SPARK: Lusophone residents and the Fight to save Riverbank Park-1996-1999
by Ethan Jardim
Site Description:
In 1995, the Newark city government proposed a plan to construct a baseball stadium on Riverbank Park, located on Market and Van Buren Streets. The ballpark was intended to be for a minor league team managed by former Yankees player Rick Cerone. The majority of Ironbound’s residents, among them leaders of the Ironbound Community Corporation protested the construction of the stadium out of concerns of leading to issues of parking and traffic, as well as the lack of green and recreational space. The park was also closed during this time due to the soil being polluted from the nearby incinerator and sludge spill incidents. The ICC and other community groups in the Ironbound organized to fight the construction by establishing the Save Riverbank Park Coalition (SPARK). As the majority population of the Ironbound neighborhood, Portuguese American residents, among them organizers Irene DeOliveira, Anna De Costa, and former Newark city councilman Augusto Amador were essential actors in SPARK, the ICC, and the Ironbound Committee Against Toxic Waste. They helped spread awareness of the construction’s issues to the public through the trilingual(written in English, Spanish, and Portuguese) Ironbound Voices and the Portuguese-language Luso Americano newspapers. They also collaborated with ICC and SPARK leaders by holding referendums and petitions at Portuguese-run institutions such as the Portuguese Sports Club, Club Azores, and the former Iberia Restaurant, and Our Lady of Fatima on Ferry and Wilson Streets. The annual Portugal Day parade that is held on Ferry Street saw protests by SPARK through signs written in English and Portuguese. I believe that the fight to save Riverbank Park is important for my research and advancing scholarship on Environmental Justice, as it touches on urban development issues. Riverbank Park is considered an important recreational space for the Ironbound community. During the controversy over the ballpark’s construction, the park was officialized as a historic site by the Newark Landmarks and Historic Preservation Committee. Today, SPARK still manages recreational programs in Riverbank Park, strengthening the community. Riverbank Park is part of the Ironbound’s identity, and their success in saving it from demolition proves it. In discussing Environmental Justice history in the Ironbound, past scholars such as Matthew Immergut and Laurel Kearns wrote about how former immigrants who lived in Ironbound before the 1960s were more attentive of these issues than the Portuguese and Brazilians who replaced them. However, based on what I have learned through analyzing Ironbound Voices, Lusophone residents were very outspoken about Environmental issues. At what point did that change? Did most of the Portuguese community support Environmental movements?
In 1995, the Newark city government proposed a plan to construct a baseball stadium on Riverbank Park, located on Market and Van Buren Streets. The ballpark was intended to be for a minor league team managed by former Yankees player Rick Cerone. The majority of Ironbound’s residents, among them leaders of the Ironbound Community Corporation protested the construction of the stadium out of concerns of leading to issues of parking and traffic, as well as the lack of green and recreational space. The park was also closed during this time due to the soil being polluted from the nearby incinerator and sludge spill incidents. The ICC and other community groups in the Ironbound organized to fight the construction by establishing the Save Riverbank Park Coalition (SPARK). As the majority population of the Ironbound neighborhood, Portuguese American residents, among them organizers Irene DeOliveira, Anna De Costa, and former Newark city councilman Augusto Amador were essential actors in SPARK, the ICC, and the Ironbound Committee Against Toxic Waste. They helped spread awareness of the construction’s issues to the public through the trilingual(written in English, Spanish, and Portuguese) Ironbound Voices and the Portuguese-language Luso Americano newspapers. They also collaborated with ICC and SPARK leaders by holding referendums and petitions at Portuguese-run institutions such as the Portuguese Sports Club, Club Azores, and the former Iberia Restaurant, and Our Lady of Fatima on Ferry and Wilson Streets. The annual Portugal Day parade that is held on Ferry Street saw protests by SPARK through signs written in English and Portuguese. I believe that the fight to save Riverbank Park is important for my research and advancing scholarship on Environmental Justice, as it touches on urban development issues. Riverbank Park is considered an important recreational space for the Ironbound community. During the controversy over the ballpark’s construction, the park was officialized as a historic site by the Newark Landmarks and Historic Preservation Committee. Today, SPARK still manages recreational programs in Riverbank Park, strengthening the community. Riverbank Park is part of the Ironbound’s identity, and their success in saving it from demolition proves it. In discussing Environmental Justice history in the Ironbound, past scholars such as Matthew Immergut and Laurel Kearns wrote about how former immigrants who lived in Ironbound before the 1960s were more attentive of these issues than the Portuguese and Brazilians who replaced them. However, based on what I have learned through analyzing Ironbound Voices, Lusophone residents were very outspoken about Environmental issues. At what point did that change? Did most of the Portuguese community support Environmental movements?
