5/9/24
Teens push for the right to vote, but civic education remains ambiguous
By Zoe Van Gelder & Ishani Bakshi
In January, Newark became the first city in New Jersey to give 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in local school board elections. It was a major victory for student advocates, who are now building on the momentum to win the franchise in other cities.
However, they cannot vote for school board members who have a direct impact on their experience in the public school system. Student advocates in New Jersey are trying to change that.
5/2/24
Don’t believe the critics: New Jersey’s ban of single-use plastic bags is a success
By Siva Jonnada
In 2020, New Jersey legislators enacted a ban on single-use plastic bags. It's working, says Siva Jonnada in a new column for Public Square Amplified. Critics cite a flawed study to suggest otherwise, though. "Like any new law, there are going to be problems which need to be overcome, but the early flaws that critics are finding are no reason to claim the plastic bag ban is a 'spectacular failure,'" he writes. "On the contrary, I am sure we will find more successes than failures and will continue to see concrete results."
4/25/24
Where have all the midwives gone? The campaign against Black midwives and its impact on Black maternal outcomes
By Sasha Sharif
As increasing attention at the national and state level is focused on the racial disparities in maternal health care, New Jersey continues to be plagued with staggering maternal and infant mortality rates. Currently ranked 29th in the country for maternal deaths, New Jersey has one of the widest racial disparities for maternal and infant mortality, with Black mothers in New Jersey nearly seven times more likely than White mothers to die from maternity-related complications. Black babies in New Jersey are nearly three times more likely than White babies to die before their first birthday.
4/25/24
New Jersey women journalists weigh the tenets of modern journalism: Part 3
By Emma Uk
In our final installment, three women journalists discuss the importance of owning one’s narrative and identity within a media landscape grappling with the construct of modern journalism — ideas that shape many of the concepts confronting white and non-White journalists including inclusivity, bias and objectivity.
4/18/24
Young, Jewish, American — and calling for a ceasefire
By Zoe Van Gelder
As a young Jewish woman, I try to hold on to hope for a future in which my people aren’t marked forever by Israel’s actions, for the blood on the hands of the once-oppressed-now-oppressors. But in a world where the Holocaust’s existence is questioned, I hope that the plight of the Palestinians is remembered, and remembered well.
4/16/24
Hamm rallies Dem voters to vote “uncommitted” in presidential primary
By Lawrence Hamm
In this exclusive column for Public Square Amplified, senatorial candidate Lawrence Hamm, founder of the People’s Organization for Progress, explains his decision to vote “uncommitted” in the upcoming New Jersey presidential primary, taking place June 4. Hamm is the only candidate in the primary who has said he will vote “uncommitted” to protest the war in Gaza.
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