Mildred C. Crump (born 1938) was a councilperson on the Municipal Council of Newark from 1994-1998 and again from 2006-2021, and is the first Black woman to serve on the city's governing body. She was the first African American Braille teacher in New Jersey.[1][2][3] InsiderNJ called her "legendary".[4] Former Mayor Luis A. Quintana said of her “I see her as someone who was a pioneer as an African-American female".[5]

Early life

Crump was born in Detroit to Edgar Coleman and Mattie Lee Johnson.[6] She graduated from Wayne State University.[3] She became the first African-American Braille teacher in the City of Detroit.[3] She moved to New Jersey in 1965 and she became the first African-American Braille teacher in the state.[3] She received her master's degree from Rutgers University–Newark in Public Administration.[3] She was a teacher and consultant for many years with the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired.[7] She was married to Cecil Crump with whom she had two children.[6][8]

Political career

Crump ran for Council election as early as 1989 on a platform of fair taxation, help for tenants, and better education.[9] She was the first Black woman to serve on the Municipal Council when she was elected in 1994.[8] Crump was elected on June 14, 1994, beating Donald Kofi Tucker in a run off election.[8] She was the first woman to serve as council president for Newark, New Jersey, serving from 2006-2010 and from 2013–2021.[10] She ran for Mayor in 1998, trying to call attention to crime, school failure, and corruption under Sharpe James.[11][12] She served on the council for 19 total years before she resigned in 2021, as Councilman-At-Large (1994-1998, 2006–2021).[10][13] She served under Mayors Sharpe James, Cory Booker, and Ras Baraka. After her resignation[14] the Council voted to give the seat to her son Larry Crump.[15]

She received awards such as the Susan Burgess Memorial Award for Exemplary Leadership from the National Democratic Municipal Officials.[16] She received a Public Service Lifetime Achievement Award from the NJ chapter of the American Society for Public Administration. She was on InsiderNJ's 2021 African American Power List.[4] She is in the New Jersey State League of Municipalities Elected Officials Hall of Fame.[17]

Other accomplishments

Crump founded Newark Women's Conference, Inc., an organization whose purpose is to promote the empowerment of women in Newark and vicinity.[3] She also appeared on TV as host of “Straight Talk with Mildred Crump”.[3][18] She was a founding member of the New Jersey Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., the National Political Congress for Black Women of Newark, and the Global Women's Leadership Collaborative of New Jersey.[3] She is a past President and member of the board of trustees for Integrity House, Inc., Vice-chairperson of the Steering Committee of the Bridge to Recovery, charter member of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C., past chairman of the Board of Directors, Habitat for Humanity, Newark and Golden Heritage Life Member of the Newark Branch NAACP.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Robinson, Nina (June 26, 1994). "For a Newark Woman, an Election Victory Is Latest of Firsts". The New York Times. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  2. ↑ "City Council President Mildred Crump Resigns, Her Son Is Sworn-in to At-large Seat". TAPinto. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Mildred C. Crump – Rutgers African American Alumni Alliance". Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  4. 1 2 Hughes, Clyde Hughes (2021-02-21). "InsiderNJ's 2021 African American Power List in Honor of Black History Month". Insider NJ. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  5. ↑ Strunsky, Steve; Economopoulos, Aristide Economopoulos (February 21, 2022). "Newark's 1st Black councilwoman celebrated as a trailblazer who 'led from a place in her heart'". nj.com. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  6. 1 2 "Mildred Crump | Newark Public Library Digital Repository". digital.npl.org. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  7. ↑ Academics, Carla Capizzi //; Events. "A city council President, a renaissance woman, a mother and son an E- JOURNAL founder among the class of 2009 at Rutgers University in Newark | Rutgers University - Newark". www.newark.rutgers.edu. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  8. 1 2 3 Robinson, Nina (1994-06-26). "For a Newark Woman, an Election Victory Is Latest of Firsts". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  9. ↑ "Mildred Crump: Councilwoman at Large | Newark Public Library Digital Repository". digital.npl.org. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  10. 1 2 "Mildred Crump resigns Newark Council seat". New Jersey Globe. 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  11. ↑ "METRO NEWS BRIEFS: NEW JERSEY; Opponent Challenges Newark Mayor's Report". The New York Times. 1998-02-12. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  12. ↑ Tuttle, Brad R. (2009). How Newark became Newark : the rise, fall, and rebirth of an American city. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rivergate Books. ISBN 978-0-8135-4656-8. OCLC 318675746.
  13. ↑ "Rutgers African American Alumni". rutgersblackalumni.com. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  14. ↑ Wildstein, David, "Mildred Crump resigns Newark Council seat", New Jersey Globe, August 24, 2021. Accessed February 23, 2022. "Newark Council President Mildred Crump, who has served on the city council on and-off for the last 27 years, has resigned for health reasons."
  15. ↑ "Despite law, Newark voters won't get to fill city council vacancy because it's too difficult to run an election". New Jersey Globe. 2021-08-25. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  16. ↑ "Crump Honored At Municipal Official Reception – DMO". nationaldmo.org. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  17. ↑ "Elected Officials Hall of Fame | New Jersey League of Municipalities". www.njlm.org. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  18. ↑ Straight Talk with Mildred Crump: 1803 Autism, retrieved 2022-02-18
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