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Primary Sources:
Haulsley, Kuwana. “Architecture Work Lets Students Build Ironbound Dreams.” The Star Ledger, April 23, 1998. Newark Parks- Essex Co. Parks. Newark Public Library. https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=EANX-NB&t=&sort=YMD_date%3AD&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=architecture%20work%20lets%20students%20build%20ironbound%20dreams&fld-nav-0=YMD_date&val-nav-0=1998&docref=image/v2%3A14245EE216D1AED8%40EANX-NB-1710ECBBE474B1B7%402450927-1710E6901BA7B36E%40114-1710E6901BA7B36E%40
In 1998, there was a study done by Architecture students from NJIT to propose new designs for recreational spaces. Those designs were submitted to a committee made up of members from the ICC, the Portuguese American Congress, and residents. Students did research on spaces that needed recreation or improvement in it and then presented their projects to the ICC. The fact that the Portuguese Congress was one of the recipients of these projects highlights that they were very much involved in community decision making in the Ironbound, especially when it came to recreation.
Ironbound Voices. “A Foul or Homer: A Baseball Stadium in Ironbound.” 1995. Newark Public Library. https://archive.org/details/IronboundVoices1995Falla/page/4/mode/2up
This news article by the Ironbound Voices catalogue discusses the construction of a new baseball stadium in Riverbank Park. Between the 1980s-1990s, the Newark city government oversaw projects in the Passaic River area to attract revitalize the city’s economy and bring consumers back. Most Ironbound residents opposed this new project, due to concerns about parking, traffic, and reduction in recreational space. Meetings to discuss the construction of the new ballpark were held in Club Azores and the Iberia restaurant, which were Portuguese-owned businesses. These two institutions were popular venues, but in this case they also served as meeting grounds for the Ironbound community. I argue that since meetings were held in these spaces, Portuguese Americans in the Ironbound were active in the issues that affected their neighborhood.
Ironbound Voices. “People Making History: Our Neighborhood and Our Tax Money- A Chance to Vote March 11 about the Future of Riverbank Park.” 1997. Newark Public Libary. https://archive.org/details/IronboundVoices1997Wintera/page/2/mode/2up.
Portuguese Club holds meeting by Essex County Freeholders on December 10 as well as the referendum on the construction that would take place in March the following year. The fact that the Portuguese Sports Club was a venue for the community to discuss the issue of Riverbank Park proves that the Portuguese were actively involved.
Ironbound Voices. “Riverbank Park Fight Gains Steam.” 1996. Newark Public Library. https://archive.org/details/IronboundVoices1996Summera/page/6/mode/2up
The summer newsletter of 1996 discusses the intensity of the Ironbound’s opposition to stadium development in Riverbank Park. Members of various community organizations, including the ICC, Ironbound Boys and Girl Clubs, and Portuguese Clubs and Organizations form the Save Riverbank Park Coalition (SPARK). Meetings were then held in the Wolff Memorial Church. Actions SPARK takes to fight the construction included rallies by English, Spanish, and Portuguese-speaking residents of the Ironbound. Portuguese-speaking residents were actively involved in the fight to save Riverbank. The newsletter also includes commentary by various residents and activists of what they think of the issues. These include ICC leader Nancy Zak and East Ward Councilman and Portuguese American Augusto Amador, the latter of whom stated that “some people are taking advantage of the community. This league is in formation. What happens when the team folds, and we are left with 2 stadiums, but no park?”. This quote demonstrates that Lusophone residents like Amador were outspoken about the issue of stadium construction.
Ironbound Voices. “Riverbank Park: A New Beginning.” 1998. Newark Public Library. https://archive.org/details/IronboundVoices1998Wintera/page/8/mode/2up?view=theater
After the demolition of Riverbank Park was stopped, SPARK became focused on reopening park after it was closed due to soil contamination from nearby pollutants. SPARK and the ICC held several meetings for a proposal that was first made in the previous year 1997 called the Special Improvement District(SID). This was first held in a community meeting in Wolff Memorial Church, and was sponsored by Portuguese individuals and organizations, including the Portuguese American Congress, and the Portuguese American Political Party. The newsletter includes commentary by PAC and PAPP members Art Rosa and Dina Matos, the wife of future NJ governor Jim McGreevey, basically stating that the community of the Ironbound must and should have more decision-making in their own neighborhood rather than outsiders. By highlighting the involvement and perspectives of notable Luso Americans, this article demonstrates that Luso Americans were concerned and proactive with issues that affected the Ironbound, and that they as members of the neighborhood contributed to the fight against outsider-led redevelopment.
“Melhor, e Neo Destruir o Nosso Parque,” n.d.Newark Public Library https://archive.org/details/Ironbound0224.
This sign, translated to “Fix, don’t destroy our park”, was most likely made to address Portuguese or Brazilian residents when the plans for construction in Riverbank Park began in 1996. It may have also been written by a Portuguese-speaking resident as a call to action to other members of the community.
“Riverbank Park Protests,” Newark Public Library, https://archive.org/details/Ironbound0220.
This photo was taken during the annual Portugal Day parade in Newark in 1998. Here SPARK organized a protest during the parade in reaction to the closing of Riverbank Park due to contamination. Portugal Day is a popular festival in Newark that honors Portuguese heritage and culture. It has also been a space for community organizing against environmental issues, including the fight against the garbage incinerator in the 1980s. Because the parade is organized by Portuguese figures and institutions, having protests during this time demonstrates that Portuguese Americans were supported activism in the Ironbound.
Stewart, Nikita. “Reopening of Newark Park Ends Long Fight.” The Star Ledger, November 6, 2003. Newark Parks- Essex Co. Parks. Newark Public Library. https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=EANX-NB&t=&sort=YMD_date%3AD&maxresults=20&f=advanced&val-base-0=riverbank%20park&fld-base-0=alltext&bln-base-1=and&val-base-1=2003&fld-base-1=YMD_date&docref=image%2Fv2%3A14245EE216D1AED8%40EANX-NB-1720C37FB80D18A2%402452950-171E5C86623008D4%4031&origin=image%2Fv2%3A14245EE216D1AED8%40EANX-NB-1720C37FB80D18A2%402452950-1720B51307A53FF5%4030-1720B51307A53FF5%40.
This Star Ledger discusses the reopening of Riverbank Park after soil contamination. Most of the focus was on SPARK leader Nancy Zak, who after the reopening continued to champion for more recreational space in the Ironbound’s parks. When reflecting on the fight to save Riverbank Park, East Ward Councilman Augusto Amador said the event was an “exercise in democracy”. This shows highlights the role that while not always the leading figures in Riverbank Park’s preservation, Portuguese Americans were still actively involved in it.
Walsh, Diane C. “Riverfront Plan Unveiled.” The Star Ledger, April 16, 1998. Newark Parks- Essex Co. Parks. Newark Public Library. https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=EANX-NB&t=&sort=YMD_date%3AD&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=riverfront%20plan%20unveiled&fld-nav-0=YMD_date&val-nav-0=1998&docref=image/v2%3A14245EE216D1AED8%40EANX-NB-1710E9ECE68D2727%402450920-1710E62651C3FB09%4050-1710E62651C3FB09%40
This article discusses the construction of a new park near Riverbank Park called Riverfront Park, which was designed to expand recreational space in the neighborhood. While initially meant as the replacement park for Riverbank, the plans for Riverfront Park were repurposed as an additional recreation space for the Ironbound neighborhood. Unlike the earlier development of Riverbank Park, residents including the Ironbound Strikers Soccer Club President Albert Countinho were excited by the prospects of Riverfront Park. The new park was expected to have a new soccer field, which pleased many Portuguese immigrants, as well as Coutinho, who needed more space for the youth teams he coached. Councilman Amador previously chaired meetings to discuss the new recreation site, saying “There is a tremendous appetite for soccer, baseball, and football in the Ironbound. But unfortunately, recreation sites have been basically nonexistent”. This demonstrates how the Portuguese community had a strong impact on recreation in their own neighborhood.
Walsh C. Diane “Ironbound Gets a Place to Play Ball.” Star Ledger, 1998. Newark Parks- Essex Co. Parks. Newark Public Library.
This article announces plans to build Riverfront Park, to increase recreational space for the Ironbound. This was during the same time the NJPAC was established. Article has positive commentary from a resident named Albert Coutinho an assemblyman from the Ironbound who also the coached youth soccer club called Ironbound Strikers. The article mentions that because this is an expansion for a soccer stadium, Portuguese American residents would excited by the prospect. Coutinho, who is Portuguese American, demonstrates how the project unlike the demolition of Riverbank Park received support from the Luso community.
Primary Source Analysis:
An article of the Ironbound Voices of the Winter 1998 newsletter, “SID Proposal Opposed” discusses a proposal that was made by the Ironbound community after Riverbank Park was saved from demolition. This measure issued a Special Improvement District (SID) that was intended to generate $1.5 million a year to help clean Riverbank Park after it’s soil became contaminated through a surcharge on all Ironbound businesses. The money would also be used for beautification projects, street clean ups, extra security, etc.
The community debated on the SID in an earlier meeting from November 19, 1997 in the Wolff Memorial Church, which was sponsored by members of the Ironbound Community Corporation(ICC), as well as from Portuguese American institutions such as the Portuguese American Congress(PAC), and the Portuguese American Political Party(PAPP). Among the members of those organizations that were present during the meeting were Art Rosa and Dina Matos from PAPP and PAC respectively, who commented on the prior decision-making on infrastructural projects in the Ironbound not being made by people in the community.
Based on the information in this article and newsletter and the involvement of two prominent Portuguese American groups in the Wolff Memorial Church meeting, I argue that Portuguese-American residents in the Ironbound were active in environmental issues that afflicted the neighborhood. The same as well as other newsletter between 1996 to 1998 mention that the PAC and PAPP were involved in organizing for Riverbank Park, such as chairing community meetings or sponsoring events such as the Recreation Roundtable study that was conducted by NJIT architecture students in the same year. While not mentioned in this article, the previous “Riverbank Park: A New Beginning” mentions how city councilman Augusto Amador, a known Portuguese Ironbound resident, worked with various recreational groups and community organizations in forming a plan to properly manage Riverbank Park and other spaces.
The following quotations by Art Rosa and Dina Matos, who attended the Wolff Church meeting and presumably others demonstrated commitment to solving the issues of recreation as well as the necessity for collaboration with other organizations. Rosa comments in the newsletter saying that “One of the problems in Ironbound is that we never had a choice about the things which are proposed in our neighborhood”. This quote not only refers to how decision-making over projects like recreation or infrastructure were made by non-residents or people within Newark’s city gov’t, but also that Rosa as resident of the Ironbound felt neglected as others about those projects.
In a more positive note, Dina Matos, comments on how the different community groups were able to host the meeting, stating that “If we work together, we can accomplish a lot”. There is plenty of past evidence of the various groups collaborating on saving Riverbank Park, such as the ICC holding meetings at the Portuguese Sports Club on Congress Street, which was a popular venue for community members of all backgrounds. Portuguese-owned businesses were also the most successful in the Ironbound, and their money would have been valued in forming improvement projects and programs in Riverbank Park after its reopening.
While the SID faced pushback from several figures, such as Councilman Henry Martinez, it did receive overwhelming support from residents of the Ironbound community. Among those residents were Portuguese Americans. They, along with other members of the neighborhood community, played essential roles in the decision-making behind establishing recreational projects.
Source:
Ironbound Voices. “Riverbank Park: A New Beginning.” 1998. Newark Public Library. https://archive.org/details/IronboundVoices1998Wintera/page/8/mode/2up?view=theater
Secondary Sources:
DaCosta Holton, Kimberly., and Andrea. Klimt. Community, Culture and the Makings of Identity : Portuguese-Americans along the Eastern Seaboard. Portuguese in the Americas Series ; 11. North Dartmouth, Mass: University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture, 2009. https://www.umasspress.com/9781933227276/community-culture-and-the-makings-of-identity/
This book is an ethnographic study of Portuguese American emigration and culture in the East Coast between the early-mid 20th century. It is written by Lusophone Studies scholars Kimberly Da Costa Holton of Rutgers-Newark and Andrea Klimt of UMASS in Dartmouth. While the book is a broad study on Portuguese Americans, Holton and other scholars dedicate chapters on the diaspora in the Ironbound neighborhood of Newark as well as other cities in Northern New Jersey such as Elizabeth and Kearny. Holton and scholars argue overall that Lusophone Studies has not only received few scholarly attentions but also that centering on the Portuguese diaspora adds to historical understandings of 20th century immigration. In the case of New Jersey during the 1960s-1970s, Portuguese Americans as well as Portuguese-speaking peoples have contributed to cultural movements as urban politics, primarily in Newark. This book will serve as an in-depth look of the history of Portuguese Americans in Newark, which will support my research on their roles in Environmental issues. I will pull from the sources including from local institutions such as the Portuguese language Luso Americano paper as well as previous ethnographic research by scholars for Rutgers-Newark’s Ironbound Oral History Project in 2001.
