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Eldridge Hawkins, Jr. (born July 25, 1979) was
Mayor of Orange, New Jersey Orange, New Jersey is governed within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Mayor-Council form of municipal government, with a directly elected mayor and a City Council consisting of four ward representat ...
, a city of 33,000 residents in
Essex County, New Jersey Essex County is located in the northeastern part of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 863,728, making it the state's second-most populous county, behind Bergen and Middlesex Counties.
with an annual $53 million operating budget. As Chair of the Management Reform Committee of the N.J. League of Municipalities, Hawkins was a leader in the campaign to reform the state's civil service and arbitration laws to give cities more power in collective bargaining with public employee unions. His adversarial managing style and combative relations with the workers of Orange received national attention. After leaving municipal office, Mr. Hawkins spent several years working for the New Jersey Department of State in a Community Outreach capacity and as Director of Policy, Operations & Governmental Affairs/Legislative Liaison. Hawkins served as President of the New Jersey
United States Junior Chamber The United States Junior Chamber, also known as the Jaycees, JCs or JCI USA, is a leadership training, service organization and civic organization for people between the ages of 18 and 40. It is a branch of Junior Chamber International (JCI). ...
of Commerce (Jaycees) and is also a law enforcement professional and businessman. In addition, he is a martial arts expert with over 30 years of experience and a member of the USA Unified Martial Arts Hall of Fame. Accordingly, Shihan Eldridge Hawkins, Jr has earned the rank of 5th Degree Black Belt in United States Ju-Jitsu, Fusion Kenpo, and 7th Degree Black Belt in American Style Nunchaku. As such, Hawkins has been recognized as a national leader in the martial arts by the United States Ju-Jitsu Federation.


Early years

Eldridge Hawkins, Jr. was born in 1979 in
Livingston, New Jersey Livingston is a township in Essex County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 29,366, reflecting an increase of 1,975 (+7.2%) from the 27,391 counted in the 2000 Census. In 2019, the Population Estimates Progr ...
, the son of
Eldridge Hawkins Eldridge Hawkins (born September 4, 1940) is an American lawyer and Democratic Party politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1972 to 1978. During that time he served as the Chairman of The NJ State General Assembly Judiciary, ...
, Civil Rights lawyer and former Assemblyman (D-Essex) and Linda Cofer Hawkins, businesswoman and civic leader. He grew up in
West Orange, New Jersey West Orange is a suburban township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 48,843, an increase of 2,636 (+5.7%) from the 46,207 counted in the 2010 Census.
attending
Seton Hall Preparatory School Seton Hall Preparatory School, generally called Seton Hall Prep or "The Prep", is a Roman Catholic all boys' high school located in the suburban community of West Orange in Essex County, New Jersey, operating under the supervision of the Arc ...
. He then attended
Rider University Rider University is a private university in Lawrence Township, New Jersey. It consists of four academic units: the Norm Brodsky College of Business, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Education and Human Services, and West ...
and received his B.A. in Business Administration in 2001. After college, he pursued dual careers in business and law enforcement. He served as Director of Operations for the
Carl Lewis Frederick Carlton Lewis (born July 1, 1961) is an American former track and field athlete who won nine Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal, and 10 World Championships medals, including eight gold. His career spanned from 1979 to 19 ...
Fund, Inc and as a Licensed Realtor Associate. He also worked as a Private Investigator and in 2002 began his career with the West Orange Police Department. After receiving two commendations, the Essex County P.B.A. Distinguished Service Award and suffering a line of duty or service related injury, he retired as a Police Officer. He moved on to secure an additional undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice from
Thomas Edison State College Thomas Edison State University (TESU) is a public university in Trenton, New Jersey. The university is one of New Jersey's 11 senior public institutions of higher education. Thomas Edison State University offers degrees at the undergraduate and ...
and a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) with a Management concentration from
Seton Hall University Seton Hall University (SHU) is a private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Seton Hall is the oldest dioces ...
. Additionally, he also obtained a Juris Doctor (JD) degree with a certificate in Health Care Compliance from
Mitchell Hamline School of Law Mitchell Hamline School of Law is a private law school in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and offers full- and part-time legal education for its Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. History Mitchell Hamli ...
, formerly known as
William Mitchell College of Law William Mitchell College of Law was a private, independent law school located in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States, from 1956 to 2015. Accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), it offered full- and part-time legal education in pursuit of ...
.


