NEW YORK, NY (December 15, 2025) — Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), today slammed President Trump’s comments over the murder of acclaimed director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, who were found dead in their California home Sunday. Trump has been widely condemned over a social media post over the couple’s murder, with many in his own party shaming his highly politicized remarks over past disagreements he had with Reiner.

“President Trump continues to find a new low, with his remarks today effectively endorsing violence against those who disagree with him. What happened to Rob and Michele Reiner was a true tragedy, one that is still unfolding, and should be a moment in which we respect and share our condolences with his family. It is not a time for the President of the United States or anyone else to make gross, disgusting comments alleging their tragic death by any means had to do with political feelings.

Even his staunchest backers are condemning these terrible remarks, which Trump should pull down and apologize for immediately. This was a man who we prayed for last summer after he was nearly assassinated in Pennsylvania — condemning all forms of political violence. He should find it within himself to find an ounce of the same dignity.”

About National Action Network (NAN)National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Nation with chapters throughout the entire United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency, and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality, or gender.For more information go to www.nationalactionnetwork.net.

It’s always great to see the Legendary SWV perform! But this year’s event was explosive!

DIAGEO just wrapped an exciting activation at this year’s Bayou Classic, and given the cultural impact of the weekend, plus the celebrity talent involved.

The renowned spirits brand brought its Show Your HBCU Spirit initiative to New Orleans, helping elevate one of the most important weekends in HBCU culture. The energy was huge: GloRilla delivered a standout halftime performance with Grambling State University, 2 Chainz drew massive crowds as the headliner of the Bayou Classic Fan Fest, and SWV brought a wave of R&B nostalgia to the Sneaker Ball.

Alongside the entertainment, DIAGEO spotlighted its Cheers to Choice platform, encouraging fans to celebrate in whatever way feels right for them, whether that means enjoying a cocktail, pacing themselves, or choosing not to drink. The company also highlighted its Learning Skills for Life program, which offers free hospitality and entrepreneurial training to underserved communities, creating meaningful pathways into the industry.Throughout the weekend, DIAGEO supported marquee Bayou Classic moments including the Battle of the Bands, Greek Step Show, Fan Fest, the 51st Annual Bayou Classic, and the official after parties.
#RECLASSICS #DIAGEO #1964AGENCY #SWV #2 Chainz #GloRilla

Netflix Stand-up special

Returning for his fifth Netflix comedy special, Kevin Hart is acting his age!

Bringing his signature high-energy humor to the stage, Hart reflects on the trials and triumphs of his forties, managing family dynamics, and embracing the wisdom of aging in this hilarious and candid comedy special.

Collectively at rapentertainment.com, we found the Kevin Hart special to be hilarious, honest and skillful. But let’s take a look at other critiques around the web:

HART: ACTING MY AGE’

Posted in Netflix by Paolo Kagaoan – November 24, 2025

“You can’t do no shit like that after 40,” Kevin Hart says about finishing an amateur game of basketball with kids. Ten minutes into his comedy special Kevin Hart: Acting My Age, he compares himself to younger people.

He recounts a story about playing basketball with younger people who physically recover quickly – can’t relate.

As per the title, this special is him contemplating his age and how it affects his marriage. Other jokes involve envisioning the kind of old he wants as well as a vacation, trekking with the gorillas.

Kevin Hart: Acting My Age, like most comedy specials, aren’t mostly cinematically interesting with some exceptions. Capturing a stop in his tour, the show begins with a four piece classical band because he’s grown.

His actual set begins with a joke about his nephew coming out, which is personally interesting to me. I get it, he apologized for his homophobia, I may forgive, but I’m way too bitter to forget about that part.

And twenty minutes later, the special has shots of his feet because of jokes about his sprained ankles.

This film, will probably hit the top ten charts on the platform’s algorithm. And in fairness, I understand the appeal, since Hart mixes crassness and vulnerability in his comedy for decades.

The story taking the climax – ha – in Kevin Hart: Acting My Age is his dick not working. I mean, everyone in their late thirties – same – make jokes about erectile dysfunction and Hart does something similar.

Part of the story is him impersonating his wife – if you’re impersonating your wife, Kevin Hart, go full out.

Hart’s comedy reflects a fan base that has roots in his community but is also constantly evolving. Aging means finding oneself at a crossroads, and he makes jokes about different older people.

He doesn’t want to be the kind of old who is oblivious, he wants to be the kind with no filters. He then goes on a tangent about Quincy Jones and the latter’s farewell interviews that are quite revelatory. This is part of the special where he slips because the original Quincy Jones interviews were funnier.

Running at a brisk 66 minutes, Kevin Hart: Acting My Age ends with him joking about going to Rwanda, and this reminds me of another trip he took – one to the comedy festival in Riyadh. I will excuse homophobia but I will not tolerate going to the country with a ruler who killed Flor Contemplacion. This is also the part of the piece where I try to figure out the timeline here. I don’t know if this show in Miami happened after Riyadh but it still leaves a bitter taste.

Kevin Hart: Acting My Age is available to stream on Netflix.

Film releasing
in the United States
on November 12th, 2025

From stand-up prodigy and Saturday Night Live phenom to beloved Hollywood icon, Being Eddie chronicles the extraordinary life and legacy of the genre-defying star through exclusive interviews with Murphy himself and his comedy peers, offering an intimate portrait of this once-in-a-generation talent.

It goes without saying that there is only one Eddie Murphy.No other teen comedian shared a stage with Jerry Seinfeld at 17, and joined the cast of Saturday Night Live right out of high school.

No actor has ever played a cop, a doctor, and a donkey — and dominated every facet of Hollywood he’s touched. Fewer still have been an A-list celebrity for over four decades, and never succumbed to its darker side. Murphy’s unusual combination of explosive charisma, focused ambition, raw talent, and deep-set circumspection puts him in a league of his own, and is on full display in Being Eddie, directed by two-time Oscar® winner Angus Wall.

The documentary gathers comedy and Hollywood legends like Dave Chappelle, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jamie Foxx, Jerry Seinfeld, Reginald Hudlin and more to celebrate the Oscar®-nominated actor and his nearly 50-year career that’s seen him break barriers, invent genres, and inspire generations of talent.

For the first time ever, Murphy invites the public into his home to revisit his breathtaking body of work, all the while revealing the dazzling interior life that has long driven — and grounded — this once-in-a-century star.

Run time
102 minutes
Country of Origin
United States

Film Documentaries
Crew

Angus Wall
directors

John Davis
producers

John Fox
producers

Terry Leonard
production_management, producers

Charisse Hewitt-Webster
producers

Kent Kubena
producers

Cast
Eddie Murphy

Inspired by the film Girls Trip, the Series Follows Tiffany Haddish and Her Childhood Friends on Their Vacation Across Africa

Peacock’s new docuseries Tiffany Haddish Goes Off premieres on Thursday, November 13 and follows Emmy award-winning comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish (Girls Trip, Haunted Mansion) journeys to Africa on a four-week-long girls trip with her three closest childhood friends Selena Martin, Shermona Long, Sparkle Clark. Throughout the trip they take on new adventures, deepen their lifelong friendship, and explore personal connections to the continent. This raw, vulnerable and unpredictable version of Tiffany Haddish will leave the viewer crying with laughter and sobbing from heartfelt, relatable, real-time self-healing. All episodes will be available at once exclusively on Peacock.

Over the course of the series, Tiffany and her friends travel to multiple locations across Africa: Cape Town, South Africa; Victoria Falls and Harare, Zimbabwe; and Zanzibar, Tanzania. The six-episode docuseries is produced by Jeff Jenkins Productions, in association with 3BMG, Will Packer Media, Glass Slipper Pictures, She Ready Productions and 1oneninety5

Productions. Executive Producers are Jeff Jenkins, Will Packer, Tiffany Haddish, Shondrella Avery, Henry Butler, Leah Butler, Richard Brown, Russell Jay Staglik, Reinout Oerlemans, Ross Weintraub, J.J. Duncan and Natalie Neurauter.

ABOUT THE SERIES 
Premiere: November 13, 2025

Cast: Tiffany Haddish, Selena Martin, Shermona Long, Sparkle Clark

Executive Producers: Jeff Jenkins, Will Packer, Tiffany Haddish, Shondrella Avery, Henry Butler, Leah Butler, Richard Brown, Russell Jay Staglik, Reinout Oerlemans, Ross Weintraub, J.J. Duncan and Natalie Neurauter

Produced by: Jeff Jenkins Productions, in association with 3BMG, Will Packer Media, Glass Slipper Pictures, She Ready Productions and 1oneninety5 Productions

Format: Unscripted, 6 x 60 Min Episodes

Film Locations: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania

“To My People”
By Assata Shakur (written while in prison)
July 4, 1973

Black brothers, Black sisters, i want you to know that i love you and i hope that somewhere in your hearts you have love for me. My name is Assata Shakur (slave name joanne chesimard), and i am a revolutionary. A Black revolutionary. By that i mean that i have declared war on all forces that have raped our women, castrated our men, and kept our babies empty-bellied.

I have declared war on the rich who prosper on our poverty, the politicians who lie to us with smiling faces, and all the mindless, heart-less robots who protect them and their property.

I am a Black revolutionary, and, as such, i am a victim of all the wrath, hatred, and slander that amerika is capable of. Like all other Black revolutionaries, amerika is trying to lynch me.

I am a Black revolutionary woman, and because of this i have been charged with and accused of every alleged crime in which a woman was believed to have participated. The alleged crimes in which only men were supposedly involved, i have been accused of planning. They have plastered pictures alleged to be me in post offices, airports, hotels, police cars, subways, banks, television, and newspapers. They have offered over fifty thousand dollars in rewards for my capture and they have issued orders to shoot on sight and shoot to kill.

I am a Black revolutionary, and, by definition, that makes me a part of the Black Liberation Army. The pigs have used their newspapers and TVs to paint the Black Liberation Army as vicious, brutal, mad-dog criminals. They have called us gangsters and gun molls and have compared us to such characters as john dillinger and ma barker. It should be clear, it must be clear to anyone who can think, see, or hear, that we are the victims. The victims and not the criminals.

It should also be clear to us by now who the real criminals are. Nixon and his crime partners have murdered hundreds of Third World brothers and sisters in Vietnam, Cambodia, Mozambique, Angola, and South Africa. As was proved by Watergate, the top law enforcement officials in this country are a lying bunch of criminals. The president, two attorney generals, the head of the fbi, the head of the cia, and half the white house staff have been implicated in the Watergate crimes.

They call us murderers, but we did not murder over two hundred fifty unarmed Black men, women, and children, or wound thousands of others in the riots they provoked during the sixties. The rulers of this country have always considered their property more important than our lives. They call us murderers, but we were not responsible for the twenty-eight brother inmates and nine hostages murdered at attica. They call us murderers, but we did not murder and wound over thirty unarmed Black students at Jackson State—or Southern State, either.

They call us murderers, but we did not murder Martin Luther King, Jr., Emmett Till, Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, George Jackson, Nat Turner, James Chaney, and countless others. We did not murder, by shooting in the back, sixteen-year-old Rita Lloyd, eleven-year-old Rickie Bodden, or ten-year-old Clifford Glover. They call us murderers, but we do not control or enforce a system of racism and oppression that systematically murders Black and Third World people. Although Black people supposedly comprise about fifteen percent of the total amerikkkan population, at least sixty percent of murder victims are Black. For every pig that is killed in the so-called line of duty, there are at least fifty Black people murdered by the police.

