The Grassroots of Brick City

A History of Community Organizing for School Reform in Newark, New Jersey, 1960s - 2010s

Authors

  • Jordan P. Fullam California State University, San Bernardino

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14288/ce.v16i3.186555

Keywords:

urban education, community organizing, poverty, school reform

Abstract

This paper documents the history of community organizing in Newark, New Jersey, from 1960 - present. Drawing on interviews with activists, policymakers, and school reformers, the paper explores school reform as a civil rights issue and explores the potential of community organizing to improve conditions in urban schools. The paper concludes that community organizing in Newark has (1) increased representation for people of color in positions of institutional authority, and (2) achieved intermediate reforms that improved conditions in urban schools. However, community organizers in Newark have often come up against a power structure that resists broader challenges to class inequality.

Author Biography

Jordan P. Fullam, California State University, San Bernardino

Jordan P. Fullam is Professor of Teacher Education and Foundations at California State University, San Bernardino. His research spans educational philosophy, culturally responsive and equity-focused educational practices, and historical and sociological perspectives on community organizing and youth activism.

Downloads

Published

2025-08-15

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 3 (2025)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Jordan P Fullam

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with Critical Education agree to the following terms:

  • Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  • Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  • Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).