7 10 894 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1933? Death Date 2003-02-07 Occupation Activist, Civil Rights Source of File Attached "Sit-In Released." The Record, 6 Feb. 1962, p. 2. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Baer, Anne Stewart (1933?-2003) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "Sit-In Released." The Record, 6 Feb. 1962, p. 2. "<a href="https://opac2.mdah.state.ms.us/phpmanuscripts/z2309.php">Z 2309.000 Baer (Byron M.) Freedom Riders Collection</a>." MDAH Mississippi Archives. "Baer." The Record, 13 Feb. 2003, p.L-8. Subject The topic of the resource Civil Rights Movement, Freedom Rides Description An account of the resource Anne Stewart Baer was involved in the Civil Rights Movement Freedom Rides. In 1962 she was arrested briefly for her protesting. She lived in Englewood with her husband, Byron M. Baer. They divorced in 1983. She had two children, David and Laura Baer Levine. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ludder, Rachelle Activism Civil Rights Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1929-10-18 Birthplace Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Death Date 2007-06-24 Occupation Politician Government Official Activist, Civil Rights Source of File Attached “<a href="https://https//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_Baer">Byron Baer</a>” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 June 2024. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Baer, Byron Mark (1929-2007) Subject The topic of the resource Politics, Federal Politics, State Civil Rights Movement, Freedom Rides Description An account of the resource <div class="text-base my-auto mx-auto pb-10 [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] @w-sm/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] @w-lg/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)"> <div class="[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] @w-lg/main:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn"> <div class="flex max-w-full flex-col grow"> <div class="min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+&]:mt-1"> <div class="flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]"> <div class="markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full wrap-break-word light markdown-new-styling"> Byron M. Baer (October 18, 1929 – June 24, 2007) was a civil rights activist, community organizer, and longtime Democratic legislator whose public life was deeply rooted in Englewood, New Jersey. Long before he became one of the state’s most influential champions of open government, Baer built his reputation locally—as an agitator for racial justice, a relentless advocate for fair housing, and a bridge-builder during one of Englewood’s most turbulent eras. Baer moved to Englewood in the late 1950s after leaving a crowded New York City apartment in search of a better environment for his family. He and his wife Laura settled in the city with their young son, arriving at a moment when Englewood—like many northern communities—was grappling with segregation in schools, housing, and municipal services. Though he initially viewed civil rights issues as problems affecting other places, particularly Europe’s recent past, the rising national movement of the early 1960s transformed his outlook. Reflecting later on that period, Baer acknowledged that the Freedom Rides of 1961—and the violence that accompanied them—forced him to confront what he described as a citizen’s responsibility to act against injustice. During the early 1960s, Baer emerged as a visible leader in the Englewood chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). He organized protests, sit-ins, and demonstrations challenging discriminatory practices locally and across Bergen County. These actions targeted school segregation, exclusionary housing policies, and unequal municipal services—issues that revealed the persistence of racial inequality in northern suburban life. Newspaper accounts from the period consistently placed Baer at the center of these efforts: leading delegations, confronting school boards and city officials, and helping coordinate interracial coalitions. His activism extended beyond New Jersey in 1961, when he volunteered to join one of the Freedom Rides traveling from New York City to Jackson, Mississippi. There, after deliberately entering segregated waiting rooms to challenge discriminatory practices, Baer and his fellow activists were arrested and charged with breach of the peace. He ultimately spent approximately forty-five days in Mississippi’s Parchman State Prison, an experience he later described as both harsh and transformative. Conditions inside Parchman were severe. Prisoners endured intense heat during the day and freezing ventilation at night, were denied regular exercise, and survived largely on starch-heavy meals occasionally supplemented by pork fat. Yet the prison also became, in Baer’s words, a place for reflection. He later recalled that isolation gave him time to think deeply about issues of equality and justice, strengthening his resolve to devote his life to