On this episode of The Art of the Story, WBGO's Doug Doyle remembers former Newark Mayor and State Senator Sharpe James. James died on Monday, May 12 at the age of 89.
Sharpe James was considered Newark’s biggest cheerleader through the decades. He died this morning after a series of illnesses.
Sharpe James enjoyed a political career that last nearly 40 years. In a 2017 edition of Newark Today that featured all of Newark's living mayors at the time, James gave much of the credit of his success to his predecessor, Ken Gibson.
"I had a hard task. You can't follow a hero. He gave me the do's and don'ts of what to do and so I had to hit the ground running because it was not a novelty being the second African American mayor. People wanted to know where is the housing, where are the jobs? Fortunately, with the guidance of Mayor Gibson, we were able to create a renaissance. Projects he started, I was able to complete."
James served as mayor of Newark for 20 year. On the same WBGO program, New Jersey U.S. Senator and former Mayor Cory Booker praised the efforts of Sharpe James.
"We stand on the shoulders of a Sharpe James and of a Ken Gibson. They had to fight battles that we benefit from. The two of them came on the scene and faced incredible hostility and challenges, just to be able to get their foot in the door to begin to fight."
Former Republican New Jersey Governor Tom Kean also praised Sharpe James for helping NJPAC become a reality.
"There were a number of people who questioned the arts center coming to Newark. They thought it was something for the white community to do and then leaving at night which they had seen a lot in Newark at that point. And Sharpe James said no this is something for Newark's future. He came in behind it with both barrels and Sharpe was forceful advocate."
This past week, James was just inducted as part of the inaugural class of the Essex County College’s Wolverines Athletics Hall of Fame. Dean of Students and Hall of Fame committee chair Dr. Keith Kirkland says Sharpe was instrumental in the college’s athletic prowess in its early days.
"We called him the father of our athletic program because he set the foundation. He brought in the coaches like Marshall Brown, Cleo Hill, Sr. and Russ Rogers. They helped us get the good solid foundation in track, basketball and other sports.
Sharpe James also had a controversial tenure in Newark. A 33-count federal corruption indictment led to a conviction and a 27-month prison sentence. The former mayor always claimed he was innocent.
"There is a misconception that if you're really successful for a long time you had to do something wrong."
Current Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, U.S. Senator Corey Booker, State Senator Teresa Ruiz and many others issued statements today following the mayor's passing. Mayor Baraka said in his statement:
“In his 20 years in office as Mayor, Sharpe James was many things: a warrior for our city, a unifier for its people, a powerful force to launch development like New Jersey Performing Arts Center and the Prudential Center, and a strong advocate for Newark and its people. He was also an outstanding educator and an inspiration to generations of Newark residents."
Over the years, Sharpe James and I would speak many times about sports, his days as an athlete and the current local team. He always made news conferences interesting.
