Ras J. BarakaThe Honorable Ras J. Baraka is the 40th Mayor of the City of Newark. Born and raised in Newark, with family who've lived in the city for more than 80 years, Mayor Baraka’s progressive approach to governing has won him accolades from grassroots organizations to the White House. His father, the late Amiri Baraka, a legendary poet, playwright and political activist, was intimately connected with the events that occurred in Newark in 1967. Read More Read Less