New Jersey Institute for Social Justice

New Jersey Institute for Social Justice The Institute empowers Black and other people of color by building reparative systems that build wealth, transform justice and harness democratic power.

The Institute’s advocacy is a model for states as places to build community power from the ground up.

03/12/2025
We're still energized from our powerful conversation Saturday in Selma. We will build a multiracial democracy, from the ...
03/10/2025

We're still energized from our powerful conversation Saturday in Selma. We will build a multiracial democracy, from the ground up, in New Jersey and across the country.

03/08/2025
03/08/2025
We’re live from Selma! Join us for a critical conversation about democracy and building power from the ground up.
03/08/2025

We’re live from Selma! Join us for a critical conversation about democracy and building power from the ground up.

60th Anniversary of the Bloody Sunday Match!

03/07/2025
The Institute wouldn’t make history without the work of phenomenal women. Their racial justice advocacy has transformed ...
03/05/2025

The Institute wouldn’t make history without the work of phenomenal women.

Their racial justice advocacy has transformed NJ, . Please join us in celebrating them!

For decades, voting rights have been gradually weakened on the federal level, including by the U.S. Supreme Court. A cas...
03/03/2025

For decades, voting rights have been gradually weakened on the federal level, including by the U.S. Supreme Court. A case called Shelby v. Holder tore the heart out of the Voting Rights Act, leading to a wave of voter suppression laws across the country. Voters — particularly voters of color — now face more barriers to voting, including longer lines, fewer polling sites close to their homes, and limited language access.

In addition, the federal Voting Rights Act continues to face attacks from the court, Project 2025, and the Trump administration. New Jersey must protect our voters from this assault on our rights.

If you think New Jersey is immune from existing and future voting barriers, think again.

If you think New Jersey is immune from existing and future voting barriers, think again, the authors write.

03/01/2025

We appreciate the work of the Wealth Disparities Task Force and are encouraged to see their report calls for important policies like baby bonds, access to college, home ownership, expanding jury service to formerly incarcerated people, and closing/repurposing some of New Jersey’s youth prisons.

The Institute has been working to make these policies a reality and are glad for the Governor’s continued support.

The report’s focus on NJ’s historical and current inequities also affirms what we already knew: we are on the right track with our first-of-its-kind New Jersey Reparations Council, set to release its report on Juneteenth of this year.

The future is coming to Newark this April.Join us for the and learn about what this historic moment means for your com...
02/27/2025

The future is coming to Newark this April.

Join us for the and learn about what this historic moment means for your community - and get registered to vote!

We’ll break down the Board of Education election and its impact, help you create a voting plan and help ensure your voice is heard this April.

Are you a 16- or 17-year-old in Newark? If so, this is YOUR moment. You have the power to help decide what’s taught in ...
02/26/2025

Are you a 16- or 17-year-old in Newark?

If so, this is YOUR moment.

You have the power to help decide what’s taught in your classrooms. You have the power to shape your schools and your community. You have the power to make Newark a better city for your peers and the future.

This April, you can cast a ballot in Newark’s school board elections.

That is – as long as you register before March 25. So don’t wait – register online now.

https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/voter-registration.shtml

We are so close. We’re on the cusp of an election where we’ll finally be free from the “county line” - the undemocratic ...
02/24/2025

We are so close.

We’re on the cusp of an election where we’ll finally be free from the “county line” - the undemocratic scourge that essentially let party bosses handpick primary winners for decades.

This is a huge win for democracy in New Jersey.

Unfortunately, the Legislature is trying to fast-track and pass a bill tomorrow that will chip away at our progress by introducing unnecessary elements onto our ballot that get as “close to the line” as possible without crossing it.

This approach creates a ballot that can be used to influence voters and tip the scales of elections, again. After just ridding ourselves of the county line, we shouldn’t take a step backwards in our democracy.

New Jersey needs you to tell your legislators that New Jersey voters deserve clean, fair ballots.

Please take action now before tomorrow’s hearings.

https://njisj.quorum.us/campaign/fairballots/

“Among black and other voters of color, New Jersey has earned a reputation as a state where party insiders, elected offi...
02/20/2025

“Among black and other voters of color, New Jersey has earned a reputation as a state where party insiders, elected officials, and power players, not the voters, pick out our representatives for us.” - Nuzhat Chowdhury, Director, Democracy & Justice Program.

After hours of testimony from the public and advocates against the new ballot bill that introduces unnecessary number-letter markers and removes best practices around font requirements, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approves S4142.

You have the power to shape your community. 16- and 17-year-old in Newark – you can now vote for candidates who represen...
02/20/2025

You have the power to shape your community.

16- and 17-year-old in Newark – you can now vote for candidates who represent your interests and values.

Whether it’s more AP classes or further funding for sports or arts programs, you have the power to help influence what education looks like in your community – now and in the future.