Campaign for mayor

Having moved to Orange, he was preparing to run for the City Council in the May 2008 municipal elections when the incumbent mayor,
Mims Hackett Mims Hackett (born September 28, 1941) is an American Democratic Party politician, who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2002 to 2007, where he represented the 27th Legislative District, which covers the western portion of Essex Co ...
was indicted for bribery in a federal corruption probe. After Hackett withdrew from his re-election campaign, Hawkins decided to run for mayor instead of city council. Entering a field of candidates with much more experience in politics, municipal government and business than himself, the novice candidate promised to make Orange safer, assure honesty and integrity, and intensify redevelopment. In a city concerned about crime, his law enforcement credentials proved a big plus. Hawkins’ reform campaign won the support of State Senator and former Governor
Richard Codey Richard James Codey (born November 27, 1946) is an American Democratic Party politician who served as the 53rd governor of New Jersey from 2004 to 2006. He has served in the New Jersey Senate since 1982 and served as the President of the Senate ...
, Newark Mayor
Cory Booker Cory Anthony Booker (born April 27, 1969) is an American politician and attorney who has served as the junior United States senator from New Jersey since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Booker is the first African-American U.S. sen ...
, Assemblywoman
Mila Jasey Mila M. Jasey (born May 29, 1951) is an American Democratic Party politician who has represented the 27th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since taking office on November 8, 2007. Early life and education Jasey was born ...
and two members of the Orange City Council. On May 13, 2008, he was narrowly elected Mayor at the age of 28. The vote totals were: Eldridge Hawkins, Jr.- 1,061, Councilman Donald Page – 942, Councilwoman Tency Eason – 564, Zoning Board Chair Janice Morrell – 417, Community Activist Betty Brown – 285, and Planning Board Chair Dwight Holmes – 212.


Governing Orange

Hawkins assumed office on July 1, 2008, just as the U.S. economy was entering the worst economic recession since the 1930s. His initial acts as mayor involved major improvements to the Orange Police Department. He appointed a new police director, instituted community policing, conducted gun buyback events, upgraded police technology, and established Special Police Officers. In the process, he reduced crime and restored the confidence of federal and state law enforcement agencies in the Orange Police Department. Hawkins’ second major initiative was to spur redevelopment and strengthen the city's tax base. He upgraded the city's water supply so that the state would permit increased development. He demolished the
Walter G. Alexander Walter Gilbert Alexander I (December 3, 1880 – February 5, 1953) was an American physician and Republican Party politician from New Jersey. He was president of the National Medical Association and the first African American to serve in the ...
Houses, a deteriorated high rise housing project and received state and federal funding to replace it with a neighborhood of low rise homes. Hawkins successfully sought designation as a “
Transit village A transit village is a pedestrian-friendly mixed-use district or neighborhood oriented around the station of a high-quality transit system, such as rail or B.R.T. Often a civic square of public space abuts the train station, functioning as the hu ...
”, triggering state technical and financial help for transit-oriented development around Orange's two train stations. To promote Orange as a destination for shopping, dining, and entertainment, Hawkins secured funding for the city's Valley Arts district, designated the historic Italian neighborhood as “Little Italy,” and developed a plan for the revitalization of the city's commercial corridors. To increase citizen involvement, Hawkins initiated televising and streaming video of City Council meetings, sponsored regular public forums, initiated a “Call to Service” initiative to enable ordinary citizens and not just the politically connected to serve on boards and commissions, and redesigned the city website to make it easier for citizens to communicate their concerns and get fast action.


Public/private partnerships

Having promised an ambitious agenda but faced with declining revenues, Hawkins created public/private partnerships to stretch the city's tax dollars. He partnered with the St. Barnabas Health Care System to provide health care services to residents of senior citizens’ housing; recruited the
Heinz Foundations The Heinz Foundations are several charitable foundations founded by members of the Pittsburgh-based Heinz The H. J. Heinz Company is an American food processing company headquartered at One PPG Place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company was ...
to develop and finance a program of low cost prescription drugs, and created a partnership with the Profeta Urban Investment Foundation,
Seton Hall University Seton Hall University (SHU) is a private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Seton Hall is the oldest dioces ...
Business School and the Intersect Fund to provide technical assistance and loans to Orange entrepreneurs.


Coping with the financial crisis

In the aftermath of a $3 million-dollar reduction in state aid to Orange, Hawkins sought to increase the ability of New Jersey cities to cut spending through pension and health benefit changes, civil service and collective bargaining reforms, and relief from unfunded mandates. He spoke out against Governor
Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Christie, who was born in ...
's cuts in New Jersey's Urban Enterprise Zone program. He was named as Chairman of the Management Reform Committee of the NJ League of Municipalities and led his fellow mayors in lobbying for changes in state laws. To avoid a twenty percent increase in property taxes, he was forced to lay off firefighters, police, and other city workers. The layoffs and difficult negotiations with public employee unions received national attention as emblematic of the plight of U.S. cities and states. Fox Financial News Network focused on the implications for city and state budgets, while CNN highlighted the plight of the laid off workers. In March 2011, Orange was awarded a federal grant which helped Hawkins to negotiate an agreement with the firefighters union. The grant combined with work rule changes and other givebacks enabled the city to rehire its twelve laid-off firefighters and hire an additional twelve. This precedent-setting settlement also received national coverage.


