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- What will a second-term Murphy administration do to end school segregation? | Opinion
- Pleasantville church tackles segregation at MLK ceremony
- No time for handwashing, absolving ourselves of segregating schools | Opinion
- Pleasantville to Absecon march against school segregation held on Selma anniversary
- Star-Ledger Guest Columnist By Willie Dwayne Francois III
- Pleasantville school board again opposing Absecon's bid to leave district
- Statewide group mobilizes South Jersey leaders to correct school segregation
- A BLACK WOMAN SAID SHE WAS AFRAID OF THE POLICE. A NEARLY ALL-WHITE DISCIPLINARY PANEL SAID WE DON’T BELIEVE YOU.
- Tickets Out of Poverty? The American Prospect magazine
- New York Times - Justice for Blacks and Whites As the Civil Rights Act Turns 50, Creating Cross-Racial Alliances
- The Diverse Suburbs Movement Has Never Been More Relevant
- Behind tension over Texas pool party, a seismic shift in American suburbs - CSMonitor
- Communities face challenge of sustaining middle class reality
- Building One Ohio summit brings together over 150 local leaders
- 20 Years Later, Law Was Worth The Wait
- Community leaders want collaboration
- Once-aspirational Philadelphia suburbs struggle with poverty
- A tale of two towns reveals tipping point for America's suburbs
- BOA attacked in Breitbart News
- The Bad Economics of Balkanized Suburbs
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- Leadership Training
- Annual Year-End Celebration and Awards Ceremony 2024
- Anthony Abrantes 2024 Powerful Ally of the Year
- Rev. J. Michael Sanders, 2024 Moral Leader of the Year
- Verlina Reynolds-Jackson 2024 Shirley Chisolm Award Primary tabs
- Frank Sanchez 2024 Public Servant of the Year Primary tabs
- Felicia Simmons 2024 Leader of the Year
- LaRae Smith 2024 Leader of the Year
- Paul A. Jargowsky 2024 Loyal Friend of the Year
- Tribute to Rev. R. Lenton Buffalo, Jr. Primary tabs
- Join Building One New Jersey
- School Segregation in NJ
- Summit for Civil Rights 2025
Leadership Training for Congregations and Community
April 6th, 2024 - from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Fountain Baptist Church - 116 Glenside Ave - Summit, NJ 07901
Register Here
This training builds on the powerful Martin Luther King Day Forum held at Fountain Baptist Church. It is for clergy and lay leaders who want to develop their skills and advance social justice while building community and strengthening their congregations, organizations, and communities.
Purpose and Goals of Training:
1. An orientation on broad based community organizing for racial, social and economic justice.
2. Gain the tools and attitudes needed to take the next steps in building out the coalition internally and externally.
Those tools and attitudes will include:
a. A deeper understanding of power to defend and advance our values.
b. The importance of understanding and learning the self-interest (issues, concerns) of our congregations / organizations / communities and members as well as the self-interest of key allies and decision makers.
c. The techniques and a program for a listening process that will enable leaders to deepen their understanding of the problems people are facing and the shared values they are willing to act upon together.
3. The training will include an analysis of the problem of racial segregation as a form of deliberate political isolation and economic exploitation.
4. The training will also provide a power analysis including the process for advancing and winning a legislative campaign.
5. It will conclude with an agreed upon calendar and specific action steps to for groups to advance issue campaigns, voter engagement, membership recruitment, evangelization and organizational base-building.
Who should attend this training:
- Key leaders from congregations and organizations including the faith community, labor unions, civil rights organizations and social and community-based institutions.
You must register to attend. You can register here.
Go here for a PDF flyer
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King Day Clergy Forum with Dr. Otis Moss II at Fountain Baptist Baptist
Join Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III, Attorney Lawrence Lustberg, Law Professor Erika Wilson, and Rev. Dr. Willie D. Francois.
The Unfinished Work; Ending Segregation, Expanding Opportunity.
Monday, January 15, 2024 - 5-6:30 PM. Fountain Baptist Church, Summit, NJ.
Please join us for a Martin Luther King Day observance and policy forum on school segregation on Monday, January 15, 2024, from 5:00 to 6:30 PM, ET at Fountain Baptist Church, Summit, NJ.
In October of 2023, a New Jersey Supreme Court Judge ruled that New Jersey's public schools were unconstitutionally segregated by race. This ruling has far reaching implications for students and families from all backgrounds, colors and communities. On January 15th, Martin Luther King Day, 2024 we will hear a report on this case from the lead attorney with analysis from experts and reaction and a proposed action agenda from faith leaders.
Our faith based coalition has been battling the deeply entrenched and well-funded forces of racial segregation across the state for some time. We intend to expand and escalate our campaign in 2024 as we build multi-racial support to win over policy makers through mobilization and direct action.
We can think of no better use of the King Day observance than to launch this important work in the new year and we would be honored if you would join us.
"Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children."Martin Luther King, Jr. : I Have a Dream Speech (1963)
Martin Luther King Day observance and policy forum on racial segregation, Monday, January 15, 2024, from 5:00 to 6:30 PM, Fountain Baptist Church, Summit, NJ.
Please pre-register here for this gathering of faith, community, political and policy leaders.
