Meet Our Neighbors: Patricia Cobb Latham
“After 30 years on 18th Street, I am still a believer!”
Patricia Cobb-Latham has resided in the same home in Upper Clinton Hill for the last thirty years. She founded the South 17th & 18th Streets Neighborhood Association twenty years ago and now serves as the Vice President. According to Patricia, “If you’re not part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem.” This is her motivation for being involved in her community.
Patricia has observed how the neighborhood has changed and feels the last five years have been particularly troubling as a result of crime, garbage, and the relationship with the city’s administration. While first-time homebuyers have assistance programs, Patricia says, “There is nothing for those who want to maintain their homes.”
Working with other neighborhood associations through Clinton Hill Community Action (CHCA) is helping the neighborhood move in the right direction. Patricia is grateful for CHCA’s support in purchasing planters on Madison Avenue at both South 17th and 18th Streets in addition to other beautification projects. “Murals help psychologically. We’re visual people. When we see change, we want to change, and we expect it to be better. The environment has a lot to do with your socialization.”
Meet Our Team: Rhenotha Whitaker
“I was born to do this work!”
“The dramatics of Rhenotha Ophelia Whitaker have always been here–I’ve been singing all my life since I was eight years old and really learned I could sing in the church choir at 12,” Rhenotha says as an introduction to herself. But it wasn’t until being chosen for a crowd participation song at a Jennifer Hudson performance in 2010 that she began pursuing a career in entertainment. Her TV credits include Rachael Ray and The Dr. Oz Show, eventually becoming a contracted series regular on the Dr. Oz Show in 2015 and a SAG-AFTRA actress.
Rhenotha also produces her own content through her YouTube channel with a concentration in health and wellness. She’s a certified group fitness health instructor with additional certifications in Zumba, senior fitness, and cycling.
Rhenotha’s work at Clinton Hill Community Action (CHCA) as the Project Manager comes after serving in other community-oriented roles including as the Chief of Staff for former South Ward Councilman Oscar S. James II and Director of the Park Rangers Program for United Parks As One.
The nature of her work at CHCA allows her to pursue both her passion of being an entertainer as well as her passion for making her community a safe and affordable place. Rhenotha describes CHCA’s role as follows, “I see South Orange Avenue in South Orange for the future Clinton Avenue as long as we keep residents first. Residents have to be at the forefront.”
Meet Our Partners: YENDOR
“Art has a place in community. We are excited to have partners to help us figure that out!”
YENDOR describes itself as “a boutique arts organization founded by the illustrious Rodney Gilbert to address the need for integrated public art in the city of Newark.” The artists and staff, known as YENDORians, run several programs to produce public art, including the Community Murals initiative. The organization also conducts arts-based education through community organizations in every ward of the city.
Clinton Hill Community Action (CHCA) first partnered with YENDOR in 2019 to assist with the Beat the Blight campaign. YENDOR was commissioned to paint abandoned properties in the Clinton Hill neighborhood. Malcolm Rolling, Chief Operating Officer, explained how the partnership contributed to “the redevelopment of living spaces that have been vacant through the crisis.” In the last few months of that year, eight artists painted fourteen spaces.
In a new round of murals, there is a stronger emphasis on community voice. The planning process began last October and the new murals will be completed in August. After identifying properties, CHCA has organized residents to gather ideas about colors, themes, and intentions of the artwork. The City of Newark is also involved by assisting in the cleanup of the properties as well as resolving issues such as littering and loitering.
