HAMM ENDORSES BARAKA FOR MAYOR

Statement by Lawrence Hamm, Chairman,
People’s Organization For Progress, May 4, 2022


I personally endorse Ras Baraka for mayor of Newark, New Jersey. I endorsed him in 2014, 2018, and I am endorsing him in the 2022 race.

I am giving him my endorsement because he continues to be one of the strongest advocates for police reform and especially for the establishment of police review boards with subpoena powers.

Police brutality remains a serious problem in the United States despite convictions in a few high profile cases. The police in this country shoot and kill more than one thousand people per year.

In addition, there are many cases of police engaging in racial profiling, harassing and brutalizing people, violating their constitutional rights, and unjustly arresting them.

Mayor Baraka was vocal about the issue of police brutality before he became an elected official and has continued to be just as vocal after taking office. As mayor he has attended and spoken at marches and rallies about police brutality sponsored by the People’s Organization For Progress.

He established Newark’s first police review board.  He has fought police union legal challenges to the police review board through the courts all the way to the State Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court.

In addition, the mayor publicly supports legislation to give police review boards subpoena powers. Having such powers would make these review boards more effective in their investigations, deliberations, and decision making.

In all of his campaigns for office Mayor Baraka has promised to fight police brutality and to work for police reform and accountability. He has kept that promise and for this reason I believe he is deserving of a third term as mayor of Newark.