defending human dignity. During his confinement, he improvised ways to pass time—fashioning chess pieces from bread and playing games scratched onto the floor—small acts that reflected resilience under pressure. For Baer, the experience at Parchman reinforced a belief that civil rights struggles were not confined to the South but were deeply embedded in northern communities as well. He returned to New Jersey with renewed determination, convinced that the most meaningful battles for equality would occur not in distant states, but in the neighborhoods where families lived and children attended school. Englewood, he believed, would be the place where those struggles were tested. By the mid-1960s, Baer’s activism began to merge with formal political engagement. In 1965, local attorney Arnold Brown asked him to serve as his campaign manager during a pivotal political contest in Englewood. When Brown was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly, Baer became his legislative aide, helping draft an ambitious slate of bills aimed at strengthening protections for tenants and vulnerable residents. Among the legislation they introduced was the New Jersey Relocation Assistance Law, which required municipalities to ensure that displaced tenants had access to adequate housing before eviction—a reform that Baer later described as one of his proudest achievements. Baer’s work also shaped local politics directly. After the Democratic victory in Englewood’s 1967 municipal elections—the first such victory in decades—he was appointed housing secretary to the mayor. In this role, he helped guide programs aimed at improving housing conditions, addressing overcrowding, and integrating neighborhoods. His appointment generated controversy among political opponents, who accused city officials of creating a position specifically for him. Supporters countered that his extensive experience and years of unpaid activism made him uniquely qualified to translate civil rights demands into municipal policy. Throughout the late 1960s, Baer chaired housing task forces, served on advisory committees, and participated in planning initiatives that connected federal urban renewal programs to local needs. These efforts reflected his growing conviction that protest alone could not achieve lasting change. Policy, transparency, and public participation were equally essential tools in the struggle for equality. Baer carried Englewood’s lessons into a legislative career spanning more than three decades. He served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1972 to 1994 and in the New Jersey Senate from 1994 to 2005, representing a district anchored in eastern Bergen County. His signature achievement—the Open Public Meetings Act, later renamed in his honor—embodied the same philosophy that guided his early activism: democracy functions best when government operates openly and citizens have access to information. He also sponsored landmark legislation establishing New Jersey’s Office of the Child Advocate, strengthening identity-theft protections, and improving labor conditions for vulnerable workers. His commitment to workers’ rights was reinforced by a violent incident in 1974, when he was assaulted during an inspection of a migrant workers’ camp and suffered multiple fractures to his arm—an episode that underscored the risks he was willing to face in pursuit of justice. In Englewood, Baer was remembered less as a polished politician than as a moral presence—someone willing to be arrested, challenged, or physically harmed in pursuit of fairness. Those who worked alongside him often described him as principled, persistent, and deeply humane. Even after decades in state government, he remained closely tied to the local struggles that shaped his political conscience. Baer died in 2007 at age 77, but his imprint on Englewood endures—in integrated schools, in fair-housing reforms that reshaped neighborhoods, and in a civic culture transformed by the insistence that democracy must be transparent, participatory, and just. For Baer, the defining battles of civil rights were never abstract or distant. As he once reflected, the greatest challenge was not elsewhere—it was at home. "Baer Named Mayor's Secretary Over Protest of Republicans." The Record, June 5, 1968. "Baer Naming Due Tonight." The Record, June 4, 1968. "Interracial Group From Bergen With Baltimore Demonstrators." The Record, December 4, 1961. "The man with the golden arm." The Record, July 18, 1974. "Lawmaker remembered as advocate, gentelman." The Central New Jersey Home News, July 3, 2007. Sherry, Frank and Eric Hartell. "Dozens Sleep In City Hall." The Record, 2 Feb. 1962. "N.J. legislator Byron Baer, 77." Newsday, 25 June 2007, p.32. “<a href="https://https//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_Baer">Byron Baer</a>” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 June 2024. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Colman, David Ludder, Rachelle Activism Politics Race People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Baker, Daniel E. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Baker, Steven Description An account of the resource barnes chief lieutenant Subject The topic of the resource heroin, mafia People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bakish, Robert Description An account of the resource Robert Marc “Bob” Bakish is an American media executive best known for his leadership at Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). Born in New Jersey in 1963, he earned a B.S. in operations research and an M.B.A. from Columbia University. Bakish joined Viacom in 1997, serving in several senior roles including international operations, planning, development, and advertising. He became President & CEO of Viacom in December 2016, then led the company through its reunification with CBS to become ViacomCBS (later Paramount Global) in 2019. Under his leadership the company emphasized streaming, global expansion, and revitalizing its core media brands. In April 2024, he stepped down as CEO amidst mounting pressures in the market and discussions of restructuring. Bakish grew up in Englewood where he began to play rock and blues guitar. He graduated from Dwight-Englewood School. His mother, Ellen, still resides in Englewood. Ellen Bakish has been an active member of the League of Women Voters of Northern Valley. People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Banks, Henry W III Description An account of the resource Henry Ward Banks 3d (III) was an American chemical engineer, military officer, and laboratory founder whose life bridged the worlds of science, industry, and wartime service in the early twentieth century. Early Life & Education Born in Englewood, New Jersey, on October 18, 1890, Banks was the son of Henry Ward Banks Jr. and Mabel Mortimer Banks. He was educated at the Pawling School and later attended Williams College, graduating in 1913 with an A.B. degree. Soon after graduation, he joined Squadron A of the New York National Guard and saw active duty on the Mexican border in 1916 during the period of cross-border tensions preceding U.S. entry into World War I. Scientific Training Later in 1916, Banks entered the School of Chemistry at Columbia University, where he advanced to the rank of fellow in the department. His training there positioned him at the forefront of applied chemical research during a period when American industry and military science were rapidly expanding. World War I Service When the United States entered World War I in 1917, Banks was commissioned a captain in the U.S. Field Artillery. He served in France from May to December 1918 as an officer in the Fifth Corps Artillery. A veteran of multiple engagements, he returned home unwounded, part of a generation of educated professionals who had temporarily left civilian careers for military command. Professional Career In 1920, Banks co-founded the chemical laboratory firm Loomis, Stump & Banks, located at 106 East Nineteenth Street in New York City. The laboratory provided analytical and industrial chemical services during a period of rapid growth in American manufacturing and commercial chemistry. Around 1927, he assumed full control of the enterprise, renaming it Banks Laboratory, which he operated until his death. His career reflects the rise of independent chemical consulting laboratories in the interwar period, serving industries that increasingly relied on scientific testing and materials analysis. Death Banks died at Stamford Hospital after a brief illness caused by an arterial blood clot. He was 43 years old. At the time of his death, he was a resident of Noroton, Connecticut, while maintaining professional offices in New York. https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/7d965c6eaee395113c6a871018b54c6e.jpg 4b1a1b20388727421fc163a38631b194 People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Banks, Henry W. Description An account of the resource Colonel Henry W. Banks was a prominent and wealthy resident of Englewood, New Jersey, who died in his 81st year at his home on Hillside Avenue after a short illness with pneumonia. Originally born in Connecticut, Banks became deeply rooted in Englewood’s civic, religious, and economic life. Over many years he established himself as one of the community’s leading figures. Civic & Religious Leadership President of the Brookside Cemetery Association One of the founders of Englewood’s local Presbyterian church Actively involved in social and religious affairs in the city Business & Property Director of the Citizens’ National Bank Owner of Englewood Hall Held significant real estate holdings in the city Military Service Veteran of the Civil War (His title “Colonel” reflects his military rank or honorary designation tied to that service.) Family He was survived by: His widow Two daughters Two sons His funeral was held privately at his residence. Historical Significance Banks represents a type frequently seen in late 19th-century Englewood history: a Civil War veteran who transitioned into civic leadership, banking, church founding, and real estate development during the borough’s growth from a rural community into a prosperous suburban center. His ownership of Englewood Hall and leadership in cemetery and church institutions suggests he was closely tied to the shaping of Englewood’s physical and institutional landscape. