inspired me to act."
When Booker was elected mayor of troubled Newark, which was facing a budget deficit of more than $100 million at the time in addition to other problems, he created a lot of head-shaking by saying his city was "the greatest city in America."
Getting Results
"We need to do the things other people don't do so we can get the results other people don't get," said Booker. "We brought people together from all sectors to get everyone excited about a great mission. We challenged them to use a God-given talent of creativity. We need to think our way out of the problems. We were in a state of sedentary agitation, when you are so upset about the world but you're not getting up to do anything about it. People forget how powerful they are."
The ways in which Newark has worked to think its way out of problems include: recognition that by the time police are involved it's too late, as "you can't arrest your way out of a problem"; creation of reentry programs for people leaving jails (reducing the recidivism rate from 62% to 7%); programs to teach men who've never had a father how to be fathers; programs to attract economic development in commercial and multi-family housing in Newark.
Booker, an active user of social media (citizens send him pictures of potholes, vacant homes and other issues) to "speed up government," said it remains critical that "we continue the course our nation has begun, innovating and creating and seeing things that aren't there and transforming reality.
"That's the story of our nation," continued Booker. "Our country is screaming testimony to be disruptors. It's not easy. Life can be a grind. But I have changed my metaphor. I no longer tell people I am a prisoner of hope, I am hope unhinged."
Booker desribed credit unions as the "ideal. You are the genius of our collective strength. We can bring together the collective aspirations to do things other people say is impossible. I don't think this is just something that is possible; I believe it is and must be our destiny. You today encourage me in my beliefs."
