Report To The Community 2022

homecoming for a
living legend
“Godfather of Funk” and Rock
& Roll Hall of Famer George
Clinton, the singer, producer
and frontman of Parliament
Funkadelic, revolutionized R&B
in the 1970s, blending soul
and acid rock into his own
special sound. His Parliament
Funkadelic recorded more
than 40 R&B hit singles and
three platinum albums.
Clinton’s legendary career
began in his hometown of
Newark, where he grew
up, and nearby Plainfield,
where his five-decade-long
career launched.
Celebrating the 80th birthday of
“godfather of funk” george clinton
In March, NJPAC hosted a
two-day celebration of Clinton’s
80th birthday, a collaboration
between Community Engagement
and mainstage programming.
What was clear from the
get-go is that this octogenarian
remains an electrifying presence,
both on stage and off.
The celebration began on March
17 when NJPAC escorted Clinton
to his former elementary school,
Newark’s Avon Avenue School,
for the official renaming of its
music room, now the George
Clinton Band Room. Clinton
toured the school, saw his name
and a new mural of his visage
up on the walls and performed
his greatest hits for the children,
backed by a band of Avon
Avenue teachers and students.
After the excitement of the music
died down, Clinton answered
questions from the students
and reunited with old friends
from the neighborhood. Mayor
Ras J. Baraka and Newark
Schools Superintendent Roger
Leon were also in attendance.
At the event, co-produced by
NJPAC and the Power to Inspire
Foundation with Ray and
Vivian Chew, more than $5,000
worth of musical equipment
was donated to the school
through Clinton’s partnership
with the music company JBL.
Later, a street in Plainfield was
renamed Parliament Funkadelic
Way in Clinton’s honor.
The next day, Clinton and his
band stepped onto the Betty
Wold Johnson stage to deliver
the funkiest performance
Prudential Hall had heard in
years. They played hours of hits
for an ecstatic full house, with
numerous special guests on hand
including singer Nona Hendyrx
of the group Labelle (best
known for “Lady Marmalade”),
drummer Questlove (The Roots
and The Tonight Show Starring
Jimmy Fallon), rapper and
actor Ice-T, Treach of Naughty
by Nature and Eric B. of the
rap duo Eric B. & Rakim.
The party didn’t end there,
but continued in the NJPAC
lobby, where the Arts Center’s
Community Engagement
department hosted a
post-concert DJ dance party
that reached across the lobby
from the rotunda to the doors
of NICO Kitchen + Bar. •
Left: George Clinton greets
students during a visit to his
former elementary school,
Newark’s Avon Avenue School.
Right: Clinton performing for a
full house in Prudential Hall.
standing in solidarity:
talking about race,
justice and equity
NJPAC’s Standing in Solidarity programs, which launched
with the resurgence of the social justice movement in
2020, continue to bring people together this season for
monthly conversations on race, justice and equity.
Donna Walker-Kuhne, NJPAC’s Senior Advisor, Diversity,
Equity and Inclusion, spearheads the conversation series
in partnership with the Social Justice Programming Task
Force, comprised of NJPAC staff and community leaders.
At a Standing in Solidarity Racial Healing Circle — the initiative’s
first in-person event, held in September — two dozen people
gathered to share their stories, led by Sharon Stroye, Director
of the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Center and
Director of Public Engagement in the School of Public Affairs and
Administration at Rutgers University-Newark. The event included
one-on-one and small group discussions of each participant’s life
experiences — including when they felt unheard or disrespected.
“I appreciated the energy of each person,” says Walker-Kuhne.
“Looking each other in the eye strengthens what we learn
about each other.”
“We want to remove any ideas of helplessness and replace
them with hope and action,” she continues. “We don’t want
to only address how challenging the world is. We want to
say: here’s what you can do to transform the environment,
whether it’s advocating with elected officials, reading
new materials or developing allies or becoming one.”
Most Standing in Solidarity programs are part of the PSEG True
Diversity Film Series — a virtual program for which participants
watch a documentary at home, then convene online for a
conversation with thought leaders on a different topic each month.
Recent topics included colorism (bias against those with dark
skin that occurs within and outside communities of color),
environmental justice, supporting LGBTQ+ youth, hate directed
against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities
and challenges facing Black inventors and entrepreneurs.
“Through dialogue, we’re able to unpack difficult
topics but look at them through the lens of ‘I am going
to be a change agent,’” says Walker-Kuhne.
“I see this as a pathway toward a more harmonious,
humanistic, respectful society.” •
58
njpac.org
njpac.org 59