Losing the 2012 election

Hawkins faced a tough road to reelection in 2012. Challengers included sitting Councilman Edward Marable, 2008 Mayoral Candidate Janice Morrell and attorney Dwayne Warren Hawkins was narrowly beaten by Warren in what some observers called an "election shocker." Critics pointed to Hawkins' management style as being one reason for his loss. Another major factor was a $100,000 campaign of mailings, television commercials and paid canvassers by several public employee unions, who opposed Hawkins' advocacy of higher pension and health benefit payments by government workers. After the 2012 election, Hawkins founded Black Belt Security & Investigations, LLC, a private security firm located in East Orange, NJ. As a former Mayor and security expert, Hawkins participated in television and radio discussions of school violence and gun control in January 2013. Appearing on New York City's Fox5 TV and WWOR TV as well as radio station WGHT Hot 97, Hawkins advocated for the controversial position of placing armed guards in schools and urged a "moderate" approach to gun control.


Martial Arts Background

Eldridge Hawkins, Jr. began his training in Chinese Kenpo-Kung Fu as a youth and made Black Belt in June 2001 under now Professor Harry Baker, 10th Dan. Under Professors Baker & Ibrahim Sharif, Hawkins holds Black Belt rank in Fusion Kenpo, and Chinese Kenpo Kung Fu. Here, Hawkins’ martial arts lineage runs through his teachers to Grand Masters Ed Parker & Kalaii Kano Griffin, as well as Professors Moses Powell & Ronald Duncan. Hawkins also has recognized rank in Kenpo-Jujitsu and United States Ju-Jitsu under the United States Ju-Jitsu Federation (USJJF). Hawkins specializes in various martial arts weapons and is a 7th Degree Black Belt in the tournament system American Style Nunchaku (ASN) founded by Grandmaster Michael Burke. See https://www.asnfederation.com/ Accordingly, Hawkins, is a certified rank instructor for the “American Style Nunchaku Federation” (ASNF) and Is also certified by the United States Martial Arts Federation (USMAF). Hawkins is also founder of the Ken-Fu Nunchaku Jutsu self-defense system and teaches ASNF tournament forms/katas Nunchaku through an online platform www.VirtualNunchaku.com. In 2022 Hawkins was inducted as member of the USA Unified Martial Arts Hall of Fame. A more complete martial arts biography for Shihan Eldridge Hawkins, Jr can be found at https://www.usjjf.org/eldridge-hawkins.html .


Honors and affiliations

* United States Martial Arts Federation Hall of Fame Member - National Kobudo Sensei * United States Ju Jitsu Federation Hall of Fame Member - National Ju Jitsu Sensei * Senior Instructor - Baker's Red Iron Dragon Fusion Kenpo Academy * Vice President - United States Martial Arts Federation * Vice President (US Operations) - American Style Nunchaku Federation *1st Place Champion – Adult Division, Black Belt Weapons; Upland Martial Arts (Open Tournament). * 2nd Place Winner – Free Fighting Division, Black Belt Men Over 200 Lbs.; Challenge of Champions XII (Open Tournament). * Life Member – New Jersey Police Honor Legion * President of the New Jersey Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) and founder of the Orange-Essex Jaycees, the first chapter in a New Jersey urban community * Member, 2012 Congressional Redistricting Commission (Hawkins was appointed but then removed before redistricting began). * Selected by Ebony Magazine in 2009 as an “Outstanding Young American Leader.” * Member,
Phi Beta Sigma Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African American fraternity. It was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students with nine other Howard students as char ...
fraternity * Chairman, Orange Democratic Committee. * Member, Maplewood & Oranges Chapter, NAACP. * Master Mason, Bethel Lodge No. 10, F & AM - PHA Orange, NJ * Youth Role Model Award – National Association of Negro Business & Professional Women's Clubs, Inc.


Articles and publications



Official Municipal Accomplishments of Eldridge Hawkins, Jr.
“Orange attracting shoppers and keeping businesses downtown”
''NJ Municipalities''. NJ League of Municipalities January 2010. Accessed March 25, 2011
“New development turns Orange into green”
''Enterprise Magazine'', NJ Chamber of Commerce, October 2010. Accessed March 25, 2011
“The towns need more powers on arbitration and civil service”
''Orange Transcript'' November 2, 2010. Accessed March 25, 2011
"Innovation continues in Orange”
''NJ Municipalities'' NJ League of Municipalities December 2010. Accessed March 25, 2011

''Election shocker in Orange: Mayor ousted after first term despite fierce re-election campaign''

''Orange Mayor Eldridge Hawkins fighting crime, but also battling critics and lawsuits''

''Essex County election results: Montclair, Orange get new mayors''

''Winners and Losers: Municipal Elections Edition''

"Official Website of Eldridge Hawkins, Jr.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hawkins, Eldridge Jr. 1979 births Living people New Jersey Democrats People from West Orange, New Jersey African-American mayors in New Jersey Mayors of Orange, New Jersey Rider University alumni Thomas Edison State University alumni 21st-century African-American politicians 21st-century New Jersey politicians 21st-century mayors of places in New Jersey 20th-century African-American politicians