'True Spirit Of A City': Newark Will Bring Back '24 Hours Of Peace' Event

NEWARK, NJ — Want to get a glimpse at the “true spirit” of Newark? Check out the city’s annual 24 Hours of Peace celebration, organizers say.

For the past decade, New Jersey’s largest city has been trying to harness the power of hip-hop in the name of neighborly love, asking people to put aside their differences and find a non-violent way forward. Their reward? A free concert featuring some of the hottest stars in show business.

This year’s event will take place on Springfield Avenue, between Bergen and Blum Streets beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 1 and ending at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 2.

Headline entertainers scheduled to perform include Ghostface Killah of the Wu-Tang Clan and Newark native Redman, as well as Lil’ Mo, Milk Dee, AZ, Bobby V, 2KBaby, Lil Poppa, DD Osama, Pleasure P and two co-founders of the event, Hakim Green and Middy Baraka. In addition, local artists from the area will also perform on both days.

Other free entertainment will include:

• Nearly 200 retail and food vendors
• Community resource information
• Poetry session
• Town hall meeting
• Hip-hop and mental health forum
• A midnight movie

The popular celebration has attracted some serious star power in the past.

Newark native and actress Queen Latifah co-hosted last year’s event, which featured musical headliner Faith Evans, a graduate of University High School. Other events have seen support from the likes of Snoop Dogg, Talib Kweli and Big Daddy Kane.

• See Related: Queen Latifah, Celebs Spread The Love In Newark At '24 Hours Of Peace'
• See Related: Snoop Dogg Says Stop The Violence In Newark For '24 Hours Of Peace' (WATCH)
• See Related: Faith Evans Performs Show For Newark Hospital Workers

“Perhaps more than any other annual event in Newark, our 24 Hours of Peace celebration embodies the true spirit of a city where we solidify our unity and deepen our commitment to each other every day,” Mayor Ras Baraka said.

“Twenty-four hours without violence is the norm in our city now – not the exception,” Baraka continued. “Each year, this event fuses the power of hip-hop music and spoken word to lift, heal, and inspire peace in our city.”

“We continue to confront a culture that tells us it’s okay to harm one another,” he added.

Baraka helped to found the event 11 years ago when he was a council member representing the South Ward. He made it a citywide event when he was elected mayor.

“Each of us is accountable for the peace we create in our own lives and is a catalyst for positive transformation,” Baraka said, pointing out that the city recently saw a 60-year-low drop in violent crime, which has gotten praise from luminaries such as former president Barack Obama.

“It’s one more reason for us to shout: ‘Newark And Proud of It,’” the mayor said.

• See Related: Newark Saw Less Homicides And Violent Crime In 2022, Officials Say
• See Related: Obama Praises Newark's Efforts To Stop Violence By Boosting Its Youth

Event organizers are seeking vendors. The deadline to register is Monday, Aug. 28. For more information, call Jashlyn Wingfield at (862) 321-2841 or Shalika Thomason at (973) 766-0857.

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