Each day it seems like New Jersey is becoming more and more like California. A nonprofit organization, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, announced that it has initiated the establishment of the New Jersey Reparations Council. The council’s primary objective is to conduct a comprehensive two-year study aimed at acknowledging the atrocities endured by enslaved individuals, many of whom have descendants capable of sharing their ancestral stories, including potentially recommending reparation payments to black individuals.
Ryan P. Haygood, President and CEO of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, emphasized the direct connection between the current racial disparities in the state and the historical legacy of slavery, followed by generations of racist policies. Haygood stated, “New Jersey’s current racial disparities – some of the worst in the country – are a direct outgrowth of slavery in our state and generations of racist policies that followed.”
He further said that New Jersey has to confront its past, despite the state’s perception of itself as progressive and enlightened. Haygood acknowledged that while there have been strides made in certain areas, there remains much work to be done in terms of racial justice.
“This self-generated narrative has forestalled our reckoning and our acknowledgment that when it comes to racial justice, we have a long way to go,” he said.
To ensure a comprehensive approach, the New Jersey Reparations Council said it will actively engage with New Jersey residents. The council will be divided into nine subject-matter committees, comprising numerous experts hailing from both within the state and across the country. These committees will facilitate the collection of insights, perspectives, and recommendations from a wide range of stakeholders, according to its officials.
We already give them money. It’s called Abbott districts.
New Jersey wasnt even a slave. As a matter of fact 6300 New Jerseyans died fighting against slavery in the civil war.