From Brown to Plessy - May 18 Clergy Gathering

Tuesday, May 18 marks 125 years since the infamous Plessy v Ferguson decision that codified legal segregation in America. It falls only 1 day after the 67th anniversary of Brown v Board which overturned Plessy on the grounds that “separate could never be equal”. 

Today in New Jersey, we are experiencing enduring and deeply unequal racial segregation in our schools too often combined with a lethal mix of economic isolation and poverty concentration. 

Most of us know the dark history of deliberate and intentional discrimination and redlining that contributed to modern Jim Crow segregation in the north. However, many are unaware of recent and ongoing efforts by individuals and institutions to deny our children a decent education by hoarding resources and opportunity through continued efforts to maintain and even expand segregation by both race and class. A situation that is only expected to get worse in the aftermath of the pandemic. 

On Tuesday, May 18 we will present some of this information for you and members of the legislature so we can prayerfully consider and agree on meaningful action to combat these real time examples of institutional and systemic racism in all of our regions and across the state. Please register here for this virtual faith leaders meeting.