Black life expectancy is much lower than white and they do their best to kill us before we are even born. We are burned alive in fire-trap tenements. Our brothers and sisters OD daily from heroin and methadone. Our babies die from lead poisoning. Millions of Black people have died as a result of indecent medical care. This is murder. But they have got the gall to call us murderers.

They call us kidnappers, yet Brother Clark Squires (who is accused, along with me, of murdering a new jersey state trooper) was kidnapped on April z, 1969, from our Black community and held on one million dollars’ ransom in the New York Panther 21 conspiracy case. He was acquitted on May 13, 1971, along with all the others, of 156 counts of conspiracy by a jury that took less than two hours to deliberate. Brother Squires was innocent. Yet he was kidnapped from his community and family. Over two years of his life was stolen, but they call us kidnappers. We did not kidnap the thousands of Brothers and Sisters held captive in amerika’s concentration camps. Ninety percent of the prison population in this country are Black and Third World people who can afford neither bail nor lawyers.

They call us thieves and bandits. They say we steal. But it was not we who stole millions of Black people from the continent of Africa. We were robbed of our language, of our Gods, of our culture, of our human dignity, of our labor, and of our lives. They call us thieves, yet it is not

we who rip off billions of dollars every year through tax evasions, illegal price fixing, embezzlement, consumer fraud, bribes, kickbacks, and swindles. They call us bandits, yet every time most Black people pick up our paychecks we are being robbed. Every time we walk into a store in our neighborhood we are being held up. And every time we pay our rent the landlord sticks a gun into our ribs.

They call us thieves, but we did not rob and murder millions of Indians by ripping off their homeland, then call ourselves pioneers. They call us bandits, but it is not we who are robbing Africa, Asia, and Latin America of their natural resources and freedom while the people who live there are sick and starving. The rulers of this country and their flunkies have committed some of the most brutal, vicious crimes in history. They are the bandits. They are the murderers. And they should be treated as such. These maniacs are not fit to judge me, Clark, or any other Black person on trial in amerika. Black people should and, inevitably, must determine our destinies.

Every revolution in history has been accomplished by actions, al-though words are necessary. We must create shields that protect us and spears that penetrate our enemies. Black people must learn how to struggle by struggling. We must learn by our mistakes.

I want to apologize to you, my Black brothers and sisters, for being on the new jersey turnpike. I should have known better. The turnpike is a checkpoint where Black people are stopped, searched, harassed, and assaulted. Revolutionaries must never be in too much of a hurry or make careless decisions. He who runs when the sun is sleeping will stumble many times.

Every time a Black Freedom Fighter is murdered or captured, the pigs try to create the impression that they have quashed the movement, destroyed our forces, and put down the Black Revolution. The pigs also try to give the impression that five or ten guerrillas are responsible for every revolutionary action carried out in amerika. That is nonsense. That is absurd. Black revolutionaries do not drop from the moon. We are created by our conditions. Shaped by our oppression. We are being manufactured in droves in the ghetto streets, places like attica, san quentin, bedford hills, leavenworth, and sing sing. They are turning out thousands of us. Many jobless Black veterans and welfare mothers are joining our ranks. Brothers and sisters from all walks of life, who are tired of suffering passively, make up the BLA.

There is, and always will be, until every Black man, woman, and child is free, a Black Liberation Army. The main function of the Black

Liberation Army at this time is to create good examples, to struggle for Black freedom, and to prepare for the future. We must defend ourselves and let no one disrespect us. We must gain our liberation by any means necessary.

It is our duty to fight for our freedom.
It is our duty to win.
We must love each other and support each other.
We have nothing to lose but our chains.

• Tyra Banks (Coyote Ugly, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Life Size) set to guest star in season 4 of Bel-Air.
• Banks has been cast as a former college classmate with a big personality who Viv is reluctantly reunited with.
• Banks appeared in the original Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as Jackie Ames, Will’s ex girlfriend from Philadelphia.
• The fourth and final season of the hit Peacock series “Bel-Air” will premiere on Monday, November 24.

