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evidence. He spent ten years in solitary confinement while serving 17 years in prison for the robbery. During his solitary imprisonment, he studied spiritual writings, psychology, and law, and he prayed that he would be able to help others if released. In a 2011 interview, he said: "I wanted to make
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is giving people "food for the mind and for the heart ... If they're about violence, I show them how in my own life I took the energy I put into violence and put it into peace." Best says he gives kids his cell phone number and urges them to phone him first if they ever decide they're going to "do
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congregate. He says that people relax after eating, and he stays to "hang out" with people after he drops off his donations. "Peace is about being relaxed, and you know what, food relaxes people. You don't see people frowning when they eat. Food is peace." The locations Best serves food include
120:. In 2009, Best eulogized a fellow anti-violence activist, Yusuf Shabazz, who died from gunshot wounds at age 22. Shabazz had been arrested for selling drugs at age 16, but had managed to turn his life around. He received training in film editing from a non-profit youth group,
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said in a tribute posted on
Instagram that "A lot of people benefited from his road to self-improvement and his road to self-discovery." A memorial service took place on January 14, 2022, where he was later laid to rest at the
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Best died on
December 27, 2021, at an extended care facility at the age of 74 after a long battle from cancer. His death was later announced the next day. He was survived by his son, sisters, nieces, and nephews. Newark Mayor
38:. He founded the Street Warriors organization in 2003. From 2011 until his death in 2021, Best was active preaching nonviolence and delivering blankets, food and supplies to poor people of Newark with his van and on his feet.
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Best was released from prison in 2000. Within three years, he set up an organization called Street
Warriors with several other former criminal offenders. Its programs included a summer youth program,
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I have met people from all over the world that touched me, and asked me, 'Street Doctor, what does peace mean to you?' And this is what it means to me: Proper education. Always correct errors.
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508:"Earl The Street Doctor Best. Rest in Power and Paradise. The city will not be the same without you. Godspeed my brother. As he would say spider webs can tie up a lion Yibambe!!!!"
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team. For a few years, the organization maintained a center, but the center closed due to a lack of ongoing funding. Best ran his charitable activities out of a donated van.
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Earl Best has received various awards, and has been cited in news stories about crime in Newark. In 2008, Best was unexpectedly honored by
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something bad." His other charitable activities for young people include organizing a beach trip for 60 teenagers to celebrate
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Best carried goods such as blankets and food in his van, for distribution at places where
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a difference in kids' lives because no one made a difference in mine."
533:"Newark 'Street Doctor,' prisoner-turned-activist, laid to rest in NJ"
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sites, prisons, juvenile halls, and schools. He says that part of his
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481:"Newark mourns the passing of longtime activist, 'The Street Doctor'"
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City Hall protest against privatization of sanitation workers, 2010
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241:'Street Doctor' Leaves His Mark on Newark with 'The Fingerprint'
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207:(May). Boulder, CO: Shambhala Sun Foundation: 40 (online p. 3)
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Crowd gathers at Newark City Hall for food, fellowship, 2009
421:"Newark Anti-violence Activist Killed in Shooting Crossfire"
22:(December 26, 1947 – December 27, 2021), a
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Giambuso, David; Friedman, Alexi (September 2, 2009).
562:"Street Doctor Featuring His Holiness The Dalai Lama"
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better known as the "Street Doctor", was a convicted
303:"Newark Teens Spend Father's Day at Seaside Heights"
389:"Newark questions curfew enforcement for juveniles"
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454:"Newark Leaders Look for Lessons at Peace Summit"
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199:"Making Peace in America's Cities"
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28:bank robber
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174:References
147:Ras Baraka
134:Dalai Lama
86:people or
72:basketball
48:South Ward
564:. YouTube
519:Instagram
364:App.com,
60:mentoring
42:Biography
20:Earl Best
568:July 24,
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317:July 24,
244:Archived
211:July 25,
166:—
84:homeless
538:WABC-TV
458:WCBS-TV
485:NJ.com
122:Aspira
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140:Death
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