New Jersey Institute for Social Justice

Kristen Clarke, formerly with the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice, knows what it’s like to be on the front lines fighting for justice – and knows what’s at stake right now.

Join us ONE WEEK FROM TODAY in honoring her at our Courage In Action Gala!

njisj.org/gala2025/

What a day at the Youth Power Summit!

YouTube video by St John's Community Baptist Church NJISJ Community Meeting @ St John's Community Baptist Church

We are live!

Tonight could be the last community meeting about the Newark Police Consent Decree, an agreement between Newark and the Department of Justice to improve the city’s policing.

Don't miss this!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCrW...

Higher education is at a crossroads in New Jersey.

Escalating costs are making college unaffordable for many Black and Brown families, widening educational disparities across race, income and wealth.

But there is a path forward.

njisj.org/reports/reac...

Join us Oct. 14 at NJPAC for our Gala where we reflect the need for courage, always, and especially in this moment and honor those who continue to show it in the face of adversity.

Tickets are going fast. Get yours today!

njisj.org/gala2025/

With housing becoming less affordable by the day and NJ being home to some of the worst racial disparities in the country, we need to sit down and talk about how we got here – and how we’ll get out.

That’s what @ryanphaygood.bsky.social
is doing right now - with the authors of Just Action.

Feds curtail push to register new citizens to vote, spurring voter suppression fears • New Jersey Monitor A move by the Trump admin to curtail voter registration efforts at naturalization ceremonies has roiled voter rights and immigrant advocates.

This...pretends to fix a problem that doesn’t actually exist, and it also makes people doubt the integrity of our voting process, which is the sort of fear-mongering about...democracy that we’ve seen the current administration proliferate again and again.

newjerseymonitor.com/2025/09/10/f...

Don't let your power go unread.

Register now and show the world you're not just the future, you are the now.

njisj.org/youth-power-...

Join us for what could be the last public conversation about the Newark Police Consent Decree.

bit.ly/ConsentDecree25

This #BlackAugust, celebrate Black self-determination and remember Timbuctoo.

Learn more: www.njisj.org/print/njrcre...

If you erase the history of slavery, you erase the history of America. There is no one without the other.

Instead of attempting to erase the horrific history of slavery, America should try atoning for it - with reparations.

In NJ, the NJRC has created a blueprint: www.njisj.org/print/njrcre...

This #BlackAugust, celebrate Robert Carter.

Carter was a renowned civil rights lawyer, an architect of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education litigation and a federal judge.

But before all that he was just a 16-year old in NJ who was forced to face unrelenting segregation.

Join us for a very special event!

Tickets are on sale now for the social justice event of the year!

Don't miss out!

us.givergy.com/njisjgala202...

This #BlackAugust, learn about the 'Rosa Parks of Affordable Housing!'

There are examples across the country of communities successfully using alternatives to policing for mental health crises.

The Eugene, Oregon, CAHOOTs program is a notable example that New Jersey could follow.

We must prevent further violence and tragedy now.

Mental health crises do not call for militarized responses that only escalate situations that need compassionate, skilled de-escalation.

Police are not equipped to handle these situations.

New Jersey needs true healthcare first responders.

www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/c...

Join @lwvnj.bsky.social, @dosocialjustice.bsky.social, and other partners for an interactive session where you’ll learn how to use storytelling as a tool for social change. Then, join us to flood timelines with bold voices demanding reparative justice in New Jersey: bit.ly/NJISJBA3

This #BlackAugust, remember Harriet Tubman.

Read more about Harriet Tubman and other courageous activists in the New Jersey Reparations Council's report "For Such a Time As This: The Nowness of Reparations for Black People in New Jersey."

www.njisj.org/print/njrcre...

The Voting Rights Act turns 60 today - let’s celebrate it by protecting democracy and passing the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act this year.

wordinblack.com/2025/08/voti...

Join @lwvnj.bsky.social, @dosocialjustice.bsky.social, and partners for Black August as we honor the legacy of Black resistance and continue organizing a movement for reparations in New Jersey: bit.ly/NJISJBA2

Two years ago, we lost a true leader.

Sheila Oliver had the courage to speak up about social justice issues that are crucial to our state but that don’t always get the attention they require.

Let's honor her memory genuinely. Let's talk about reparations.

Next Thursday, @dosocialjustice.bsky.social will be holding a virtual teach-in where they'll break down the New Jersey Reparations Council’s report and proposals & explore strategies for building grassroots power for racial justice in communities. Learn more and register at bit.ly/4mAxi6L

NJ Supreme Court upholds attorney general's takeover of Paterson police • New Jersey Monitor The high court's ruling cites two laws passed by the Legislature signaling lawmakers' support for the Paterson police takeover in March 2023.

Yesterday’s ruling allowing the supersession is a win for Paterson, whose Black and Brown residents deserve a police force that serves and protects them – not one that harms them.

newjerseymonitor.com/2025/07/23/n...

Warnock leads Senatorial effort to even the playing field in home appraisals Senator Raphael Warnock introduces the Appraisal Modernization Act to address appraisal biases and increase transparency in home valuations.

In NJ, we know discriminatory home appraisal haves robbed Black and Brown New Jerseyans of intergenerational wealth through homeownership.

This bill will help ensure all homebuyers have a fair chance to build wealth through homeownership.

theatlantavoice.com/warnock-lead...

“Reparations = Human Rights”

This powerful report outlines the history of #StructuralRacism in New Jersey and offers bold, necessary recommendations to repair harm done to Black people and ensure a more equitable future for all families. Read the full report ⬇️
bsky.app/profile/doso...

I finished reading this last night- it's a knockout. Amazing work. Must-read for anyone in New Jersey.

By 1830, over two-thirds of all people enslaved in the north were held in New Jersey.

This July 4, the Ultimate Act of Patriotism Is Calling for Reparations Robert Wood Johnson Foundation head Dr. Richard E. Besser and board member Ryan P. Haygood call for the fulfillment of America’s promise.

This July 4, the Ultimate Act of Patriotism Is Calling for Reparations.

Read @ryanphaygood.bsky.social and Dr Rich Besser’s important OpEd -a call to for America to live up to its promise.

wordinblack.com/2025/07/ulti...

We urge the Assembly to support and pass this crucial and secure expansion to automatic voter registration.