(NEWARK, NJ) -- Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka will host the annual 24 Hrs. of Peace event, starting Friday, September 5 at 6:00pm, and continuing to Saturday, September 6, 2025 at 6:00pm. The 24 Hrs. of Peace event uses the hip hop culture to engage the community and have meaningful dialogue centered on nonviolence and conflict resolution. The event is free and open to the public. It takes place at South 10th Street and Central Avenue in the West Ward.
“Non-violence and peace are critical elements of city life that can always be plumbed to deeper levels, every day, in every neighborhood. In Newark, we continue our mission of violence prevention, never resting on the laurels of having reduced violence to levels not seen in generations,” said Mayor Baraka. “This annual 24-hour event merges Newark’s vibe with the vibrations of hip hop, creating a synergy that yields powerful transformation and celebration. It is a highlight in our year’s long, daily efforts toward harmony and care for one another.”
Headline entertainers scheduled to perform include Kool G Rap, Jacquees, RL, Case, DaBaby Jadakiss, Scarlip, 41, DJ Lil Man, and DJ Taj and Friends.
Mayor Baraka founded 24 Hrs. of Peace 15 years ago when he was Council Member for the South Ward, and made it a citywide event when he was elected mayor. The annual event advocates violence-free neighborhoods and promotes community building for parents, children, artists, business owners, and faith and community-based organizations. The festival offers the city a direct channel to engage with residents and connect them with the resources they need.
“For me, music is the most powerful art form for uniting people’s hearts, building community, and creating shared joy and trust. It can bathe us in an energy of resilience and renewal. And that’s why 24 Hrs. of Peace is such an important element in Newark’s data-based, multi-pronged, systematic approach to reducing violence and recovering from generations of trauma,” said Amiri Baraka, Jr., Newark’s Chief of Staff and event co-founder. “During these 24 hours, we harness the expression of hip hop as a vehicle for dialog about harm, hurt, healing and harmony. We infuse these 24 hours with positivity, and draw larger crowds each year.”
The 24 Hrs. of Peace event is the finale of Newark’s Peace Week, offering a wide range of activities that unite the city around a focus on unity and caring for each other.
“Peace Week is more than a series of events — it’s a movement to transform Newark by creating safe spaces, building unity, and strengthening our community,” said Brick City Peace Collective Director Jessiah Paul. “Through initiatives like the Mayor’s Family Meeting, Ride 4 Peace, the Senior Health Village, our Self-Defense Seminar and other activities leading up to the 24 Hrs. of Peace, we’re bringing residents, partners, and city leaders together with one shared goal: reducing violence through awareness, empowerment, and connection. When we come together, we shift the culture from conflict to collaboration, from fear to safety, and from isolation to healing. The 24 Hrs. of Peace represents the culmination of this collective effort — a celebration of love, music, and community resilience, showing the world that Newark is leading the way in redefining public safety and unity.”
Since taking office in 2014, Mayor Baraka has made crime and violence reduction a high priority by addressing it as a public health issue. The administration’s innovating steps have included Community Street Teams, the Newark Anti-Violence Coalition, My Brother’s Keeper, and the creation of the Shani Baraka Women’s Center, which provides a wide range of services for women and families in crisis, ranging from victim support, to career counseling, to artistic therapy.
A major initiative under the Baraka administration has been the creation of the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery (OVPTR), which addresses both crime’s causes and its impact in a holistic manner, uniting private and public agencies at the personal and community levels. OVPTR provides treatment for the entire person, including such factors as family issues, addictions, education, societal and cultural norms, and neighborhood dynamics.
“24 Hrs. of Peace is not just an event, it is a sacred space where our entire city comes together to pause, to heal, and to stand as one,” said Deputy Mayor of Public Safety LaKeesha Eure. “In Newark, we know that peace cannot be achieved in isolation; it requires the presence, the voice, and the commitment of all of us...families, youth, elders, leaders, and neighbors. This citywide gathering is a reminder that violence does not define who we are, but our unity, resilience, continued work and investment in community and love for one another do. When we choose peace for 24 hours, we plant seeds that ripple far beyond a day – we create a vision of the City of Newark our children and the entire world deserve to see every single day.”
The result of the city’s public safety ecosystem which includes OVPTR and the Department of Public Safety, have reduced homicides in Newark by more than 60 percent under the Baraka administration, and gained the city national recognition for violence reduction by former President Barack Obama.
“The Office of Violence Prevention & Trauma Recovery, is excited to once again co-sponsor this year's 24 Hrs. of Peace concert, a tradition of healing and unity for Newark,” said OVPTR Director Kyleesha Wingfield-Hill. “Beyond celebration, the event connects residents with critical community resources and provides on-site support to ensure residents have immediate access to services that promote their safety in a real way.”
Last year’s event was designed to uplift and empower women by featuring female performers, and included Mýa, Rah Digga, Lady Luck, Lola Brooke, Leah Jenea, Yo-Yo, Nikki D, Roxanne Shanté, Justina Valentine, The Lady of Rage, Lady London, Sunshine Anderson, Asian Doll, Juciiy 2xs and Monie Love. The 2023 event was headlined by Ghostface Killah, Redman, Milk Dee, AZ and Lil Mo. The 2022 co-host was Newark native and multi-hyphenate entertainment legend Queen Latifah and the musical headliner was Faith Evans, who graduated from University High School.
The event has launched much local talent to stardom, including singer/songwriter/actress Leah Jene, K’Lynn Jackman, who went on to star in Broadway’s “The Lion King,” and child motivational speaker King Nahh, whose father, worldwide entertainer consultant Dash Hudson appeared at last year’s event.
Chief of Staff Baraka, Jr. and hip-hop artist Hakim Green, co-founder of 24 Hrs. of Peace, are once again cohosting this year’s annual event and will feature hometown spoken word poets, performing ensembles, and DJs as part of the star-studded lineup.
“This year’s 24 Hrs. of Peace is the most important to date. Thanks to Mayor Baraka, every year gets bigger and better – but considering the current times we’re facing, a call to peace is needed more than ever,” said Mr. Green. “We’re getting so much love for this year’s lineup that includes Kool G Rap, Jacquees, DaBaby and Jadakiss. I’m extremely excited about this year’s 24 Hrs. of Peace!”
Beginning 15 years ago with a small stage towed into an open space – with lights powered by a car battery – 24 Hrs. of Peace will attract thousands of residents this year, as well as enable sellout sales to retail and food vendors. Municipal departments will be on hand throughout to distribute information about critical resources, services, and programs.
