(NEWARK, NJ) -- The Newark Reimagining Safety Festival will be held on Saturday, August 10, 2024 at Express Newark. This transformative event will bring together public safety advocates, community organizers, artists, and more to highlight and discuss alternative approaches to safety and justice in our communities. This event will feature the award winning documentary film Reimagining Safety by Matthew Solomon, which explores the ways in which traditional approaches to policing and incarceration create more harm than good, why the system persists, and what changes can be made to make everyone safe. The event takes place from 12:00pm to 5:00pm.
“My goal with "Reimagining Safety," which began as my master's in public administration final project, was for it to be used as an educational and motivational tool for positive social change”, said filmmaker Matthew Solomon. “I am thrilled that this event, which includes our 61st screening of the film, incorporates all of the elements that lead to our collective liberation and sustainability: education, connection, art, and community.”
A panel discussion featuring filmmaker Matthew Solomon, Hawk Newsome (Black Lives Matter NY/Black Opportunities), Rev. Keyanna Jones, and moderator Naomi Stevens (Zion Park NJ), will immediately follow the film screening. Additional speakers include Newark activist Baba Zayid Muhammad.
“Now more than ever, it is time for us to rethink what policing is in America. Everything around us is changing and policing is the failing system that we hold on to”, said Hawk Newsome, co-founder of Black Lives Matter NY and Black Opportunities.
The Reimagining Safety Festival will also include a community tabling area, featuring Newark-area organizations, an art exhibit showcasing works that explore themes of social justice and community, and a musical performance by Arrow.
Yvonne Shirley, Director of the Community Media Center at Express Newark said that, “Express Newark's Community Media Center is a space for using art to bring together artists, organizers and community members. We are proud to be the host partner of this special program meant to inspire us to create the communities we seek."
Matthew Williams, Founder of I’m So Newark is “excited to continue I'm So Newark's mission of highlighting positive activities here in the city through our collaboration on this event. This will be an event where positive activism meets creative expression.”
The Newark Reimagining Safety Festival is open to all community members. There is no cost to attend, but registration is requested. Attendees are invited to join in the discussions and reimagine safety. Express Newark is located at 54 Halsey Street, part of Rutgers University-Newark.
For more information about the Newark Reimagining Safety Festival, including the full schedule and details on how to participate, please click here.
Worldwide protests following the 2020 murder of George Floyd included calls to defund or abolish the police until a sharp rise in crime gave politicians and police supporters the fuel they needed to suppress the movement. Unfortunately, a detailed conversation about transforming public safety was never had. In this film (shot on iPhone), 10 experts discuss how policing and incarceration create more harm than good, why the system persists, and what changes can be made to make everyone safe.
In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, director Matthew Solomon returned to school to earn a master's degree in Public Administration in order to better position himself to use his privilege and access to help work towards positive social change. In his MPA program, Matthew began applying the coursework regarding sustainability and workable societies to the issues with policing and incarceration. He thought this would be a step away from filmmaking, however, his academic advisors suggested he create a documentary film for his thesis project. Reimagining Safety is that film.
Nestled in the heart of Newark, NJ, Zion Park is a dynamic cultural hub dedicated to transforming underutilized spaces into vibrant, community-driven environments. Founded in 2020 by Naomi Stevens, Zion Park NJ began as a humble initiative to rehabilitate vacant lots, starting with a garden and event space in the West Ward. Today, it stands as a beacon of land justice and social healing, celebrating Newark's rich culture through engaging events, sustainable initiatives, and community empowerment. Zion Park’s mission is to redefine the narrative of Newark, one community space and one event at a time.
I’m So Newark is a non-profit multimedia and news organization focusing on Newark and its surrounding communities. Its mission is to offset the negative press prevalent in mainstream media by promoting positive activities within the local community. I’m So Newark focuses on positive journalism, events, art, filmmaking, and local achievements.
Express Newark is a center for socially engaged art and design in Newark, NJ where people co-create, collaborate, and make art for social change. Supported by Rutgers University – Newark, Express Newark’s exhibitions, classes, and programs actively cultivate a dynamic, open, and welcoming space for artists of all ages. The Community Media Center at Express Newark is a digital storytelling studio nurturing the creation and preservation of community-authored narratives.