The deadline to register is March 25th but don’t worry – the process is easy.

All you need is your driver’s license number (including a learner’s permit), a non-driver ID or the last four digits of your Social Security number (and a digital signature if you do it online).

It’ll take you minutes but your vote in April will be felt in your community for years.

Register today!

NJ Voter information about voter registration.

The Bloody Sunday march, which transformed America, taught us that power comes from the ground up. inspires our ongoing...
02/19/2025

The Bloody Sunday march, which transformed America, taught us that power comes from the ground up.

inspires our ongoing fight for democracy.

Join us 3/8 at 12:00 in for “Under The Bridge.”

Now is the perfect time to invest in community organizing and year-long civic engagement to empower New Jersey’s most un...
02/14/2025

Now is the perfect time to invest in community organizing and year-long civic engagement to empower New Jersey’s most underrepresented groups to unlock their political power.

Join us and let’s bring the power back to the people, where it belongs.

https://njisj-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/hvXgE_2tTNKS5eCtGAHwbA #/registration

Our Senior Community Organizer Assatta Mann spoke about creating an unstoppable solidarity movement to fight for justice...
02/13/2025

Our Senior Community Organizer Assatta Mann spoke about creating an unstoppable solidarity movement to fight for justice in Jersey at the 2025 Movement -Building Call to Collaboration at today!

New Jersey’s juries are not fair and representative – how could they be when about a quarter of Black people in our stat...
02/12/2025

New Jersey’s juries are not fair and representative – how could they be when about a quarter of Black people in our state are denied the ability to serve on a jury due to criminal convictions?

Today we held a special screening of “Judging Juries,” a new film from Abby Ginzberg that chronicles the many barriers to representative juries in California – followed by a robust discussion on lessons we can learn in New Jersey as we fight for fairer juries here.

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07102

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Videos

It’s time, Newark! Starting TODAY, 16- and 17-year-olds in Newark will be able to register to vote for April’s upcoming school board election. This is huge – you now have a say in education decisions that directly affect you every single day in your school. Whether it’s LGBTQ and gender issues, educational accessibility or what curriculum is taught in your classes- YOU now have a voice in who makes these decisions. So what do you have to do? First – you need to register to vote by March 25th. But how do you do that? You can register online by following the link in our bio, or you can register in person or by mail. You can find voter registration forms at County offices, City Hall or in your schools. Register online here: https://voter.svrs.nj.gov/register

Senior Counsel Nuzhat Chowdhury testifies in support of the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act.

Today, the Assembly State and Local Government Committee will hear the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act, a New Jersey voting rights act, for the first time. This landmark legislation is one of the most important bills New Jersey can pass to protect Black and other voters of color by giving them strong legal protections and expanding the franchise so that it is accessible not only by some, but all New Jersey communities.

We want to say thank you to all our champions who support us in countless ways every single day. Our hearts are full of gratitude for all you've done to make New Jersey a better, more equitable place for all. With you, we've raised the minimum wage, expanded homeownership opportunities, achieved online voter registration and early voting, lowered the voting age to 16 in school board elections in Newark, won an historic youth prison closure announcement and convened the first-of-its-kind New Jersey Reparations Council to repair the lasting harm of slavery. With you, we've turned the impossible into the inevitable. From the Institute family to yours, thank you.

At this very minute, following of one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime, there are fierce efforts underway across America to suppress democracy. But here in New Jersey, we are not afraid of democracy. Our goal is to build America’s most inclusive democracy, from the ground up in our communities, step by step, policy by policy. #AdvocacyIsPower #FromTheGroundUp #Institute25

Vote16 Youth Summit
Vote16 Youth Summit

Mock legislative process Our young people rock! #vote16youthsummit

We're not alone when we say Ryan Haygood is truly one of a kind. Today, he turns 50! Join us in celebrating Ryan and his dedication to racial justice with a gift of $50 to the Institute today. https://njisj.org/happybirthdayryan/

With the NJ Reparations Council's Sept. 9 public session coming up, our President & CEO Ryan Haygood reflects on how we got here - and why we must push forward. Join us: https://bit.ly/NJRCSession6

60 years ago, Fannie Lou Hamer took America to task for failing to support voting rights for Black people. "All of this is on account we want to register, to become first-class citizens... I question America, is this America?" 60 years later and the heart has been torn out of the federal Voting Rights Act and Black people still face obstacles to the ballot box. Is this STILL America? We can do better because we are better. It's time for NJ to become the 9th state to pass a state Voting Rights Act. Join us as we fight to ensure that Black, Latina/Latino and other voters of color have greater access to democracy. We can't wait for Washington, D.C. to shine the light of democracy on New Jersey. We must be that light ourselves. www.njvra.org

We can lament the state of democracy in New Jersey or we can do what is necessary to strengthen, protect and expand it. It's time to pass the New Jersey Voter Empowement Act, a voting rights act. #njvranow

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