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Camden is a city in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. Camden is located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the 2010 United States Census, the city had a population of 77,344^[10][12][13]representing a decline of 2,560 (3.2%) from the 79,904 residents enumerated during the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 7,588 (8.7%) from the 87,492 counted in the 1990 Census.^{[24][10][12][13]} Camden is the 12th most populous municipality in New Jersey. Camden was incorporated as a city on February 13, 1828, from portions of the now-defunct Newton Township, while the area was still part of Gloucester County. On March 13, 1844, Camden became part of the newly formed Camden County.^[25] The city derives its name from Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden.^[26][27]

From 1891 to the end of World War II, Camden was a main industrial city in the United States. Notable businesses that worked in Camden were Campbell's Soup and the New York Shipbuilding Corporation.

From 2005 to 2012, the Camden school system and police department were operated by the state of New Jersey.^{[29][30][31][32]} According to the 2014 American Community survey, 39.3% of Camden residents live in poverty.

History

Culture

Camden's role as an industrial city gave rise to distinct neighborhoods and cultural groups that have effected the growth and decline of the city over the course of the 20th century. Camden is also home to historic landmarks detailing its rich history in literature, music, social work, and industry such as the Walt Whitman House,^[183] the Walt Whitman Cultural Arts Center, the Rutgers–Camden Center For The Arts and the Camden Children's Garden.

Camden's cultural history has been greatly affected by both its economic and social position over the years. From 1950 to 1970 industry plummeted, losing close to 20,000 jobs for Camden residents. This mass unemployment as well as social pressure from neighboring townships caused an exodus of citizens, mostly white. This gap was filled by new African American and Latino citizens and led to a restructuring of Camden's communities. The mass number of White citizen who left to neighboring towns such as Collingswood or Cherry Hill, leaving both new and old African American and Latino citizens to begin to rebuild their community. To help this rebuilding process, numerous non-for-profit organizations such as Hopeworks or the Neighborhood Center have been formed to facilitate Camden's movement into the 21st century.

A community sign near Camden's Cooper Grant neighborhood showcasing the cities official tagline "A City Invincible"

Due to its location as county seat, as well as it's proximity to Philadelphia, Camden has had strong connections with its neighboring cities.

On July 17, 1951, they formed the Delaware River Port Authority, a bi-state agency created to develop ease of transportation between the two cities.

In June 2014, the Philadelphia 76ers announced that they would move their practice facility and home offices to the Camden Waterfront, adding 250 permanent jobs in the city creating what CEO Scott O'Neil described as "biggest and best training facility in the country" using $82 million in tax savings offered by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

The Battleship New Jersey, a museum ship located on the Delaware Waterfront, was a contested topic for the two cities. Philadelphia's DRPA funded millions of dollars into the museum ship project as well as the rest of the Waterfront, but the ship was originally donated to a Camden based agency called the Home Port Alliance. They argue that Battleship New Jersey is necessary for Camden's economic growth. As of October 2001, the Home Port Alliance has maintained ownership of Battleship New Jersey.

African American Culture

In 1967, Charles 'Poppy' Sharp founded the Black Believers of Knowledge, an organization founded on the betterment of African America citizens in South Camden. He would soon rename his organization to the Black People's Unity Movement (BPUM). The BPUM was one of the first major cultural organizations to arise after the deindustrialization of Camden's industrial life. Going against the building turmoil in the city, Sharp founded BPUM on "the belief that all the people in our community should contribute to positive change".

In 2001, Camden residents and entrepreneurs founded the South Jersey Caribbean Cultural and Development Organization (SJCCDO) as a non-profit organization aimed at promoting understanding and awareness of Caribbean Culture in South Jersey and Camden. The most prominent of the events that the SJCCDO organizes is the South Jersey Caribbean Festival, an event that is held for both cultural and economical reasons. The festival's primary focus is cultural awareness of all of Camden's residents. The festival also showcases free art and music as well as financial information and free promotion for Camden artists.

In 1986, Tawanda 'Wawa' Jones began the Camden Sophisticated Sisters, a youth drill team. CSS serves as a self proclaimed 'positive outlet' for the Camden' students, offering both dance lessons as well as community service hours and social work opportunities. Since it's conception CSS has grown to include two other organizations, all ran through Jones: Camden Distinguished Brothers and The Almighty Percussion Sound drum line. In 2013, CSS was featured on ABC's Dancing with the Stars.