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Organized Crime People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Barnes, Nicky Description An account of the resource Leroy “Nicky” Barnes (1933–2012) was one of the most notorious drug traffickers in American history and a central figure in Harlem’s heroin trade during the 1970s. Born in New York City, Barnes rose from street-level dealing to become the leader of a powerful narcotics organization known as The Council, a syndicate that controlled a significant portion of the heroin market in Harlem and beyond. His wealth, influence, and repeated ability to avoid conviction earned him the nickname “Mr. Untouchable.” Although his criminal operations were centered in New York City, Barnes maintained ties to Hackensack, New Jersey, where he lived for a period during the height of his power. Contemporary newspaper accounts identified him as a Hackensack resident when federal authorities arrested him in March 1977 as part of a sweeping investigation into large-scale narcotics trafficking. The investigation alleged that Barnes headed a multimillion-dollar heroin enterprise and was one of the few drug kingpins with both national and international supply connections. Barnes’s criminal empire collapsed after his 1977 arrest. In 1978 he was convicted on federal drug-trafficking charges and sentenced to life in prison without parole. After later agreeing to cooperate with federal authorities, he provided information that helped prosecutors dismantle much of his former organization. His sentence was eventually reduced, and he spent his later years living under a new identity in the federal Witness Protection Program. Today, Nicky Barnes remains a controversial figure whose life has been chronicled in books, documentaries, and films. His story illustrates both the immense profits and devastating social consequences of the heroin trade that affected New York and neighboring communities, including parts of northern New Jersey, during the 1970s. The Record (Hackensack, NJ), March 17, 1977, “The Biggest Trail Ended Here,” pp. A1, A4. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Actors People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Barrera, Shakira Description An account of the resource Shakira Barrera is an actress, dancer, and performer who was raised in Englewood, New Jersey. The daughter of Nicaraguan immigrants, she developed her passion for dance at an early age and trained extensively in ballet, jazz, tap, flamenco, and hip-hop. After graduating from Rutgers University, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in entertainment, working as a professional dancer before transitioning into acting. Barrera gained national recognition for her role as Yolanda “Yo-Yo” Rivas in the Netflix wrestling comedy-drama GLOW. Her portrayal of the energetic and outspoken wrestler earned praise for bringing depth and visibility to Latina and LGBTQ characters. In addition to her work on GLOW, Barrera has appeared in television and film projects including Faking It, High & Mighty, and The Manor. Throughout her career, Barrera has spoken about the importance of representation in the entertainment industry and has credited her New Jersey upbringing and dance training as key influences on her success. She is regarded as one of the notable performers with roots in Englewood who has gone on to achieve national recognition in television and film. Amy Kuperinsky, “How Shakira Barrera Danced Her Way to TV Wrestling Glory,” The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), August 25, 2019, E1–E2. https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/b504ea6c1358da432e85f4a799c46491.jpg 1eb2b74fd124e49088a8d9ec8a3cf66e Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1905-04-09 Birthplace Riohacha, Columbia Death Date 1971-03-24 Occupation Physician Source of File Attached "Dr. Adalberto Barroso-Bernier, At 66." The Record, 13 Apr. 1971, p. A-12. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Barroso-Bernier, Adalberto (1905-1971) Description An account of the resource Adalberto Barroso-Bernier was the first Latino doctor on staff at the Englewood Hospital. He was also the first Colombian-born resident of Englewood. He graduated from Cornell Medical School in 1931. He was a surgeon and a urologist. He lived in Englewood between 1933 to 1939. On February 4, 1933, he married Englewood native Beatrice Agnes Berge. He had a daughter and four sons, Mrs. John S. Schunrer, Major William Edward, Francis A., and Lieutenant George B. Kenneth J. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "Dr. Adalberto Barroso-Bernier, At 66." The Record, 13 Apr. 1971, p. A-12. "Miss Berge Married." The Record, 7 Feb. 1933, p.15. "Adalberto Barroso-Bernier" The Reporter, 29 Mar. 1971, p. 14. Subject The topic of the resource Health Care Medical Services Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Colman, David Ludder, Rachelle Health Latinx