Newark’s First Historically Designated Neighborhood –
a touchstone of Newark history, culture, and community engagement
Located on the main thoroughfare of Broad Street, Harriet Tubman Square (formerly known as Washington Park) is the green space anchor of historic Newark institutions such as the Newark Museum of Art and the Newark Public Library. Just a short walk to Halsey Street shopping and dining, the surrounding neighborhood is not only home to cultural institutions such as NJPAC, but also centers of education and innovation including North Star Academy, Rutgers-Newark Business School, Audible’s Innovation Cathedral, and Newark Venture Partners. From the historic brownstones along James Street to the modern amenity-filled Walker House and Kislak Building, the opportunities to call our Washington Park neighborhood ‘home’ continue to grow. Easily reached from Broad Street Station or by Newark Light Rail from Penn Station, we welcome you to discover our corner of the city.
A New Monument Honoring Harriet Tubman
As you walk around the monument, explore the tiles created by local residents and hear Newark’s own Queen Latifah and others narrate stories about Tubman and the city’s history of Black liberation. Audio is produced by Audible, headquartered here in Newark. The company shares in the mission to elevate underrepresented voices, bring people together through diverse storytelling, and advance racial justice and equity in the city and beyond.
Renaming Washington Park
Washington Park in Newark will now be known as Harriet Tubman Square.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka celebrated the Juneteenth holiday by presiding over a ceremony Monday at the triangular downtown park and officially renaming it after Tubman (1822-1913), who escaped enslavement, helped others do the same via the Underground Railroad, and became a noted abolitionist and voting rights advocate.
The park, which is bounded by Washington and Broad streets and Washington Place, had been named after George Washington (1732-1799), who led the Continental Army to victory in the American Revolution, became the United States’ first president, and has often been referred to as the father of the nation. Washington also enslaved hundreds of Black people on his Virginia plantation, Mount Vernon.
The renaming of the park as Harriet Tubman Square marks a pivotal moment acknowledging underrepresented histories that all Americans and Newark residents should value.
LIBERATION: Poetry Films Inspired by Harriet Tubman is a powerful series of short films inspired by the legacy of Harriet Tubman, in celebration of the new Harriet Tubman Monument in Newark. The poetry films feature original poems and performances by renowned poets Bimpé Fageyinbo, Margie “Mia X” Johnson, Kween Moore and Jasmine Mans. Directed by Yuri Alves.
The Harriet Tubman Monument Project is a powerful celebration of the legacy of abolitionist Harriet Tubman and touchpoint for the Liberation Stories of Newark, New Jersey and beyond, and is physically centered in the new Harriet Tubman Square Park in Newark.