ABOUT BEL-AIR S4:

In season four of Peacock’s successful one-hour drama series “Bel-Air,” Will tries to balance the fun and excitement of senior year with the expectations that have brought him to this moment.

Carlton tests his own resolve as he deals with the fallout of some very big decisions that could threaten his future. Together, both boys will help each other through this pivotal time in their lives.

An unexpected power shift will threaten the brotherhood between Phil and Geoffrey, whose loyalties to the Banks family will be tested. Viv struggles with reinventing herself as she looks at motherhood from a different perspective.

It’s Ashley’s freshman year in high school and she’s working through a rebellious phase but quickly learns that the status quo may no longer serve her. Hilary goes on a journey of self-exploration.

Inspired by Morgan Stevenson Cooper’s viral trailer that reimagined the iconic, culture-defining ‘90s sitcom, “Bel-Air” takes a dramatic and raw approach to this world of swagger, style, and aspiration, while exploring Will’s complex journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air through a current lens.

The series features an ensemble cast that includes Jabari Banks as Will and a creative team that includes showrunner, executive producer, and writer Carla Banks Waddles and Cooper, who serves as executive producer and will direct the final two episodes of the series.

Santa Monica, Calif. —

View “Power Book IV: Force” Season Three

Tommy Egan (Joseph Sikora) is back with an ever-growing list of enemies. With the Feds on his tail and street gangs trying to take him down, Tommy must be strategic in his quest to take over Chicago’s drug game, while also protecting those he loves the most.

This season, Tommy must poach customers from rival factions to have a chance at becoming kingpin, all while battling Miguel’s growing power and navigating an increasingly complex minefield of threats in the streets.

With a deepening divide within his coalition and his personal life under threat, Tommy must balance offense and defense to survive and protect everything he’s worked for.

The teaser and images offer a glimpse into the intensifying power struggles, shifting alliances and unresolved conflicts that have defined the journey of Joseph Sikora (“Power,” “Ozark”) as “Tommy Egan,” Isaac Keys (“Get Shorty,” “The Oath”) as “Diamond Sampson,” Kris D. Lofton (“Ballers,” “Snowfall”) as “Jenard Sampson,” Manuel Eduardo Ramirez(“Snowfall,” “Queen of the South”) as “Miguel Garcia,” and Adrienne Walker (“Law & Order: Organized Crime,” “FBI”) as “Shanti ‘Showstopper’ Page.” Additional cast members include: Miriam A. Hyman (“The Chi,” “The Laundromat”) as “US Attorney Stacy Marks,” **Anthony Fleming III **(“Prison Break,” “The Beast”) as “JP” and Lucien Cambric (“Chicago P.D.,” “The Chi”) as “D-Mac.”

“Power Book IV: Force” is the third series in the expanded “Power” Universe franchise. Gary Lennon (“Power,” “Euphoria”) serves as showrunner and executive producer. The “Power” Universe series is executive produced by the creator and showrunner of the original “Power,” Courtney A. Kemp through her production company End of Episode, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson through G-Unit Film and Television, and Mark Canton through Canton Entertainment. Terri Kopp and Chris Selak also serve as executive producers. Lionsgate Television produces the series for STARZ.

FOLLOW “POWER BOOK IV: FORCE” ON SOCIAL Instagram: @ForceStarz Facebook: @ForceStarz Join the conversation with #PowerForce #PowerTV and #STARZ

“This Is It – Marvelous…And Getting Better”

Coming to Amazon Books

November 2025

Melba Moore, a Tony Award winning, 3x Grammy nominee, has starred in the Broadway musicals “Hair”, “Purlie!”, “Timbuktu!” and “Les Miserables”. Her countless hits include “You Stepped Into My Life,” “Read My Lips,” “Fallin’” and “This Is It.” She’s been a global success for over fifty years and now has a new book, which shares her strategies for longevity.

