Newark Dubs Junius Williams As City’s New Official Historian

NEWARK, NJ — A modern renaissance man has added another duty to his already impressive list of contributions to Newark.

On Dec. 10, city officials named Junius Williams the “official historian” of the Brick City.

“We are honored to announce Junius Williams as Newark's official historian as he continues to delve deep into the history of our city, and others alike across the country,” officials wrote.

According to the Rutgers University website, Williams has worn many hats in his lifetime.

“He was the youngest person elected president of the National Bar Association (in 1978), served as director of Community Development and the Model Cities Program for the City of Newark, fought on the front lines in the civil rights movement, worked with Tom Hayden and the Students for a Democratic Society, and is a successful musician… A graduate of Amherst College and Yale Law School, he has worked in, and for, Newark for four decades, and his new memoir, Unfinished Agenda, Urban Politics in the Era of Black Power (North Atlantic Books, 2014), has been described as a “road map for addressing poverty, failing schools and crime.”

A NJ.com reporter recently called Williams a “longtime public school advocate who has taught parents how to fight for their children’s education.”

Don’t forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page here. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site here. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Photo: City of Newark