Mulcahy, Maria Gloria. “The Portuguese of the United States from 1880 to 1990: Distinctiveness in Work Patterns across Gender, Nativity and Place.” ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Ph.D., Brown University, 2003. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (305346720). https://login.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fdissertations-theses%2Fportuguese-united-states-1880-1990%2Fdocview%2F305346720%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D13626.
This dissertation provides a broad history and study of Portuguese in the US from 1880-1990. Mulcahy examines the socio-economic factors of Portuguese migration, specifically how unlike many other European immigrants were more financially-established due to their entrepreneurial mindset. Like Kimberly Da Costa Holton, Mulcahy states that Portuguese settlement represents a break from scholarship of immigration history, as the largest influx came after the 1960s. Through comparison to other ethnic European immigrants, such as Italians, Mulcahy also attributes the success of Portuguese settlement to their resistance to cultural assimilation. This dissertation is important for my work because it provides context of the Portuguese diaspora in the US, and is crucial in understanding how they function in society. This is especially useful when examining Portuguese residents in the Ironbound, many of whom were prominent business-owners and politicians, and how they contributed to their neighborhood.
Troiano, Laurel T. “Give Me a Ballpark Figure: Creating Civic Narratives Through Stadium Building,” n.d. 2017, https://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/rutgers-lib/55294/
This dissertation examines the history and politics behind stadium construction in Newark through the perspectives of urban residents. Troiano dedicates two sections on the controversy surrounding the construction of a baseball stadium in Riverbank Park in the late 90’s. In 1995, former Yankees player Rick Cerone cooperated with the Newark City Council to establish a minor league team in Newark through the construction of a new replacement stadium in Riverbank Park. Many of the concerns that were raised amongst residents and representatives of the Ironbound was the amount of traffic and lack of recreational space that the replacement park would bring. The fact that it was proposed as a baseball stadium was not favored by Ironbound residents, majority of whom were ethnic immigrants that played soccer. This source is important for my bibliography because it analyzes the background of stadiums as projects of urban development and renewal. It also highlights the role that SPARK and the Ironbound’s community organizations played in preserving Riverbank Park, as well as how residents reacted to this development.
Curvin, Robert. Inside Newark : Decline, Rebellion, and the Search for Transformation. Rivergate Regionals Collection. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2014. https://doi.org/10.36019/9780813565729.
– This book illustrates the socio-economic transformations of Newark between de-industrialization in the 1950s to urban renewal under the Cory Booker administration in the early 2000s. One of the major transformations that Curvin as an urban historian and Newark native discusses is developments in housing, commerce, sports, and recreation in the latter half of the 20th century. Like Mark Krasovic’s book, this book can support my research by providing historical context behind Newark’s development projects. While the Ironbound and the Riverfront Park developments are small mentions in the book, Curvin the construction of Newark’s sports venues such as the Prudential Center in 2007, which can serve as a comparative case study to Riverbank Park in the 90’s.
Krasovic, Mark. The Newark Frontier: Community Action in the Great Society. Historical Studies of Urban America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2016. https://doi.org/10.7208/9780226352824.
This book examines the history of community activism in Newark during the 1960s. While my research is centered in the 1990’s, this book will still be useful for my framework on community activism and urban development in Newark post-WWII. It provides the historical background behind urban development and activism in the 1960s and 1970s that eventually influenced movements such as Environmental Justice in the 1980s and 1990s. It also traces the origins of groups such as the Ironbound Community Corporation, which was founded in 1969, as well as key actors in Newark social movements such as Nancy Zak and Arnold Cohen.
