The following is a message from the Honorable Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka:
“Congratulations to President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris and thank you to every Newarker who voted in this historic election.
The past four years have ripped the bandage off the wound of inequality in American democracy that has festered for generations. Narrowing the extreme disparities in wealth and income, health care, education, housing, etc., needs to be a central priority of our nation.
As Newarkers, we have faith that a Biden-Harris administration will set our nation on a new path of equity, collaboration, empowerment, education and safety. COVID-19 has taught us that the new normal will be very different from the normal to which we have become accustomed.
Creating a new normal grounded in social, racial and economic justice is arguably the greatest challenge we face. The new president and vice president we have elected are leaders who can meet that challenge.
For the past four years, while our government in Washington has promoted the rhetoric of hate and white supremacy while serving only those of extreme wealth, many of our cities have been a laboratory in innovation and democracy with police reforms, equitable development, environmental justice and much more.
We are proof that change starts at the local level in our neighborhoods, community organizations, religious institutions and small businesses.
We will now have a president and vice president with the wisdom and will to further implement what we have shown to be possible with Newark strong and leading.”