Newest Americans

06/19/2024

The recorded artist at Halsey Festival 2023.

04/22/2024

This Friday! A Talk with Dr. Diya Abdo, Founding Director, Every Campus A Refuge on her book “American Refuge: True Stories of the Refugee Experience.” Friday, April 26 at 1:00PM at Express Newark, #213.

02/07/2024

📣 NEW Series: The Great Migration. Newark residents came on the and shared their family history, showing how Newark was transformed by the Great Migration. For listen to all six short stories at: https://newestamericans.com/story-bus/ Through these stories, we better understand how the Great Migration, in which 6 million African Americans left the segregated South and headed north between 1910s and 1970s, is not part of the distant past, but very present in the neighborhoods, art, music, food and culture of Newark.

Photos by Chrys Davis (IG Foto) taken on the Story Bus.

This series was made possible by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation

Special thanks to New Jersey Council for the Humanities for their continued support.

Newest Americans Americans is a partnership between Talking Eyes Media and the Center for Migration and the Global City at Rutgers University—Newark.

Honors Living Learning Community at Rutgers University Newark Department of Africana Studies at Rutgers-Newark

01/05/2024

Meet Newark artist Bisa Wendy Washington, the 6th and final feature in our series of Newark stories related to the Great Migration. Bisa's family migrated from Georgia.

“A wise person told me this three years ago. You must have a port… this is my port. I'm always going to come home again. I love Newark.”

In this series we share stories that show how Newark was transformed by the Great Migration, when 6 million African Americans left the South and headed North between 1910 and 1970. These stories are not part of the distant past, but present in the neighborhoods, art, music, food and culture of Newark.

The Newark Story Bus has collected hundreds of photographs and stories of the people of Newark to document and honor the past, present and future of our migrating identities.

Newest Americans is a collaborative project between Rutgers University Newark and Talking Eyes Media

➡️Bisa Wendy Washington's story was recorded at Halsey Festival 2023

➡This series was made possible by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation

Rutgers University—Newark Rutgers University—Newark Honors Living Learning Community at Rutgers University Newark Department of Africana Studies at Rutgers-Newark

12/04/2023

Meet Newark resident Charles Upshaw Jr., whose grandparents migrated to Newark from Mississippi to find work.

“When I turned 16 years old, I told my mother, I said, Mom, you don't have to do anything for me anymore. I will take care of myself from here on out.”

His story is the fifth in our Great Migration series. These stories are not part of the distant past, but present in the neighborhoods, music, food and culture of Newark.

Over the past two years, the has collected hundreds of photographs and stories of the people of Newark to document and honor the past, present and future of our migrating identities.

🎙️ Charles’ story was recorded at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in 2022.

📸 Photos by Sy Battle

🙏🏽This series was made possible by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation


Rutgers University—Newark

11/29/2023

Meet Newark resident Kalenah Witcher, whose parents hail from Oxford, North Carolina, and Athens, Georgia. "I'm a school psychologist. I'm also one of the founding board members for Newark G.A.L.S., Inc., which is a nonprofit aimed at exposing girls to life skills and role models and mentorships. I love this place."

Her story is the fourth in our new series related to the Great Migration. These stories are not part of the distant past, but present in the neighborhoods, music, food and culture of Newark.

Over the past two years, our Newest Americans project the has collected hundreds of photographs and stories of the people of Newark to document and honor the past, present and future of our migrating identities.

➡Kalenah Witcher’s story was recorded at 2023. Photographer Chrys Davis

➡This series was made possible by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation

Rutgers University—Newark

11/14/2023

Meet resident James Carter. At age 7, James left Alabama with the clothes on his back and arrived to Newark in a 62' Fleetwood Cadillac!

This story is the third in our new series related to the Great Migration. When 6 million African Americans moved from the South to the North between 1910 and 1970, Newark was transformed. These stories are not part of the distant past, but present in the neighborhoods, music, food and culture of Newark.

Over the past two years, our Newest Americans project the has collected hundreds of photographs and stories of the people of Newark to document and honor the past, present and future of our migrating identities.

➡James Carter’s story was recorded at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)

➡This series was made possible by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation

Talking Eyes Media Rutgers University—Newark

11/06/2023

Meet Brenda Shumpert Gibson, the second in our new series of stories related to the Great Migration. Brenda’s parents emigrated from South Carolina, after the K*K burned her father's business down twice.

In this series we share stories that show how Newark was transformed by the Great Migration, when 6 million African Americans moved from the South to the North between 1910 and 1970. These stories are not part of the distant past, but present in the neighborhoods, music, food and culture of Newark.

Over the past two years, our Newest Americans project the has collected hundreds of photographs and stories of the people of Newark to document and honor the past, present and future of our migrating identities.

➡Brenda Shumpert Gibson’s story was recorded at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) .