Ramos-Zayas, Ana Y. Street Therapists : Race, Affect, and Neoliberal Personhood in Latino Newark. Chicago ; University of Chicago Press, 2012. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo12481485.html
This book is an ethnography that analyzes the complexities of social behavior and relations amongst Hispanic, Black, Brazilian, and Portuguese residents of the Ironbound. As an anthropologist and ethnologist, Ramos-Zayas argues that scholars can understand the “social history” and “political economy” of ethnic residents through the study of their identities and their relation to the spaces they occupy. While Ramos-Zayas throughout this book focuses more on Hispanic and Brazilian Latinos, she does discuss Iberians and older ethnic groups that settled in the Ironbound. The main ideas she focuses on are how Portuguese and Spanish immigrants not only defined the neighborhood as an ethnic enclave, but also how their businesses and culture contributed to revitalization of Newark’s economy between the 1960s to the present. While Latinos today make up the majority of the Ironbound’s population, the Iberian influences are still felt throughout the neighborhood and are marketed towards middle class consumers. When discussing specifically about the Portuguese, Ramos-Zayas is in conversation with Lusophone Studies scholars such as Kimberly Da Costa Holton when understanding why they were considered “good ethnics” or “ethnic technicians”. This book is important for my research because it explores the various socio-economic positions that Portuguese Ironbound residents occupied, especially when understanding the impact of their businesses.
Stephens, Thomas M. “Language Maintenance and Ethnic Survival: The Portuguese in New Jersey.” Hispania 72, no. 3 (1989): 716–20. https://doi.org/10.2307/343531.
This article is an ethnographic study of Portuguese communities and cultures in northern New Jersey with a focus on linguistics. Scholar Thomas M. Stephens argues that Portuguese Americans were able to retain their language and ethnic ties to their homeland while living in the US. Stephens illustrates how between the 1960s-1980s, Portuguese communities in Newark, Elizabeth, and Harrison kept their culture and language alive through various forms of media and social organizations. These include Portuguese-printed newspapers such as the Luso Americano in the Ironbound, Catholic Churches like Our Lady of Fatima in Elizabeth, Portuguese language schools and sports clubs in both cities. Despite many Portuguese moving to Newark and Elizabeth suburbs like Kearny, Watchung, etc during the 1980s, they were able to maintain their culture. This article illuminates not only methods of cultural preservation among ethnic groups in New Jersey, but also the socio-economic power that recent immigrant groups like the Portuguese had in the state.
Stevenson Jason Reich. “The Fire This Time: Development Conflict in Rebuilding Newark, NJ.” Harvard College, n.d. 2000 http://webatomics.com/jason/seniorthesis.html
This undergraduate thesis discusses the areas of conflict in venue development in Newark between the 1990’s to the early 2000s. Stevenson specifically looks at how Newark’s communities and organizations reacted to developments including Riverbank Park in the late 90’s, the NJPAC, and the Prudential Center in 2007. Like Troiano’s dissertation on stadium development, Stevenson’s dissertation will support my research by contextualizing urban development through the ground level perspectives.
Stevenson Jason Reich. “Arena Politics in Newark,” 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20061112062402/http://webatomics.com/jason/newarkarena.pdf
This article expands on his prior undergraduate thesis on stadium politics in Newark. In this article however, Stephenson focuses more so on community leaders such as Augsto Amador, a Portuguese American councilman from the Ironbound who opposed then-Mayor Sharpe James on stadium construction. This was written in 2004, during the administration of Mayor James. While focusing on the Prudential Center, Stevenson’s article would serve as a point of comparison to the earlier development of Riverbank Park, especially when discussing the politics behind stadium construction.
Immergut, Matthew B., and Laurel D. Kearns. “When Nature Is Rats and Roaches: Religious Eco-Justice Activism in Newark, NJ.” Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture 6, no. 2 (2012): 176–95. https://doi.org/10.1558/jsrnc.v6i2.176.
This article discusses the role those religious institutions played in Environmental Justice in the Ironbound. Despite past scholarship stating that religious institutions were ore concerned with spiritual rather than environmental issues, the scholars instead argue that clergymen from churches such as St. Stephans Church and Our Lady of Fatima were essential actors against pollution in the Ironbound. Many clergymen helped found several community-based groups that are still active today, such as the Ironbound Community Corporation, Green-Faith, etc. Priests and pastors helped manage campaigns, hosted meetings to discuss pollution or development issues like the baseball diamond construction in Riverbank Park. This article is useful for my research because it foregrounds the moral leadership behind Environmental Justice in the Ironbound. The article is also relevant because the scholars credit the clergy, many of whom were Eastern Europeans that left Newark before the 1960s, over the Portuguese and Brazilians that came during the late 20th century. They dismiss Lusophone immigrants, stating that they were more concerned with work and finding employment than activism. Because the goal of this paper is to prove that Lusophone immigrants were involved in activism, I will be in direct conversation with this piece.
Image Analysis:
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