Newark’s Farewell To Beloved Ex-Mayor Ken Gibson: Funeral/Viewing

NEWARK, NJ — Newark community members will get a chance to pay their respects to one of the first African-American mayors in the northeast, Kenneth Gibson, who passed away at the age of 86 on Friday, March 29.

Gibson – who led the city in its efforts to recover from the 1967 Newark Rebellion – will receive full civic honors during a separate lying-in-state and funeral on Thursday, April 4.

Current mayor Ras Baraka and members of the Newark Municipal Council will lead two tributes to Gibson’s legacy on April 4. The public will have an opportunity to pay their respects to Newark’s former mayor at both events, officials said.

• Lying-In-State - Noon to 6 p.m. (City Hall, 920 Broad Street)
• Funeral Services – 7 p.m. (Newark Symphony Hall, 1020 Broad Street)

In support of these events, the following streets will be affected. Drivers should anticipate delays and seek alternate routes, Newark police stated.

• 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. - Broad Street will be closed from Franklin Street to Lafayette Street
• 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. - Broad Street will experience intermittent closures from Lafayette to South Street

City officials provided the following statement about Gibson, who leaves behind a wife and four daughters:

“Gibson was elected as Newark’s first African-American mayor in 1970, among the first such mayors in a major northeastern city. He led Newark’s efforts to overcome the physical and spiritual damage inflicted upon the city by the 1967 Rebellion. Mayor Gibson served four terms, which made him Newark’s longest-serving mayor at the time, and is best known for his famous quote, ‘Wherever America’s cities are going, Newark will get there first.’”

Gibson served as mayor of Newark from 1970 to 1986. Many of his admirers respected him for his calm, pragmatic leadership style and for unifying a city torn apart by race riots and a lack of trust in their local government.

• See related article: Ex-Newark Mayor Kenneth Gibson Honored During Black History Month Celebration

His wife, Camille Gibson, told The New York Times that the former mayor – who passed away in West Orange – had been ill for some time and that she couldn’t single out a specific cause.

When news of Gibson’s passing broke last weekend, messages of condolence and tributes to his legacy flooded social media.

• See related article: Newark Mourns Passing Of 1st African American Mayor, Ken Gibson

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