June 14, 2021
Juneteenth Rally to Say the Word: REPARATIONS
With Support of Over 30 Groups, June 19 Rally in Newark Will Call for Passage of S322/A711 to Establish Reparations Task Force in New Jersey
NEWARK – On June 19 at 12 PM, the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, racial justice advocates and elected officials from across the state will gather in Newark to celebrate Juneteenth and to call for passage of pending legislation to establish a Reparations Task Force in New Jersey. This will be the first Juneteenth recognized by New Jersey as a state holiday.
A copy of the event flyer including logos of more than 30 widely diverse organizations can be found here.
“While we rightly celebrate the liberation of enslaved people on Juneteenth, we must also double down on our commitment to create an equitable and just America – and New Jersey – where Black people are truly free and not restricted by the shackles of structural racism,” said Ryan Haygood, President & CEO of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.
“A direct line can be drawn from New Jersey’s dark history as the ‘slave state of the North,’ through generations of structurally racist policies, to today’s shameful racial disparities when it comes to wealth, health, incarceration and school segregation – some of the worst in America,” said Andrea McChristian, the Institute’s Law & Policy Director. “The time has come to Say the Word Reparations and not to run from it. Reparations can look like different kinds of investments in New Jersey’s Black communities, but ultimately it’s about enacting policies to finally repair the harm. A Reparations Task Force that can study New Jersey’s unique history and present inequities – and make policy recommendations to address them so all New Jerseyans can thrive – is a crucial first step.”
WHAT: Juneteenth Rally to Say the Word: Reparations
WHEN: June 19, 2021, 12 PM
WHERE:
–12 PM Rally at Lincoln Memorial, 50 W. Market St. Newark
-March to rally again at 1:30 at Newark City Hall, 920 Broad St.
WHO:
About 25 speakers including:
- Ryan Haygood and Andrea McChristian – New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
- U.S. Senator Cory Booker
- New Jersey Congressional Representatives including Bonnie Watson Coleman and Donald Payne, Jr.
- Chairman Larry Hamm – People’s Organization for Progress
- State legislators including Asw. Shavonda Sumter
- Newark Mayor Ras Baraka
- Multi-faith and advocacy leaders from across the state
- Representatives from multiple organizations
Note: Masking and social distancing will be observed.