Juneteenth: Essex County Fights For Better Future, Racial Justice – Newark, NJ Patch

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Calls for solidarity and hope resonated across Essex County on Friday, the holiday known as “Juneteenth.” And there’s a lot more to be done, both nationally and in New Jersey, when it comes to racial justice, advocates say.

Juneteenth, which is short for June 19th, is a 155-year-old commemoration that celebrates the emancipation of African Americans from slavery in the United States.

This year, the annual holiday has been put in the spotlight, as many around the nation – and Essex County – continue to demand social change and police reform in the wake of George Floyd’s death.

“This year’s Juneteenth celebration takes on special meaning, as it coincides with the rising up in America’s streets to protest the fact that in the most fundamental ways, black people in America, in 2020, are not yet fully liberated – and never have been,” the Newark-based New Jersey Institute for Social Justice (NJISJ) recently said.

According to the NJISJ, there isn’t any need to look to Minneapolis, Minnesota, the site of Floyd’s death, to find examples of racism.

The nonprofit wrote:

“Our racial wealth gap [in New Jersey] is one of the worst in the country, with white families having a median net worth of $352,000, compared to $6,100 for black and $7,300 for Latina/Latino families. Black people in New Jersey are three times more likely to face police force than white people. And the racial disparity in youth incarceration is the worst in the country, with 21 black kids locked up for every white kid – while they commit most offenses at similar rates. For adult incarceration, the disparity is 12:1, the highest in America.”

“The cracks of systemic racism in America’s – and New Jersey’s – foundation have been laid bare and erupted into earthquakes in the face of a relentless pandemic that has disproportionately ravaged communities of color, and a string of horrifying and unjustified police killings of black people,” the NJISJ stated.

“In this eruption, we are saying ‘Enough. Finally: Enough.’ The painful racial disparities in police treatment, and in health outcomes, are two of many cracks of racism in our foundation, including right here in New Jersey,” the group emphasized.

Here are some of the ways Essex County residents have been commemorating this year’s holiday.

MUNICIPALITIES, OFFICIALS SUPPORT JUNETEENTH

Some municipalities have made official statements in support of the holiday.

In observation of the day, all municipal offices in Bloomfield will be closed on Friday, town officials said.

“It is a crucial step for our township to take to acknowledge this important day in American history,” Mayor Michael Venezia said. “We would like to use this day to reflect on the past and consider what we can do to make our society more fair and just for all people.”

And in Newark, Mayor Ras Baraka issued an executive order that gives city employees a chance to learn about “Juneteenth” via workshops and teach-ins.

Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, a self-described “Jersey Girl” who was born and raised in an ethnically diverse Newark neighborhood, offered a passionate Juneteenth message via email.

Oliver wrote:

“Here in New Jersey, I’m proud to say we’re doing more than listening, we’re leading. It started with the peaceful marches on the streets of Newark, Camden and many places in between, where we have shown the nation what police-community cooperation and respect looks like. It has continued to Trenton, where Governor Phil Murphy, Attorney General Gurbir Grewal and myself are working with reform advocates to bring transformational changes to our criminal justice system. It’s in Washington, where Senator Cory Booker is leading the charge for national policing reform. And it’s being seen in town halls in communities large and small, where many elected officials are taking a hard look at use-of-force policies and beginning long overdue conservations with community members.”

Oliver continued:

“The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and, most recently, of Rayshard Brooks have shaken our nation to its very core. The response has been overwhelming, with people joining together to proclaim once and for all that black lives matter. That our young men and women are not disposable. That we must have change, and we must have it now. The struggle for equality is not over. There is much more work to do, even beyond police reform. Our voting rights continue to be threatened, we still face systematic barriers to homeownership and wealth creation, and we continue to confront the legacy of slavery in our country and all that it has wrought.

Oliver concluded:

“But, on this Juneteenth, I am full of hope because the possibility of bringing more equity, more justice and more humanity to our system is before us. Now, we must all do whatever we can to achieve it.”

New Jersey Sen. Ronald Rice, who represents the 28th District (Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Irvington, Newark and Nutley), also offered a Juneteenth statement.

The senator wrote:

“Juneteenth is a holiday of reflection where we will never forget the history of slavery in this country. Although it celebrates slavery’s termination, black folks throughout the country continued to suffer under Jim Crow laws and after the Civil Rights Movement into the present day.

“With all the Black Lives Matter protests going on around the country, we are seeing a shift in how this nation views the rights of others, and realize it is worth fighting to protect their neighbors and friends in their communities. Juneteenth has taken on a new meaning for those who are just starting to learn about its importance.

“Until recently, most people did not know what Juneteenth was, what it meant and why it was celebrated. While I am glad people from all backgrounds are starting to understand what this day means to the black community across the country, we need to continue to educate others on why we all need to observe and celebrate this holiday.”

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RALLIES, PUBLIC FORUMS

In Newark, protesters rallied for a “Drive to Justice” motorcade and march, part of a national day of action. The rally started at noon at 206 Springfield Avenue, then proceeded to the Peter Rodino Federal Building, City Hall, Newark Penn Station, Market Street and Military Park.

The rally was held to “lift up the names of those whose lives have been stolen by police and white supremacists,” organizers said.

The Juneteenth Leadership Coalition included the Arc of Justice, SEIU 32BJ, Until Freedom, The Gathering For Justice, The Indigenous Peoples Movement, and other public officials and activists

NJ Student Blackout, a group of student leaders from Essex County, are planning to hold a rally against police brutality in Montclair on Friday.

Organizers said the rally and protest will include performers and possibly an open mic.

The town of Maplewood is planning a forum on Friday at 7 p.m. called “From Awareness to Action: A Forum on Law Enforcement Accountability, Mass Incarceration in America and The Treatment of Black People in our community.”

In West Orange, a free event to honor the sacredness of black lives and release collective trauma will be held from the Empty Cloud Monastery. (Learn more here)

Organizers wrote that the event, available for viewing via livestream, will create a space for black individuals to set their embodied emotions free through movement, while non-POC allies practice holding space, capacity to witness and “send healing love.”

MESSAGES OF HOPE, HEALING, ACTION

Nonprofits, community groups and other organizations across Essex County offered their own tributes to Juneteenth via social media.

See some of their messages below.

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