➡This series was made possible by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation

Talking Eyes Media Rutgers University—NewarkNew Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)

11/02/2023

Newark, NJ, was transformed by the Great Migration, when 6 million African Americans moved from the South to the North between 1910 and 1970. People were uprooted, families splintered, and new lives took root in unfamiliar places. These stories are not part of some distant past, but are present in the neighborhoods, music, food and culture of Newark.

Over the past two years, The Newark Story Bus has collected hundreds of photographs and stories of the people of Newark to document and honor the past, present and future of our migrating identities.

This is the first of our brand new series of stories related to the Great Migration. Meet Bryan Britton, an Ironworker and resident of Newark. His parents are from South Carolina, his father picked cotton.

➡Bryan Britton's story was recorded at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) .
➡This series was made possible by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation

Talking Eyes Media Rutgers University—Newark

10/16/2023

🎥 Starting this week: The Immigration Film Fest - Powerful stories like the film "Maka" which shares Geneviéve Makaping’s life in Italy and perilous migration journey. By sharing Makaping’s experience as the first Black news editor in Italy, Maka speaks out against the media representation of immigrants and offers an evocative examination of the intersection between sexism and racism in Italy. From Moroccan-born Italian director Elia Moutamid, this documentary offers a poignant exploration of displacement, identity, and belonging. Link to schedule and tickets: https://watch.eventive.org/immigrationfilmfest2023

09/18/2023

For , we're sharing stories from Newark's population recorded on the . Hear stories about coming out to conservative Catholic parents, a belated ticket to the U.S. via the Bracero program, finding a pathway to citizenship through the military, a mother who survived El Tren de la Muerte to become a successful businesswoman, and more... https://newestamericans.com/story-bus/ Rutgers University—Newark Rutgers Global

09/15/2023

Don’t miss it!

09/13/2023

SEE YA TOMORROW, THURSDAY 9/14! At the Halsey Festival 4:00-7:00. Come on the , sit for a photo session with professional photographer Chrys Davis and record your story about life in . We'll be at the end of the block at Halsey and Linden.

09/06/2023

So excited to be with these exceptional students at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya last week! Working in partnership with the Elimisha Kakuma Open Society University Network, which run college preparatory courses to help gifted students gain access to higher education, we offered a visual storytelling workshop.

This initiative is part of ongoing work Rutgers University—Newark and Talking Eyes Media. Special thanks to Rutgers Center for African Studies and Rutgers Global for supporting this work!

09/05/2023

Scenes from Kenya's Kakuma Refugee Camp during our visual storytelling workshop with Rutgers University—Newark, Elimisha Kakuma, and Open Society University Network. Special thanks to Rutgers Center for African Studies and Rutgers Global for supporting this work!

09/05/2023

Some of our wonderful students at Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya where we taught a Visual Storytelling Workshop. The class was held in partnership with Elimisha Kakuma and Open Society University Network, which run college preparatory courses to help these gifted students gain access to higher education. Despite profound obstacles, this inspiring group of young people are determined to push beyond the boundaries of their refugee status. Our initiative is part of ongoing work with Talking Eyes Media and Rutgers University—Newark. Special thanks to Rutgers Center for African Studies and Rutgers Global for supporting this work!

08/09/2023

Today is screening in at the National Brownfields Conference. To learn more about brownfield sites and EJ efforts in Newark, NJ, check out the Newest Americans project Invisible Hazard at https://tinyurl.com/jv6r58kr and the Talking Eyes Media project The Sacrifice Zone at https://thesacrificezone.org/ Ironbound Community Corporation

Today is screening in at the National Brownfields Conference at 11:45ET. To learn more about brownfield sites and EJ efforts in Newark, NJ, check out the Newest Americans project Invisible Hazard at https://tinyurl.com/jv6r58kr
and The Sacrifice Zone at https://thesacrificezone.org/ Ironbound Community Corporation

07/20/2023

🎉🚍📸🎤 TONIGHT 7/20 (6-9pm) The will be at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) for with the Sugarhill Gang. We'll be recording the rich stories that make Newark a global city and taking photographic portraits. Do you have a story about living in ? Come and hop on the bus, share your story and have take your portrait, for no cost. Look for the colorful bus, you can't miss us!

Special thanks to Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation for funding this event, GERA Luz and WERC for designing the eye catching exterior of the bus that evokes our mixed cultural heritages, and Rutgers University—Newark for continued support.

Learn more about the Newark Story Bus at https://newestamericans.com/story-bus/

07/13/2023

Tonight we're dancing at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) with DJ Felix Hernandez! Next Thursday, we're back with the . If you have not gotten your portrait taken by photographer or come on the bus to record your story, set you calendar and we'll see you next week!