Hispanic and Latino Culture

On December 31, 1987, the Latin American Economic Development Association (LAEDA). LAEDA is a non-profit economic development organization that helps with the creation of small business for minorities in Camden. LAEDA was founded under in an attempt to revitalize Camden's economy and provide job experience for its residents. LAEDA operates on a two major methods of rebuilding, The Entrepreneurial Development Training Program (EDTP) and the Neighborhood Commercial Expansion Initiative (NCEI). In 1990, LAEDA began a program called The Entrepreneurial Development Training Program (EDTP) which would offer residents employment and job opportunities through ownership of small businesses. The program over time created 506 businesses and 1,169 jobs. As of 2016, half of these businesses are still in operation. Neighborhood Commercial Expansion Initiative (NCEI) then finds locations for these business to operate in, purchasing and refurbishing abandoned real estate. As of 2016 four buildings have been refurbished including the First Camden National Bank & Trust Company Building.

One of the longest standing traditions in Camden's Hispanic community is the San Juan Bautista Parade, a celebration of St. John the Baptist, conducted annually starting in 1957. The parade began in 1957 when a group of parishioners from Our Lady of Mount Carmel marched with the church founder Father Leonardo Carrieri. This march was originally a way for the parishioners to recognize and show their Puerto Rican Heritage, and eventually became the modern day San Juan Bautista Parade. Since its conception, the parade has grown into the Parada San Juan Bautista, Inc, a non-for-profit organization dedicated to maintaining the community presence of Camden's Hispanic and Latino members. Some of the work that the Parada San Juan Bautista, Inc has done include a month long event for the parade with a community commemorative mass and a coronation pageant. The organization also awards up to $360,000 in scholarships to high school students of Puerto Rican descent.

On May 30th, 2000 Camden resident and grassroots organizer Lillian Santiago began a movement to rebuild abandoned lots in her North Camden neighborhood into playgrounds. The movement was met with resistance from the Camden government, citing monetary issues. As Santiago's movement gained more notability in her neighborhoods she was able to move other community members into action, including Reverend Heywood Wiggins. Wiggins was the president of the Camden Churches Organized for People, a coalition of 29 churches devoted to the improvement of Camden's communities, and with his support Santiago's movement succeeded. Santiago and Wiggins were also firm believers in Community Policing, which would result in their fight against Camden's corrupt police department and the eventual turnover to the State government.

Arts and Entertainment

Camden has two generally recognized neighborhoods located on the Delaware River waterfront, Central and South. The Waterfront South was founded in 1851 by the Kaighns Point Land Company. During World War Two, Waterfront South housed many of the industrial workers for the New York Shipbuilding Company. Currently, the Waterfront is home to many historical buildings and cultural icons. The Waterfront South neighborhood is considered a federal and state historic area due to its history and culturally significant buildings, such as the Sacred Heart Church, and the South Camden Trust Company The Central Waterfront is located adjacent to the Benjamin Franklin Bridge and is home to the Nipper Building (also known as The Victor), the Adventure Aquarium, and Battleship New Jersey, a museum ship located at the Home Port Alliance.

Starting on February 16, 2012, Camden's Waterfront began an art crawl and volunteer initiative called Third Thursday in an effort to support local Camden business and restaurants. Part of Camden's art crawl movement exists in Studio Eleven One, a fully-restored 1906 firehouse opened in 2011 that operated as an art gallery owned by William and Ronja Butlers. The Butlers moved to Camden in 2011 from Des Moines, Iowa and began the Third Thursday art movement. William Butler and Studio Eleven One are a part of his wife's company Thomas Lift LLC, self described as a "socially conscious company" that works to connect Camden's art scene with philanthropic organizations. Some of the work they have done includes work against Human Trafficking, and ecological donations.

Starting in 2014, Camden began Connect The Lots, a community program designed to revitalize unused areas for community engagement,. Connect the Lots was founded through The Kresge Foundation, and the project "seeks to create temporary, high-quality, safe outdoor spaces that are consistently programed with local cultural and recreational activities" Other partnerships with the Connect the Lots foundation include the Cooper's Ferry Partnership, a private non-profit corporation dedicated to urban renewal. Connect the Lots' main work are their 'Pop up Parks' that they create around Camden. In 2014, Connect the lots created a pop up skate park for Camden youth with assistance from Camden residents as well as students. As of 2016, the Connect the Lots program free programs have expanded to include outdoor yoga and free concerts.

