Nancy Zak and Arnold Cohen Collection

Collection

Identifier: MG Nwk Zak-Cohen

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This small collection of papers consists of papers from the personal collection of Arnold Cohen on the work of the Ironbound Airplane Noise Committee. Two newsletters were also kept in this collection, as no other issues were owned by the library - Tri Block News (Tri City People's Organization) and Newark Fair Taxation Committee Newsletter.

The bulk of photographs in this collection are of Ironbound residents associated with Ironbound Community Corporation and Ironbound Committee Against Toxic Waste protesting different issues in the neighborhood. There are also photos of other events, and photos of signs or places (for example the bath house). Of note in the misc. folder are photos of the dioxin fight. These are valuable photos of Newark protests and community work form the 1970s and 1980s.

The ephemera in this collection is a record of community work in the Ironbound - consisting of several T-shirts chronicling the work of ICC and Riverfront Park. Besides ICC, the pinback buttons span various organizations in Newark, NJ and nationally, an interesting record of the amount of cooperation among various groups.

Dates

c. mid-1970s to 2000s

Creator

Cohen, Arnold L., 1948 (Person)

Conditions Governing Use

Photocopying of materials is limited and no materials may be photocopied without permission from library staff. Researchers wishing to publish, reproduce, or reprint materials from this collection must obtain permission.

Biographical / Historical

Arnold Cohen (b. 1948) is a Newark native and Weequahic high School graduate. He worked for the Ironbound Community Corporation as a community organizer from the 1970s to early 1990s and helped organizae the Ironbound Committee Against Toxic Waste and the Ironbound Airplane Noise Committee. He currently works for the Housing and Community Development Network of NJ, as a policy organizer.

Nancy Zak (b. 1948) was born in Lisle, IL and came to Newark in the 1970s. She has worked for Ironbound Community Corporation from 1978 to the present as a community organizer, focusing on environmental justice and tenant rights issues and helping found the HUD Tenants Coalition.

The Ironbound Community Corporation was founded in 1969 as a preschool and by 1978 began protesting neighborhood issues. Both Nancy and Arnold were involved in organizing for various issues over many years. One of the first struggles was against airplane noise in 1978. This advocate work ultimately succeeded in getting a change in flight paths. ICC also protested the closing of a neighborhood firehouse in 1980, which reopened in 1984. Residents also protested against closing of the Wilson Avenue Bathhouse which was demolished in 1979. A new pool was promised but not oepned until 2004 so from the 1970s until at least the 1990s the ICC sponsored yearly children's protests.

In 1981 the Ironbound Commitee Against Toxic Waste (ICATW) was founded to deal specifically with environmental issues, supported by ICC, in which Arnold Cohen was Coordinator and Nancy Zak was also active. Starting in 1981 and through the 1990s ICATW organized against the building of a garbage incinerator in the Ironbound. The incinerator was built in 1990. In 1983 ICATW organized against strong fumes at Keith Industries on Delancy Street and toxic wastes dumped at 143 Thomas St. In 1983 dioxin was discovered in the Ironbound and ICATW worked to advocate for clean-up.

ICC and ICATW supported many other protests and worked with the NJ Grassroots Enviromental Organization, Lois Gibbs, Greenpeace, and many more. ICC also advocates for many other issues like tenants rights, parks, and schools.

In the 1990s, Nancy Zak, in cooperation with ICC organized Spark (Save the Park At Riverbank) to save the historical park Riverbank Park from being demolished for the Newark Bears stadium. Through this work, Zak also was instrumental in the founding of Riverfront Park. SPARK continues to lead educational and arts programs at Riverbank Park and is also involved in city-led programming in Riverfront Park.

Ironbound Community Corporation still exists and has an environmental justice department, and also works on other community issues.

Arnold Cohen and Nancy Zak continue to live in the Ironbound and are active in attending community events throughout Newark.

Extent

6.577 Linear Feet (1 Hollinger box, 8 Oversized boxes) : Main & Offsite

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection consists of material from Arnold Cohen and Nancy Zak's careers in community organizing including the Ironbound Airplane Noise Committee, newsletters, photographs, and emphemera. Though there is some overlap this personal material is separate from the Ironbound Community Corporation Collection, part of which exists at Van Buren Branch and the rest of which is set to be archived in 2022.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Bulk of material donated 2021 by Arnold Cohen and Nancy Zak. Ironbound Airplane Noise material comes from personal collection of Arnold Cohen, which is why it was separated from the Ironbound Community Corporation archives, to be organized in 2022.

Photos were found in the Star Ledger photo collection in 2019 but handwriting and notes made clear they were donated to the Star Ledger by Nancy Zak. These were combined with this collection as the donor is the same.

Related Materials

There is an Ironbound Community Corporation archive at Van Buren branch - made up mostly of copies of material. ICC material can also be found on digital.npl.org, picturingjustice.tumblr.com and https://www.ejintheironbound.com/ and in films like American River and Sacrifice Zone (films not owned by the library.

As of creation of this finding aid in Nov 2021, there is a plan for original Ironbound Community Corporation material to be archived in 2022 by a project archivist.

Separated Materials

To Book Collection - NJ Social Justice Institute publications - Newark Urban Mindfulness booklet - Voices of the City - Philip Roth Photos from a Lifetime - 2010 Dodge Poetry Festival Program - Scoping Summary report Newark and Elizabeth Rail Link - ICC 45th anniversary program honoring Nancy Zak

To Poster Collection: - NJ Social Justice Institute posters

To IF Collection: - Star Ledger clippings

To Periodicals: - Newark Enviromental News Winter 94 - City Bloom v. 7 no. 1

To Nwk/NJ Broadsides Archive: - Newark Bike Tour - When Newark Had a Chinatown Sept 26, 2016 - The Activist Collector Newark History Society Mar 5, 2018 - Newark Happeneing

To NJ Programs Archive: -Women's History Month Film Festival 2015 (Women in Media Newark) - Junius Williams Official Historian of Newark Dec 10, 2018 - A Mayor for All the People Book Talk Dec 9, 2019 - The Arts Through Children's Eyes Mural Magic NJPAC May 25, 1994

To Librariana: - Gala program 2016 -Christmas card 2016 -Honoring Wilma Grey, n.d.

To Other Archives: - Information on Eleven80 Building (Nwk Architecture) - Vote Line A Vote Democrat 2016 (Nwk Elections)

To Documents: - "The Newark Resident's Guide to Hazardous Waste" (Newark Office of Recycling) - Special Conference Memo Feb 23 2010 (Newark Municipal Council) - "Use the Right to Know Law" (1983, Gov Kean) - Back Together Again Newark (Mayor's Office) - Newark Calendar of Events May 1994 (Public Information Office) - Letter re: Newark Recycles, Mar 13, 2019 (Department of Public Works) - The City of Newark Earth Day Celebration 1994 (filed under Mayor's Office, Sharpe James and Municipal Council) - Shani Baraka Women's Resource Center brochure (Newark Quasi) - Newark Arts Volunteer Program Brochure (Newark Quasi) - Three Easy Scenic River Rides a Tour Guide for Cyclists (NJ DOT)

Processing Information

The photos were kept in the 6 categories created by Nancy Zak.

Material not related directly to the work of Nancy Zak and Arnold Cohen was removed to more fitting collections, see Separated Material. Two periodicals were kept in this collection, as no other issues are owned by the library.