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Democracy and Politics Chelsea Egu Democracy and Politics Chelsea Egu

Black August commemorated: A teach-in to educate and inspire

MONTCLAIR, NJ–When Renée Johnston received an invitation from the Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) to direct a teach-in about Black August, she was excited to convene fellow New Jersey-based organizers for an evening “about education and purpose.” Through her outreach, a small group of leading activist organizations–unified by their belief in abolition and commitment to organizing–gathered in Montclair on Wednesday, August 23, to learn. Ensconced in an intimate gathering space beneath a restaurant for nearly three hours, attendees deepened their knowledge of the plight of the Black political prisoner in the United States of America.

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Democracy and Politics Sarah Mayer Democracy and Politics Sarah Mayer

Is Princeton peddling warmongering? Students call out Condoleezza Rice speaking to the campus community

On May 8th Condoleezza Rice spoke to the Princeton Theological Seminary community as part of the Intuition’s inaugural forum series on faith and American democracy called, The Future of American Democracy. According to the series’ promotional material, its intention is to address the uncertain political realities of our time by discussing topics from polarization to bipartisanship.

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Democracy and Politics Juhayna Alkurdi Democracy and Politics Juhayna Alkurdi

Rutgers academic workers strike: New Brunswick undergrads speak out in support

Unions representing faculty and workers at Rutgers University added to the rich history of the importance of organizing for workers' rights: On April 9, some nine months after working without a contract, 94 percent of the members of three unions across the three campuses voted for a strike.

In New Brunswick, students joined unionized faculty and staff marching down George Street and onto the main campus outside the Scott Hall building at Voorhees Hall, calling for a fair contract with fair wages and benefits.

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Democracy and Politics Public Square Amplified team Democracy and Politics Public Square Amplified team

Activists hold overnight vigil on the anniversary of Martin Luther King,  Jr.’s assassination

Fifty-five years later, his legacy stands: "The deep rumblings of discontent that we hear today is the thunder of disinherited masses, rising from dungeons of oppression," Martin Luther King, Jr. – Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community.

On April 4, the People's Organization for Progress (POP) held its annual march, followed by a vigil to commemorate the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) The rally brought forth organizations and individuals from across the state and river on the front lines of racial, political, and economic justice today.

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Democracy and Politics Zoe Van Gelder Democracy and Politics Zoe Van Gelder

A student’s view of New Jersey’s Amistad Curriculum

In Public Square’s previous publication, interviews between reporter Zoe Van Gelder and seven fellow students within the Jersey City Public Schools District revealed a very noticeable trend: not one student knew what the Amistad curriculum was, despite a 2002 New Jersey law that mandates all students learn under its guidelines. This is perhaps because the Amistad curriculum doesn’t exist in the way most would think, as a distinctly written rubric of classroom lessons and materials. Although legislators and educators most often call it the Amistad ‘curriculum’, it is many things beyond one set of lessons.

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Democracy and Politics Zoe Van Gelder Democracy and Politics Zoe Van Gelder

In their own words: N.J. students and the Amistad curriculum

Jersey City- From faraway Florida to our own neighborhoods in New Jersey, a national conversation continues to brew around how African American history, race, and racism are being taught in the nation’s public schools, with the most recent outspoken adversary being Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.. On February 14, 2023, in response to DeSantis’s actions and claims, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued a statement about ongoing efforts to expand the pilot AP African American Studies course from being taught in just one high school to include 25 more districts.

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