When LaMonica McIver was elected to the Newark City Council in 2018, becoming the youngest woman in Newark to do so. McIver has been City Council President for more than a year.
On the next edition of the WBGO Journal, Lamonica McIver begins a monthly segment "Inside Newark" to give residents and others and deeper dive into issues and projects in the city that might not get the attention elsewhere.
She'll join host Doug Doyle for a candid chat about various topics. (Episode one of "Inside Newark" is at the top of this page.)
McIver admits her school days weren't perfect but when she had then-teacher and now-current Mayor Ras Baraka, she started to think about civic engagement.
"Definitely all the credit goes to our great Mayor Ras J. Baraka who was a young 20-something year old teacher who taught us English Literature. He was our Arts-Literature teacher and at time he was running for Council Member At-Large. Many of us were like what's that? What does that even mean? We really had no idea what that meant until he explained to us the process. At the time, I was a very disruptive kid but I told him I'd like to know more about working on the campaign, passing out flyers and helping with voter registration. All those things were very interesting to me. So I went to the campaign office and starting talking with adults in our community about voter registration, and even encouraging them to get out to vote. That really changed the scope of my civic engagement."
Council President McIver's foray into politics began precociously at just 13, mobilizing youth and underscoring the power of civic participation. This early immersion, combined with her academic achievements – an English Literature degree from Bloomfield College and a master's in Educational Leadership and Policy from Seton Hall University – set her on a path that seamlessly blended education and governance.
Her distinguished tenure in the educational sector, notably as Personnel Director for Montclair Public Schools, is a testament to her leadership. LaMonica’s rise from a Future Business Leader to pivotal HR roles across various public school districts showcases her adaptability, vision, and commitment to institutional growth.
In this opening segment of "Inside Newark," McIver talked about the street-naming dedication in late October for Sakia Gunn, the 15-year old who was murdered in at the intersection of Broad and Market in Newark 20 years ago. While waiting for a bus, Gunn and her friends rebuffed advances from a man. Sakia stepped in asserting,“We’re not interested, we’re lesbians.” A scuffle broke out and Sakia was stabbed in the heart and bled to death in the arms of her best friend Valencia Bailey. Bailey attended the street naming ceremony and told the crowd that her best friend, a victim of a hate crime, will never be forgotten.
A portion of Halsey Street that intersects with Academy is now Sakia Gunn Way. Council President McIver was also on hand for the street-naming ceremony near the City's Pride Center. The Council President says the ceremony was extremely important to her.
"I remember being a young person here in the City and attending Central High School at the time. Sakia was going to school at West Side. I remember the incident happening and how it really sparked a transformation for us here in the City of Newark. Those who have been advocating and working with the community around the different issues with that population had really been working hard. But at that time, it really sparked something. People started to come out. Folks were marching in the street and in front of City Hall. It was a whole movement. I think her life needed to be remembered for that. Giving her this street dedication and honoring her this way 20 years later was way overdue. She sparked a pivoted time that got the LGBTQ community moving in the City. A lot of different procedures an processes were put in place because of her death. I just people to know that she meant something. That's why the collaboration with the City, Essex County and LGBTQ office worked together to get this done. I'm proud of this."
A new episode of "Inside Newark with Council President LaMonica McIver" will air once a month on the WBGO Journal.
You can SEE episode one here.
