Newark’s Michael B. Jordan: From Brick City to Oscar Gold

Michael B. Jordan has been an on-screen actor for more than twenty years–but not many outside of New Jersey know that he comes from Newark.

Jordan took home the Academy Award for Best Actor for his transformative dual performance as twin brothers Smoke and Stack in the Ryan Coogler’s blockbuster, “Sinners.” The supernatural thriller, set in the Jim Crow-era South, didn’t just win over critics; it shattered records, becoming the highest-grossing original movie of the 2020s.

Only six Black actors have won the award, including Jordan: Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, and Will Smith. 

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While the world celebrated his craft, Newark celebrated his character. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka released a statement praising the actor’s enduring ties to his hometown.

“What makes us even more proud is that he has never forgotten where he came from, often returning home to give back to the community that helped shape him. Today, with great pride, Newark celebrates one of our very own,” Baraka said. 

Jordan graduated from Newark Arts High School in 2005. Accepting his Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award on March 1, Jordan delivered an emotional tribute to his mother, Donna, recalling the grueling commutes that defined his early career.

“Mom, thank you for driving me back and forth to New York even when we didn’t have enough for the Holland Tunnel, when we were searching for gas money and parking just so I could make those auditions. Thank you,” Jordan told the audience at the SAG award ceremony.