Get your own front row seat! DJ Felix Hernandez will get the party started this Thursday to kick off Sounds of the City! Enter for a chance to win a FREE lawn chair from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey by dropping a 🪑 in the comments below 🔽🔽

06/20/2023

🌎 Today is World Refugee Day 🌏 Hourie Tafech, a Palestinian refugee, has defied the odds to access higher education. Follow her journey as a third generation refugee living in Lebanon all the way to a PhD in the United States. For 95% of refugee youth, this trajectory is unattainable. Click below to hear her story
📷 Ed Kashi

From 2011 to 2021, the total number of people worldwide forced to flee their homes due to conflict, violence, fear of persecution, and human rights

05/19/2023

🎉Three cheers to Gallery Aferro Co-Founder Evonne M. Davis who became “Artistic Director Emerita” this year. Evonne retrofitted our , turning an Econoline into a mobile media hub that has captured hundreds of personal stories and portraits of the people of . We love you Evonne!

"Evonne is a builder, someone who works from a vision of what the world could be, with improvements. Her drive, bravery and ingenuity is what made Gallery Aferro, as a DIY artist space, assume a substantive, lasting form as a respected community resource offering not just innovative exhibits, but a residency program, public programming, educational resources, publications, and a seemingly endless rollout of new features, initiatives, and large and small efforts undertaken solely to explore ideas and make people happy." click link to read more

05/08/2023

Last month we released six ✨incredible✨ stories from Newark's Latinx population, the fastest-growing demographic in the city. Check them out on our site to hear stories of coming out to conservative Catholic parents, a belated ticket to the U.S. via the Bracero program, finding a pathway to citizenship through the military, a mother who survived El Tren de la Muerte to become a successful businesswoman, and more...
https://newestamericans.com/story-bus/

04/28/2023

Last month, Diya Abdo was part of a film screening hosted by Rutgers University—Newark Newest Americans. At the screening she said, “We need to hold ourselves accountable for what’s happening in the world and show up.’’

Read more about the event at the link below. 👇
https://global.rutgers.edu/rutgers-newark-focuses-supporting-young-refugees

04/27/2023

In our final installment of LatinX Newark stories, community organizer Chris Tandazo shares about how their indigenous roots led him to environmental activism.

"When I reconnected with my indigenous ancestry, I felt a call from the land, and I felt the spirit of Pachamama, which is Mother Earth, and how much pain we were experiencing with her, too. And I felt the need to do something about it, use my skill sets and use my privileges that I have as a person that has citizenship."


NJEJA - New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance

04/24/2023

Next in our series of Newark’s LatinX Voices, Angel Castillo shares his grandfather’s circuitous journey to the U.S., and his own unconventional path to citizenship.

“My grandfather was born in Milan, Italy. He served in WWII, actually, with the Italian military. You were pretty much forced to come to the war if you were over the age of 16. He escaped from Italy and went into Argentina.”

04/20/2023

In the latest story from our series of Newark’s LatinX Voices, Silvia Jaramillo-Regalado talks about “how something like virtual reality impacts the way that families can re-touch their roots and feel as if they're with their loved ones.”

04/17/2023

Jennifer Zapata talks about her mother’s treacherous journey to the U.S. in the latest installment of Newark’s LatinX Voices.

“She swam across the Rio Grande and she was on the train, like in the movies. They call it El Tren de La Muerte, the Train of Death.”

04/13/2023

Julie Winokur reflects on our recent 3-film screening about refugees and the conversation that followed.

“The stories are the magnet, the impetus for shared dialogue and a reason to convene. That is enough. The discourse and problem solving—the real value—is what happens in the discussions they spark.”

Read more: https://talkingeyesmedia.org/.../three-films-in-conversation

📸Anca Micodan/ National Geographic Photo Camp

✨ INSIGHTS✨ In this week's blog, Julie Winokur reflects on a recent 3-film screening about refugees and the conversation that followed. “The stories are the magnet, the impetus for shared dialogue and a reason to convene. That is enough. The discourse and problem solving—the real value—is what happens in the discussions they spark.”

Read more: https://talkingeyesmedia.org/blog/three-films-in-conversation

📸Anca Micodan/ National Geographic Photo Camp

04/10/2023

A thoughtful reflection from Talking Eyes Media's director on our recent screening of films about refugee youth.

Julie Winokur reflects on a recent 3-film screening about refugees and the conversation that followed:

"...they were suddenly in conversation with each other, creating a new narrative that was both timeless and timely. They became a three act play, infusing new meaning into older stories by offering the clarity of hindsight and the energy of foresight."

Read More: https://talkingeyesmedia.org/blog/three-films-in-conversation

📸 Ed Kashi

Newest Americans The Newark Museum of Art Global Urban Studies at RU-N Rutgers Center for Immigration Law, Policy and Justice Rutgers Center for Immigration Law, Policy and Justice Institute for the Study of Global Racial Justice University Alliance for Refugees and At-Risk Migrants Every Campus a Refuge UMD Community Sponsorship Hub New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice Rutgers University-Newark School of Arts and Sciences