Annual Year-End Celebration and Awards Ceremony, Dec 14, 2023
Rev. Albert Morgan- Lawrence Lustberg - Lloyd Henderson - Tennille McCoy - John Froonjian - Mila Jasey - Tom Giblin - Nia Gill
Senior Pastor and "God's Mailman" Union Baptist Temple, Bridgeton 2023 Moral Leader of the Year Director, Gibbons PC 2023 Powerful Ally of the Year President, Camden County East NAACP 2023 Outstanding Leader of the Year Assemblywoman-elect D-14 2023 Shirley Chisholm Breakthrough Leader Director, William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy 2023 Steadfast and Loyal Friend | |
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Rev. Albert Morgan- Lawrence Lustberg - Lloyd Henderson - Tennille McCoy - John Froonjian - Mila Jasey - Tom Giblin - Nia Gill
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March on Washington Anniversary Policy Forum
Nearly 150 
community leaders and clergy from congregations and civic organizations from across Essex, Union, Passaic, and surrounding counties gathered at St. Paul Baptist Church in Montclair Thursday, August 25 to celebrate the March on Washington and to demand action today on its yet unmet demands.
Keynote speaker, Rev. Dr. Willie D. Francois said ending school segregation was the 1st and 3rd demand of the 1963 march, “…and yet here we are”, said Pastor Francois, “these 6 decades later..., in this liberal state - one of the wealthiest in the country - and we’re having to have conversations about how children don’t have to be trapped in pockets of airtight poverty and racial exclusion?” Francois blamed “political inaction and cowardice”. “This is not just about diversity” he said “it’s about opportunity…, this is about power."
Hosted by St. Paul Senior Pastor Dr. Bernadette Glover and moderated by Dr. Terry Richardson, of first Baptist Church in South Orange, the post Covid capacity crowd responded with shouts of “Amen!” and "that Ain't Right!” to the powerful message.
The group did more than preach, agitate, and inspire. The clergy and community coalition (a part of Building One America and the NJ Coalition Against Racial Exclusion NJ-CARE) presented a detailed list of specific legislative actions and called on Governor Murphy and legislators to enact policies aimed at dismantling the “opportunity destroying and stigmatizing scourge of school segregation” without delay.
Senator Joseph P. Cryan and Assemblywoman Mila M. Jasey, the co-chairs of the Legislative Joint Committee on The Public Schools committed to work with the group and advance their initiatives in the New Jersey General Assembly this fall. Jasey was also representing the Legislative Black Caucus as its Education Chair.
Dozens of leaders handed in cards vowing to continue the fight and to participate in upcoming hearings and organizing activity. “We will reconvene” declared Pastor Dana Owens of Messiah Baptist Church in East Orange “we will gather momentum – we shall trouble the waters”. Next steps for more leaders are clergy to joining this fight will be the Leadership Training for Congregations and Community - Building Power and Building Community - Saturday, October 29, 2022, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Messiah Baptist Church, 13 Oak St, East Orange, NJ 07018. Go here to register.
Click here for the program and powerpoint from August 25
March on Washington Anniversary Policy Forum - August 25, 7PM
North Jersey Legislative Policy Forum on School Segregation & OpportunityAugust, 2022 marks the 59th Anniversary of Great March on Washington.
Of the 10 demands made at the 1963 March, the 1st and the 3rd demand called for the immediate desegregation of America's public schools. Today, as we enter our 6th decade since the March (and 7 decades since Brown v Board was filed), schools in New Jersey have become some of the most segregated in the nation – more segregated than almost any state of the former confederacy. [1]
This was not by accident. It was result of deliberate policies that are still in place today and still segregating our children by both race and poverty and denying them equal opportunity to a decent life.
On Thursday, August 25th, we will convene a powerful gathering of community, faith, education and labor leaders along with parents, policy makers and elected officials. The purpose will be to review and react to current and proposed legislation aimed at reversing those policies that drive segregation and repairing the damage it has inflicted on children, families, and communities.
We will be joined by key policy makers including those who have introduced and supported legislation as well as experts and practitioners in the field of education and civil rights including host Rev. Dr. Bernadette Glover and Co-Chair Rev. Dr. Willie D. Francois along with (invited) Assemblywoman Mila Jasey, Legislative Black Caucus Chair Shavonda Sumter and Senator Joe Cryan. Register here to attend this event.
[1] Among the states that rebelled against the Union, only Texas is more segregated than New Jersey today.
Clone of Clergy, Faith and Community Leaders Against Racial Segregation
Join us for a Zoom meeting for updates and next action steps in our struggle for Freedom, Justice, and Opportunity
Tuesday, June 28, 1:00 PM
Last month, our coalition celebrated a major win in the fight against racial segregation with the Acting Commissioner's denial of the Absecon secession petition. We must now press ahead to see that statewide reforms are enacted that will reverse and repair the damage of school segregation across the state.
Join us for a conversation about progress that's been made and action plans proposed to keep up the momentum as we engage the Governor and legislative leadership around a transfomative agenda for racial juctice and opportunity for all New Jersey students.
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Civil Rights Action Monday in Atlantic City - Meet at 12 Noon Borgata
Join us Monday, July 18 to hand deliver a letter to Kristen Clarke, the U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights notifying of her of our intent to request an investigation into the civil rights violations being committed by the state of New Jersey against the children being forced to attend segregated schools. We are meeting at the Borgata Hotel and Casino at 12 Noon at the Borgata Baking Co. near the self park entrance. Go here if you would like to join us. We know this is late notice for some but many of us will be in AC for the NAACP convention.
U.S. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke to Address 113th NAACP National Convention
Go here to see letter to US Assisant U.S. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke
