On Juneteenth, a state reparations council released a sweeping report calling for bold action to address the enduring legacy of slavery and systemic racism in the Garden State.
The report was the culmination of a two-year initiative spearheaded by the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, in collaboration with prominent academics, faith leaders and advocates. By tracing New Jersey’s history as the “slave state of the North” to the persistent racial disparities of today, it underscores the state’s severe criminal justice and wealth gaps – which are among the worst in the nation.