Monday, November 20, 2006

Cory the Crusader finds a way to keep a lid on Newark

Evicted From a Blighted Street, Newark’s Mayor Finds Another - New York Times: We need a lot more people like this so we can have all strata in our communities; neighborhoods used to be like small towns, and need to be that way again to prosper. Most people don't have Booker's courage or his moral imperative, but that's what it's going to take to win the cities back. He's not living in a gated community or a tax-abated development, either. When you read the article, notice the comments of his detractors. Here's Booker's basic strategy:

"Convinced that his very presence can have catalytic effects on a neighborhood, he said he would spend a year or so on Hawthorne Avenue. His new home, on the top floor of a three-unit building, looks out onto an elementary school. Eventually, he said, he would like to build his own house, ideally in another trouble spot. “I want to live in a place where I can leverage myself in the best possible way, where I can be part of the struggle for deeper justice in an urban community,” he said. "

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