This story has been slowly making the rounds in the local tri-state media relating to Newark's new mayor, Cory Booker. Booker, a Yale Law school graduate and Rhodes scholar, reached our consciousness in his first mayoral bid in 2002. This brutal political "battle" between Booker and the incumbant, Sharpe James was showcased in the Academy-Award-nominated documentary by Filmmaker Marshall Curry, entitled Street Fight.
In the film it should be noted that James' supporters(and conversely, Booker detractors) publicly questioned Booker's blackness(I know the feeling bruh) because of his level of education, youth and professional demeanor. This, of course was done by other Black people. Never mind his commitment to public service or that he went as far as setting up a tent in a notorious public housing project on purpose, living there for a few weeks to demonstrate his desire to aid the city's poor.
Well, fast forward 4 years later, Booker is the mayor and before he can pratically sit down in his mayoral position he has allegedly received recent death threats from the Bloods street gang. The validity of the threats are still being determined. Nevermind that a vocal segment of the Black community attempted to lend credence to another rival street gang by attempting to stay the eventual execution of Stanley "Tookie" Williams last year. Booker appears to be a young man that is sincerely trying to make honest and beneficial changes for Newark's African-American community and in no time flat his life is threatened. No Jesse. And not a peep from Sharpton or other Black leaders coming to his defense. Maybe Cory should have joined a gang. For more details check out the link below:
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