A ribbon-cutting ceremony is being held May 12 for the opening of the Shani Baraka Women’s Resource Center in Newark.
The center is named after Shani Isis Makeda Jones Baraka, the sister of Newark mayor Ras Baraka. Shani Baraka was murdered in August 2003, along with her friend Rayshon Holmes, by the Barakas’ estranged brother-in-law. He already had an extensive history of domestic violence against their other sister when he went looking for her but instead found Shani Baraka and Holmes at the sister’s home, fatally shooting both of them.
Shani Baraka was a teacher with Newark Public Schools who also helped the Malcolm X Shabazz High School Girls Basketball Team win championships as their coach. She was an activist for the LGBT Community and Women’s Rights. She was 31 years old at the time of her murder.
Located in Newark’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood, the 12,000 square-foot building will serve as a one-stop center for women in crisis, needing emergency services and needing information from across the city. It will house the Police Division’s Domestic Violence Response Team, the Missing Persons Unit and the Special Victims Unit.
It will also have facilities for the Department of Health and Community Wellness, the Family Service League/SAVE of Essex Crisis–Rape Crisis Center and RZ The Flags to provide immediate full-time, on-site health screening; crisis, mental health and addiction counseling and mental health services; victims’ and children’s assistance and support; and employment counseling. Emergency services for food, clothing and shelter will also be provided.