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Mildred C. Crump

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Mildred C. Crump
President of the Municipal Council of Newark
In office
2013–2021
Preceded byLuis A. Quintana
Succeeded byLaMonica McIver
In office
2006–2010
Preceded byDonald Bradley
Succeeded byDonald Payne Jr.
Member of the Municipal Council of Newark
In office
2006–2021
In office
1994–1998
Personal details
Born
Mildred Joyce Coleman

(1938-11-03)November 3, 1938
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
DiedDecember 1, 2024(2024-12-01) (aged 86)
SpouseCecil Crump (died 1993)
Children2
Alma mater
ProfessionEducator

Mildred Joyce Coleman Crump[1] (November 3, 1938 – December 1, 2024) was an American politician who served on the Municipal Council of Newark, New Jersey from 1994 to 1998 and again from 2006 to 2021 and is the first Black woman to have served on the city's governing body. She was the first African American Braille teacher in New Jersey.[2][3][4] InsiderNJ called her "legendary".[5] Former Mayor Luis A. Quintana said of her "I see her as someone who was a pioneer as an African-American female".[6]

Early life

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Mildred Joyce Coleman was born in Detroit to Edgar Coleman and Mattie Lee Johnson on November 3, 1938.[7][8] She graduated from Wayne State University.[4] She became the first African-American Braille teacher in the City of Detroit.[4] She moved to New Jersey in 1965 and she became the first African-American Braille teacher in the state.[4] She received her master's degree from Rutgers University–Newark in Public Administration.[4] She was a teacher and consultant for many years with the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired.[9] She was married to Cecil Crump, with whom she had two children, until his death from cancer in 1993.[8][2][10]

Political career

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Crump ran for Council election as early as 1989 on a platform of fair taxation, help for tenants, and better education.[11] She was the first Black woman to serve on the Municipal Council when she was elected in 1994.[2] She also unsuccessfully sought election in 1990.[10] She was elected on June 14, 1994, beating Donald Kofi Tucker in a run off election.[2] She was the first woman to serve as council president for Newark, New Jersey, serving from 2006 to 2010 and from 2013 to 2021.[12] She ran for Mayor in 1998, trying to call attention to crime, school failure, and corruption under Sharpe James.[13][14] She served on the council for 19 total years before she resigned in 2021, as Councilman-At-Large (1994–1998, 2006–2021).[12][15] She served under Mayors Sharpe James, Cory Booker, and Ras Baraka. After her resignation[16] the Council voted to give the seat to her son Larry Crump.[17]

She received awards such as the Susan Burgess Memorial Award for Exemplary Leadership from the National Democratic Municipal Officials.[18] She received a Public Service Lifetime Achievement Award from the NJ chapter of the American Society for Public Administration.[citation needed] She was on InsiderNJ's 2021 African American Power List.[5] She is in the New Jersey State League of Municipalities Elected Officials Hall of Fame.[19]

Other accomplishments

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Crump founded Newark Women's Conference, Inc., an organization whose purpose is to promote the empowerment of women in Newark and vicinity.[4] She also appeared on TV as host of “Straight Talk with Mildred Crump”.[4][20] 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.[4] She was 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.[4]

Death

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Crump died on December 1, 2024, at the age of 86.[10]

References

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  1. ^ Pizarro, Max (December 1, 2024). "Rest in Peace, Honorable Mildred C. Crump of Newark". Insider NJ. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Robinson, Nina (June 26, 1994). "For a Newark Woman, an Election Victory Is Latest of Firsts". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  3. ^ "City Council President Mildred Crump Resigns, Her Son Is Sworn-in to At-large Seat". TAPinto. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Mildred C. Crump – Rutgers African American Alumni Alliance". Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Hughes, Clyde Hughes (February 21, 2021). "InsiderNJ's 2021 African American Power List in Honor of Black History Month". Insider NJ. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  6. ^ 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 June 14, 2022.
  7. ^ "Hon. Mildred C. Crump". The Star-Ledger. Legacy.com. December 8, 2024. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Mildred Crump | Newark Public Library Digital Repository". digital.npl.org. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  9. ^ 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 February 18, 2022.
  10. ^ a b c Wildstein, David (December 1, 2024). "Mildred Crump, longtime Newark councilwoman, dies at 86". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  11. ^ "Mildred Crump: Councilwoman at Large | Newark Public Library Digital Repository". digital.npl.org. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Mildred Crump resigns Newark Council seat". New Jersey Globe. August 24, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  13. ^ "METRO NEWS BRIEFS: NEW JERSEY; Opponent Challenges Newark Mayor's Report". The New York Times. February 12, 1998. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ "Rutgers African American Alumni". rutgersblackalumni.com. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  16. ^ 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."
  17. ^ "Despite law, Newark voters won't get to fill city council vacancy because it's too difficult to run an election". New Jersey Globe. August 25, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  18. ^ "Crump Honored At Municipal Official Reception – DMO". nationaldmo.org. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  19. ^ "Elected Officials Hall of Fame | New Jersey League of Municipalities". www.njlm.org. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  20. ^ Straight Talk with Mildred Crump: 1803 Autism, retrieved February 18, 2022
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