Racial Justice in New Jersey

Every year, within a span of two weeks, we celebrate hard-fought freedoms. On July 4th, we celebrate the establishment of a new nation, the United States of America, after winning independence from the British Crown. On June 19th or Juneteenth, we commemorate the end of slavery, opening up the possibility of full citizenship and other freedoms for Blacks in our nation.

Nearly 250 years after independence and 160 years after the end of slavery, it behooves us to ask where we are today in New Jersey in terms of providing equal opportunity for all our citizens to thrive, regardless of race.

Unfortunately, the situation is not pretty, and we have work to do, as articulated in the New Jersey Reparations Council's report released on Juneteenth this year, “For Such a Time as This: The Nowness of Reparations for Black People in New Jersey". Based on research by experts across the state over two years, the report offers a clear reckoning of our state’s overlooked history of slavery, Jim Crow, and systemic racial discrimination, and a bold blueprint for transformative change.

New Jersey was the last Northern state to abolish slavery. Today, it has the dubious distinction of being the most segregated state in the nation with respect to public schools. Discrimination in housing and employment opportunities, and disparate deployment of educational, health, and other resources across racialized towns and neighborhoods have resulted in concentration of poverty among Blacks. For example, the report notes a $643,000 racial wealth gap between Black & white families in our state. We must do better, with transformative change to closing the gaps. The report presents nearly 100 policy proposals to address the state’s ongoing racial discrepancies in wealth, maternal health, education, and more.

Now is the time for all New Jerseyans to educate ourselves about our racial history and move towards accountability and justice. We encourage all residents, groups, and leaders to read and share the report available at https://njisj.org, and advocate for reparative justice to your elected representatives. Together, we can repair our past harms and create a new era of equity and flourishing for all our residents.