In October 2014, Camden finished construction of the Kroc Center, a Salvation Army funded community center located in the Cramer Hill neighborhood. The Kroc center's mission is to provide both social services to the people of Camden as well as community engagement opportunities. The center was funded by a $59 million donation from Joan Kroc, and from the Salvation Army. The project was launched in 2005 with a proposed completion date of one year. However, due to the location of the site as well as governmental concerns, the project was delayed. The Kroc center's location was the an 85-acre former landfill which closed in 1971. Salvation Army Major Paul Cain states the landfill's location to the waterfront and the necessity to handle storm water management as main reasons for the delay. The Center was eventually opened on October 4th, 2014, with almost city wide acclaim. Camden Mayor Dana Redd on the opening of the center called it "the crown jewel of the city". The Kroc Center offers a 8-lane, 25-yard competition pool, a children's water park, various athletic and entertainment options, as well as an in center chapel.

Religious Presence

Camden has a large religious presence, brought out by the necessity of citizens for both physical needs and societal support. Many of the churches in Camden operate as non-profit or as community centers.

Father Michael Doyle, the pastor of Sacred Heart Church located in North Camden, has played a large role in Camden's spiritual and social history. In 1971, Doyle was part of the Camden 28,  a group of anti-Vietnam War activists who planned to raid a draft board office in the city. This is noted by many as the start of Doyle's activities as a radical 'catholic left'. Following these activities, Doyle went on to become a parishioner for Sacred Heart, as well as becoming a poet and an activist. Father Doyle and the Sacred Heart Church's main mission is to form a connection between the primarily white suburban surrouding areas and the inner-city of Camden.

In 1982, Father Mark Aita of Holy Name of Camden founded the St. Lukes Catholic Medcial Services. Aita, a medical doctor and a member of the Society of Jesus, created the first medical system in Camden that did not use rotating primary care physicians. Since it's conception, St. Lukes has grown to include Patient Education Classes as well as home medical services, aiding over seven thousand Camden residents.

Notable People

Community Members

• Mary Ellen Avery (1927–2011), pediatrician whose research led to development of successful treatment for Infant respiratory distress syndrome.
• Father Mark Aita - founded St. Luke's Catholic Medical Services
• Dr. Jeffery Brenner - founded the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship winner, member of the Institute of Medicine, medical director of the Urban Health Institute at Cooper Health System.
• Shawn Brown - Community and political activist, ex Camden school board member.
• Father Michael Doyle - Pastor of Sacred Heart Church, political and social activist, member of the Camden 28, poet and author.
• Frank Fulbrook - Rutgers University-Camden Alumni, community activist and founder Cooper Grant Neighborhood Association.
• Caress Green- started Miss Camden Teen Queen Pageant, social activist.
• Bryan Morten - Founder of Camden little league, focus of documentary Pyne Poynt

Artists

• Christine Andreas (born 1951), Broadway actress and singer.
• Vernon Howe Bailey (1874–1953), artist.
• Butch Ballard (1918–2011), jazz drummer who performed with Louis Armstrong, Count Basie and Duke Ellington.
• Carla L. Benson, vocalist best known for her recorded background vocals.
• Stephen Decatur Button (1813–1897), architect; designer of schools, churches and Camden's Old City Hall (1874–75, demolished 1930).
• Buddy DeFranco (1923–2014), jazz clarinetist.
• Lola Falana (born 1942), singer and dancer.
• Heather Henderson (born 1973), singer, model, podcaster, actress, Dance Party USA performer
• Richard "Groove" Holmes (1931–1991), jazz organist.
• Leon Huff (born 1942), songwriter and record producer.
• Barbara Ingram (1947–1994), R&B background singer.
• Eric Louis (ELEW) (born 1973), pianist.
• Richard Sterban (born 1943), member of the Oak Ridge Boys.
• Mickalene Thomas (born 1970), artist.
• Nick Virgilio (1928–1989), haiku poet.
• Walt Whitman (1819–1892), iconic essayist, journalist and poet.

