Photo Credit: LOYAL OF FNL PRODUCTIONS
In September, the Newark Museum of Art radiated with purpose and star power as Newark-raised,Grammy Award-winning artist Faith Evans hosted the inaugural Ryder’s Room gala. The event was the first of its kind by Evans’ nonprofit, Ryder’s Room Inc., named after her son Ryder who was diagnosed as a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Evans founded the organization in 2017 to advocate for families and children with autism and other disabilities.
Evans decided to bring her organization’s inaugural gala to Newark because it’s the city she’s called home since she was 6 months old. Even though she moved to Los Angeles more than 30 years ago, Evans still reveres her days growing up in Newark, NJ. “I went to Emanuel Baptist Church at Clinton[Place] and Chancellor [Avenue],” she proudly tells Destination Newark. “I started singing there at 2½ or 3 years old.” It was a launching pad to a singing career that includes nine studio albums and multiple Grammy Award nominations.
Photo Credit: LOYAL OF FNL PRODUCTIONS
Evans says there are very few times that she comes back to the East Coast and doesn’t visit Newark.Her grandmother,cousins, and friends still live in the South Ward of Newark,some of whom sit on the board of her foundation and helped plan the gala.
The gala was both a family affair and a star-studded benefit featuring performances by MC Lyte, Mike Epps, Freeway,and more. During the event, five community leaders who have been instrumental in advancing autism awareness and providing resources were honored,including Safiyyah Muhammad, a nationally respected disability policy advocate; Maliaka Mitchell,an advocate, educator, and leader in the field of developmental disability who provides culturally competent, person-centered behavioral services; Andrew Burger, an artist and educator who is a respected voice in the autism community; Liza Lawrence, a healthcare executive with a deep-rooted commitment to autism awareness and advocacy; and Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, who was given the Elevate Award for his achievement in urban revitalization.
Destination Newark captures guests as they arrive for the gala.
Photo Credit: ZION LASTER
Beyond the glitz and glam and blue carpet of the star-studded event, there is Faith Evans, the mother. “This is my assignment
right now,” she tells Destination Newark. “I don’t have full-time childcare at home, it’s just me and Ryder,” explains the soprano who has been in the music industry for three decades.
Shortly before the pandemic, Evans says she pulled Ryder out of school and began caring for him on her own: “Now that he’s 18, I’m entering a new chapter when it comes to finding services for him at this stage in his life.” Evans knows well the ongoing challenge of navigating services, and credits fellow parents for guiding her early on. Now she seeks to pay it forward with Ryder’s Room. “I’ve learned so much,” she says. “I just wanted to share it with other parents who don’t know where to turn.”
Clockwise L to R: MC Lyte, Mayor Ras Baraka with Evans, El DeBarge
Photo Credits: ZION LASTER & LOYAL OF FNL PRODUCTIONS
Ryder’s Room offers monthly support groups and aims to expand access to medical care, education, and social services. “Over the pandemic, I started doing free symposiums to share all that I’d learned with other parents,” says Evans. “It’s a way to use my platform while I’m not traveling or recording, to do something for the greater good.”
Evans has four children: her oldest Chyna, 32; Christopher, 29; Joshua, 27; and Ryder, 18. She says the most touching part of the gala for her was honoring her daughter, Chyna, with a surprise award. “For most of Ryder’s life, especially when I was actively recording, she really stepped up,” recalls Evans. She says Chyna was so excited, she “boohoo cried” and called her brothers: “I wanted her to know how much she was appreciated.”
“Since our gala, we have gotten a lot of interest from people wanting to partner and offer support,” says Evans, acknowledging one of many positive outcomes of the first Ryder’s Room event. And judging from the organization’s public reception, Ryder’s Room is on its way to positively impacting families and communities everywhere. For more information, visit www.rydersroominc.org
Faith Evans and Newark Beth Israel CEO Darrell K. Terry, Sr. at the hospital’s new lobby grand opening. | Faith Evans distributes meals in Newark during a Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway
Photo Credit: Mary Brown (mbrown@colemediainc.com | marybphotography@gmail.com)
