From Pain to Power: Newark's South Ward Uplifts Community Voices at H.U.G. The Block

Newark residents witnessed the powerful return of “healing, uniting and growing” through spoken-word poetry at Clinton Hill Community Action’s H.U.G. The Block event on Thursday, Sept. 11.

Clinton Hill Community Action, a nonprofit aimed at driving the revitalization of Newark’s Clinton Hill neighborhood in the South Ward, united the neighborhood through H.U.G. The Block, a public art demonstration founded in 2012 by Newark’s inaugural Poet Laureate and Emmy-nominated artist Margie “Mia X” Johnson.

At the corner of 10th Street and Clinton Avenue in Newark, neighbors in the South Ward gathered to share their stories, amplify community voices, and, of course, offer each other hugs.

“The average person needs 13 hugs a day… it boosts serotonin levels and naturally keeps us high,” said Cl