Coming to Amazon Books in November, 2025, Melba’s memoirs, “This Is It – Marvelous…And Getting Better,” takes the reader on the highs and lows of her career. The entertainment veteran shares how she had to pivot time and again, especially in an industry that didn’t always know what to do with the massive voice within her petite being.

From Harlem to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in the book, Melba moves from winning the esteemed Tony Award for “Purlie!” to continually transitioning to discover what’s next in her career. In the roller coaster ride in life, she’s done it all and never backed down from a challenge.

For the reader seeking motivation during moments of giving up, Melba’s “This Is It – Marvelous….And Getting Better” is the right book for the right time. The story of an icon overcoming the odds and getting better, day by day.

FROM 6 P.M. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, TO 6 P.M. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 AT CENTRAL AVENUE AND SOUTH 10TH STREET IN THE WEST WARD

Annual event uses hip hop culture to engage Newark community

Newark, NJ – August 29, 2025 — Mayor Ras J. Baraka will host the annual 24 Hrs. of Peace event, starting Friday, September 5, at 6 p.m., and continuing to Saturday, September 6, at 6 p.m., at South 10th Street and Central Avenue in the West Ward.

The 24 Hrs. of Peace event uses the hip hop culture to engage the community and have meaningful dialogue centered on nonviolence and conflict resolution. The event is free and open to the public

MEDIA NOTE: Media attending the event must RSVP in advance, as passes are limited. Please e-mail press pass requests to communication@ci.newark.nj.us.

“Non-violence and peace are critical elements of city life that can always be plumbed to deeper levels, every day, in every neighborhood. In Newark, we continue our mission of violence prevention, never resting on the laurels of having reduced violence to levels not seen in generations,” said Mayor Baraka. “This annual 24-hour event merges Newark’s vibe with the vibrations of hip hop, creating a synergy that yields powerful transformation and celebration. It is a highlight in our year’s long, daily efforts toward harmony and care for one another.”

Headline entertainers scheduled to perform include Kool G Rap, Jacquees, RL, Case, DaBaby Jadakiss, Scarlip, 41, DJ Lil Man and DJ Taj and Friends.

Mayor Baraka founded 24 Hrs. of Peace 15 years ago when he was council member for the South Ward, and made it a citywide event when he was elected mayor. The annual event advocates violence-free neighborhoods and promotes community building for parents, children, artists, business owners, and faith and community-based organizations. The festival offers the city a direct channel to engage with residents and connect them with the resources they need.

“For me, music is the most powerful art form for uniting people’s hearts, building community, and creating shared joy and trust. It can bathe us in an energy of resilience and renewal. And that’s why 24 Hrs. of Peace is such an important element in Newark’s data-based, multi-pronged, systematic approach to reducing violence and recovering from generations of trauma,” said Amiri Baraka, Jr., Newark’s Chief of Staff and event co-founder. “During these 24 hours, we harness the expression of hip hop as a vehicle for dialog about harm, hurt, healing and harmony. We infuse these 24 hours with positivity, and draw larger crowds each year.”

The 24 Hrs. of Peace event is the finale of Newark’s Peace Week, offering a wide range of activities that unite the city around a focus on unity and caring for each other.

“Peace Week is more than a series of events — it’s a movement to transform Newark by creating safe spaces, building unity, and strengthening our community,” said Brick City Peace Collective Director Jessiah Paul. “Through initiatives like the Mayor’s Family Meeting, Ride 4 Peace, the Senior Health Village, our Self-Defense Seminar and other activities leading up to the 24 Hrs. of Peace, we’re bringing residents, partners, and city leaders together with one shared goal: reducing violence through awareness, empowerment, and connection.

When we come together, we shift the culture from conflict to collaboration, from fear to safety, and from isolation to healing.

