Title
Dept/ Agency: Offices of Municipal Council/City Clerk
Action: (X) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Ceremonial Street Designation
Honoree: Hon. Charles A. Bell
Date(s): Monday, July 29, 2024
Official Street Name(s): Hon. Charles A. Bell Way
Ceremonial Intersection Name: Intersection of University Avenue and Court Street
Sponsor: Council President, LaMonica R. McIver
Additional Information:
Ceremonial Street Designation for Hon. Charles A. Bell was held on Monday, July 29, 2024 at 6:00 P.M.
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WHEREAS, Ordinance 6PSF-f, adopted on May 20, 2015, authorizes the designation of an intersection, etc. for honorary and ceremonial purposes; and
WHEREAS, Charles A. Bell, began his remarkable career in public service as a chemist/supervisor with Continental Chemical Company in New York before moving to Newark, New Jersey in 1961, with the Troy Chemical Company, where he and rapidly immersed himself in the City’s underserved African-American community seeking to change the many injustices that he encountered; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Bell studied at Rutgers University completing courses in contemporary urban problems, including job and wage disparities, labor relations and civil rights; and during the course of his educational growth he pivoted from chemist to an advocate of social, political and economic changes for the African- American underclass and working poor; and
WHEREAS, through the ensuing years, his tenacity for justice and fairness, political acumen, and negotiating skills propelled him into leadership positions in the powerful AFL-CIO Union and the Robert Treat Council, where he organized education and remedial programs for union members and construction workers; he opened doors for the underprivileged to enter health occupations and civil service jobs and became a beloved member of the community; and
WHEREAS, recognizing his leadership and organizational skills, Mayor Ken Gibson appointed him to the Newark Board of Education in 1972, where he served many years as Board President, in addition to, serving as Executive Director of the Newark Housing Council, creating new housing units; and as Affirmative Action Officer for the Newark Housing Authority; and
WHEREAS, in 2002, after many years as a political powerbroker, community organizer, and activist, Charles A. Bell ran and won a seat on the Newark Municipal Council as the Central Ward Representative; completing a lifetime of outstanding public service and commitment to serving City’s underserve community and becoming a true champion of the people.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, THAT:
1. The Municipal Council does hereby authorize the honorary and ceremonial renaming of the intersection of University Avenue and Court Street as ‘Hon. Charles A. Bell Way”.
2. The official name of the said streets shall remain University Avenue and Court Street in its entirety.
STATEMENT
This Resolution authorizes the naming of the intersection of University Avenue and Court Street as “Hon. Charles A. Bell Way”, for honorary and ceremonial purposes.