NEWARK – On Monday, June 19 (Juneteenth) at 11 a.m., against the backdrop of waters that carried ships of enslaved people from Africa to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice will gather with esteemed advocates, experts and elected officials to announce the launch of the New Jersey Reparations Council.
A unique collaboration of state and national experts from various disciplines, the Council will be the first of its kind in the state to acknowledge, confront and repair New Jersey’s deep and often overlooked involvement in slavery and its lasting impact on the contemporary life of Black people in the state. While New Jersey is one of the most diverse states in the nation, it is home to some of the worst racial disparities in the areas of wealth, health and incarceration.
The Council will be co-chaired by Taja-Nia Henderson (Rutgers Law School) and Khalil Gibran Muhammad (Harvard Kennedy School) and will be comprised of nine subject matter committees: History of Slavery in New Jersey; Public Education & Narrative; Economic Justice; Segregation in New Jersey; Democracy; Public Safety & Justice; Health Equity; Environmental Justice; and Faith & Black Resistance.
Over a two-year period, the Council will study New Jersey’s history and its connection to its current racial landscape, making strategic and bold policy recommendations for reparative justice policies in New Jersey. The nine Committees will hold virtual open meetings for which public comment will be solicited.
Press should please RSVP to lnelson@njisj.org.
WHAT: Launch of New Jersey Reparations Council
WHERE: Perth Amboy Ferry Slip, 300 Front St.
WHEN: June 19, 2023 at 11 a.m. EST
WHO:
- Ryan Haygood, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
- U.S. Sen. Cory Booker
- Newark Mayor Ras Baraka
- NJ Asw. Shavonda Sumter
- Perth Amboy Mayor Helmin Caba
- Rev. Charles Boyer, Salvation and Social. Justice
- Jean-Pierre Brutus, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
- Co-Chair: Taja-Nia Henderson, Rutgers Law School
- Co-Chair: Khalil Gibran Muhammad, Harvard Kennedy School
- Maisha Simmons, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation