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A war on poverty: the Poor People’s Campaign (PPC) brings the urgency of now to New Jersey
Not only is the United States one of the world's wealthiest countries, but New Jersey is one of the richest states in the nation. The annual Gross Domestic Product (GPD) or total market value in the U.S. is around $20 trillion, and New Jersey is home to booming industries and two of the wealthiest counties in the country, Monmouth and Bergen County, where the average household earns $150,000. Despite abundant wealth and productivity, nearly half the nation is poor and 41 percent of New Jerseyans struggle to afford housing, child care, food, taxes and even a cellphone plan, the basics needed to live and work in the modern economy.
NJ Home Bakers still facing food safety stigma
In the eight months since New Jersey’s Cottage Food regulations went into effect, allowing home producers of non-TCS goods to sell their wares, the Department of Health has issued approximately 500 permits, and that number is rising every week. These newly minted Cottage Food Operators, the majority of them home bakers, are taking advantage of the spring and summer “celebration season” to grow their businesses and clientele by producing treats for graduations, communions, bridal showers, and weddings.
Model Gary Convention inspires local students and educators
New Jersey middle and high school students participated in the Model Gary Convention in Newark this spring. The event marked fifty years since the first National Black Political Convention (also known as the Gary Convention) took place in Indiana in March of 1972. In keeping with the original convention, student delegations gathered at Seton Hall from Friday, Apr. 29 to Saturday, Apr. 30 to discuss solutions to societal injustices and issues of importance to the Black community.
Paterson renames part of Main Street Palestine Way, defying the erasure of Palestinian identity
On May 15, Paterson officially renamed a part of Main Street "Palestine Way," thanks to Alaa "Al" Abdelaziz, the first Palestinian-American city councilman and council president Maritza Davila who sponsored the renaming resolution. The city council voted 8-1 to approve the renaming on March 29, but "Palestine Way" isn't just another street sign.
Model Gary Convention honors history and gives youth an exercise in civics
Fifty years since the first National Black Political Convention (also known as the Gary Convention) took place in Gary, Indiana, Newark middle and high school students are participating in a commemorative Model Gary Student Convention in Newark. Organizers say the behind-the-scenes work of students to develop position papers on topics including education, health, economics, and politics honor the original convention's goal of convening Black Americans to discuss and advance solutions to promote equity and confront the pressing societal injustices of our times. Participation in the model conventions, organizers hope, will impress upon students that they have the power to advocate for themselves and their communities right now.
Social equity in cannabis has come a long way, but lack of capital investment and pushback from municipalities can undo that
As part of a social equity conversation presented by the Black Cannabis Equity Initiative (BCEI), New Jersey activists, cannabis lawyers and cannabis dispensary owners discussed the need for the state to invest in financial resources, technical assistance and employment and mentorship programs for people of color who want a stake in the cannabis business.
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