The 24 Hrs. of Peace represents the culmination of this collective effort — a celebration of love, music, and community resilience, showing the world that Newark is leading the way in redefining public safety and unity.”

Since taking office in 2014, Mayor Baraka has made crime and violence reduction a high priority by addressing it as a public health issue. The administration’s innovating steps have included Community Street Teams, the Newark Anti-Violence Coalition, My Brother’s Keeper, and the creation of the Shani Baraka Women’s Center, which provides a wide range of services for women and families in crisis, ranging from victim support, to career counseling, to artistic therapy.

A major initiative under the Baraka administration has been the creation of the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery (OVPTR), which addresses both crime’s causes and its impact in a holistic manner, uniting private and public agencies at the personal and community levels. OVPTR provides treatment for the entire person, including such factors as family issues, addictions, education, societal and cultural norms, and neighborhood dynamics.

“24 Hrs. of Peace is not just an event, it is a sacred space where our entire city comes together to pause, to heal, and to stand as one,” said Deputy Mayor of Public Safety LaKeesha Eure. “In Newark, we know that peace cannot be achieved in isolation; it requires the presence, the voice, and the commitment of all of us…families, youth, elders, leaders, and neighbors. This citywide gathering is a reminder that violence does not define who we are, but our unity, resilience, continued work and investment in community and love for one another do. When we choose peace for 24 hours, we plant seeds that ripple far beyond a day – we create a vision of the City of Newark our children and the entire world deserve to see every single day.”

The result of the city’s public safety ecosystem which includes OVPTR and the Department of Public Safety, have reduced homicides in Newark by more than 60 percent under the Baraka administration, and gained the city national recognition for violence reduction by former President Barack Obama.

“The Office of Violence Prevention & Trauma Recovery, is excited to once again co-sponsor this year’s 24 Hrs. of Peace concert, a tradition of healing and unity for Newark,” said OVPTR Director Kyleesha Wingfield-Hill. “Beyond celebration, the event connects residents with critical community resources and provides on-site support to ensure residents have immediate access to services that promote their safety in a real way.”

Last year’s event was designed to uplift and empower women by featuring female performers, and included Mýa, Rah Digga, Lady Luck, Lola Brooke, Leah Jenea, Yo-Yo, Nikki D, Roxanne Shanté, Justina Valentine, The Lady of Rage, Lady London, Sunshine Anderson, Asian Doll, Juciiy 2xs and Monie Love. The 2023 event was headlined by Ghostface Killah, Redman, Milk Dee, AZ and Lil Mo. The 2022 co-host was Newark native and multi-hyphenate entertainment legend Queen Latifah and the musical headliner was Faith Evans, a graduate of University High School.

The event has launched much local talent to stardom including singer/songwriter/actress Leah Jene, K’Lynn Jackman, who went on to star in Broadway’s “The Lion King,” and child motivational speaker King Nahh, whose father, worldwide entertainer consultant Dash Hudson appeared at last year’s event.

Chief of Staff Baraka, Jr. and hip-hop artist Hakim Green, co-founder of 24 Hrs. of Peace are once again cohosting this year’s annual event and are proud to feature hometown spoken word poets, performing ensembles, and DJs as part of the star-studded lineup.

“This year’s 24 Hrs. of Peace is the most important to date. Thanks to Mayor Baraka, every year gets bigger and better – but considering the current times we’re facing, a call topeace is needed more than ever,” said Mr. Green. “We’re getting so much love for this year’s lineup that includes Kool G Rap, Jacquees, DaBaby and Jadakiss. I’m extremely excited about this year’s 24 Hrs. of Peace!”

Beginning 15 years ago with a small stage towed into an open space – with lights powered by a car battery – 24 Hrs. of Peace will attract thousands of residents this year, as well as enable sellout sales to retail and food vendors. City departments will be on hand throughout to distribute information about critical resources, services and programs.

̶ NEWARK ̶

For more information on the City of Newark, please visit our website at www.newarknj.gov

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