1980s
Pucci Revlon
The Queer Newark Oral History Project mourns the passing of Miss Pucci Revlon, even as we celebrate and honor her life, which she lived fully and proudly as much-loved member of the LGBTQ Newark community. A true transgender pioneer who lived her truth with courage, Pucci participated in the legendary ballroom scene of the 1980s, worked as a nurse, and served as caretaker for generations of Newark youth, among numerous other accomplishments. While struggling with pancreatic cancer, she generously took the time to record several rounds of an oral history that provides invaluable...
Raymond Proctor (Family Interview)
Raymond Proctor (1934-1988) was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and after high school moved to New York City, following his brother Richard. After attending Seton Hall in northern New Jersey, he was drafted into the army, and spent 1954-56 traveling widely, including Germany, Morocco, and elsewhere. Returning to New Jersey, he worked for the Essex County Welfare Board and got involved in the African American civil rights movement, eventually becoming chairman of the Newark-Essex chapter of CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) in 1964, where along with Richard he led important activist efforts...Angela Raine
Angela Raine was born and raised in Newark, after her parents moved up from the South. The last of six children, she attended Central High School and worked in various agencies in Newark doing HIV prevention and establishing transgender support groups. She continues to do transgender outreach work, and volunteers at the Newark LGBTQ Community Center. Married to writer T.T. Wardell since 1998, she has published Newark’s first transgender-owned and –edited magazine La’Raine since 2006.Janyce Jackson Jones
Reverend Janyce Jackson Jones, a prominent and respected leader in the community retired after 21 years of dedicated service to her church and to social justice in the city of Newark.Janyce L. Jackson Jones served as Co-Pastor of Unity Fellowship Church located in Newark, NJ. UFC Newark, is a member of the non-denominational Unity Fellowship Church Movement, a Social Justice Ministry that seeks to minister to all people, regardless of race, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.
Prior to Co-Pastoring at UFC Newark, Reverend Jackson served...
Marc Sir Dane
Marc Sir Dane - MSD is one of the most exciting and sensational live performers on the music (“Real Music”) trip today! He has been the opening act for such musical artists as Stephanie Mills, The Times and more. The real essence of his musical genius is his powerful vocals – strong, sexy, and soulful. He is like no other male artist on the scene today.Sir Dane was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia. He was nurtured by creative individuals with talents in music, dance, theatre, fashion design, lighting design, and set concepts. As a young musical director for the local...
June Dowell-Burton
June Dowell-Burton is the founder and an executive board member of Newark Gay Pride, Inc., a LGBT community-based, volunteer run organization that works to enhance LGBTQ life by producing an annual Gay Pride Week and facilitating programming in Newark, New Jersey. The organization was recognized by the White House in 2012 and recently celebrated its Decennial anniversary in 2015. June became an Essex County LGBTQ advisor in 2011, working primarily on identifying issues, providing recommendations and guiding strategy for the County Executive. In 2010, June was vetted and hired as 1 of 23...Peter Savastano
Peter Savastano was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey where he lived and worked for most of his adult life. He holds a Ph.D. in Religion and Society from Drew University. An anthropologist of religion, consciousness, sexuality and gender, Dr. Savastano is academically and personally interested in the role that religion and/or spirituality plays both for better and for worse in the formation of queer identity, subjectivity and practice. He is Associate Professor of Anthropology at Seton Hall University.
Both photos taken at Rutgers-Newark...
James Credle
James Warren Credle (1945-2023) is a retired American academic administrator, counselor, and Veterans and LGBT rights activist. Born in Mesic, North Carolina, he was one of 14 children born during the time of Jim Crow. His mother was a dayworker and his father worked part-time as a carpenter. Credle and his siblings worked through high school to supplement the family income. He worked in fields picking cotton, potatoes, corn, and cabbage. He later worked in a crab factory. His family were members of Mount Olive Baptist Church where he sang in the choir. James graduated from the all-black...