Politicians

• Rob Andrews (born 1957), U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 1st congressional district, served 1990–2014.
• David Baird Jr. (1881–1955), U.S. Senator from 1929 to 1930, unsuccessful Republican nominee for governor in 1931.
• David Baird Sr. (1839–1927), United States Senator from New Jersey.
• Arthur Barclay (born 1982), politician who served on the Camden City Council for two years and has represented the 5th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2016.
• William J. Browning (1850–1920), represented New Jersey's 1st congressional district in U.S. House of Representatives, 1911–1920.
• Mary Keating Croce (1928–2016), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly for three two-year terms, from 1974 to 1980, before serving as the Chairwoman of the New Jersey State Parole Board in the 1990s.
• Angel Fuentes - President of the city council of New Jersey, member of the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute, member of the Camden County Chapter of the American Red Cross.
• Carmen M. Garcia, former Chief judge of Municipal Court in Trenton, New Jersey.
• John J. Horn (1917–1999), labor leader and politician who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature before being nominated to serve as commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Industry.
• Robert S. MacAlister (1897–1957), Los Angeles City Council member, 1934–39.
• Richard Mroz, President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
• Francis F. Patterson, Jr. (1867–1935), represented New Jersey's 1st congressional district in U.S. House of Representatives, 1920–1927.
• John F. Starr (1818–1904), represented New Jersey's 1st congressional district in U.S. House of Representatives, 1863–1867.

Athletes

• Max Alexander (born 1981), boxer who was participant in ESPN reality series The Contender 3.
• Rashad Baker (born 1982), professional football safety for Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders.
• Martin V. Bergen (1872–1941), lawyer, college football coach.
• Art Best (1953–2014), football running back who played three seasons in the National Football League with the Chicago Bears and New York Giants.
• Audrey Bleiler (1933–1975), played in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League for 1951–1952 South Bend Blue Sox champion teams.
• Frank Chapot (1932–2016), Olympic silver medalist equestrian.
• Donovin Darius (born 1975), professional football player for Jacksonville Jaguars.
• Rachel Dawson (born 1985), field hockey midfielder.
• Rawly Eastwick (born 1950), Major League Baseball pitcher who won two games in 1975 World Series.
• George Hegamin (born 1973), offensive lineman who played for NFL's Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• Kenny Jackson - Wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, co-owner of Kenny's Cooper Deli.
• Ray Narleski (1928–2012), baseball player with Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers.
• Harvey Pollack (1922–2015), director of statistical information for the Philadelphia 76ers, who at the time of his death held the distinction of being the only individual still working for the NBA since its inaugural 1946–47 season.
• Dwight Muhammad Qawi (born 1953), boxing world light-heavyweight and cruiserweight champion, International Boxing Hall of Famer known as the "Camden Buzzaw".
• Buddy Rogers (1921–1992), professional wrestler.
• Mike Rozier (born 1961), collegiate and professional football running back who won Heisman Trophy in 1983.
• Billy Thompson (born 1963), college and professional basketball player who played for the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat.
• Sheena Tosta (born 1982), hurdler, Olympic silver medalist 2008.
• Dajuan Wagner (born 1983), professional basketball player for Cleveland Cavaliers, 2002–2005, and Polish team Prokom Trefl Sopot.
• Jersey Joe Walcott (1914–1994), boxing world heavyweight champion, International Boxing Hall of Famer.

Other

• Joe Angelo (1896–1978), U.S. Army veteran of World War I and recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross.
• U. E. Baughman (1905–1978), head of United States Secret Service from 1948 to 1961.
• Boston Corbett (1832–1894), Union Army soldier who killed John Wilkes Booth.
• Richard Hollingshead (1900–1975), inventor of the drive-in theater.
• Aaron McCargo Jr. (born 1971), chef and television personality who hosts Big Daddy's House, a cooking show on Food Network.
• Lucy Taxis Shoe Meritt (1906–2003), classical archaeologist and a scholar of Greek architectural ornamentation and mouldings.
• Jim Perry (1933–2015), game show host and television personality.
• Howard Unruh, (1921–2009), 1949 mass murderer.
• Phil Zimmermann (born 1954), programmer who developed Pretty Good Privacy (PGP), a type of data encryption.

• Young Papa
• Gwendolen Faison
• LAEDA
• Caribbean festival group
• Dave Watkiss
• Caress Greeen
• Ras niger-hamal ali
• Camden sophisticated sisters
• Yvonne Martinez
• puerto rican heritage club
• Donkey's