The 2024 U.S. election revealed historic and unresolved political fractures that betray the story of an America finally triumphant over deep misogyny, racism, and xenophobia. As the collective consciousness gives way to disillusionment and confusion, the decay of the collapsing U.S. empire eats away at its own ideals of democracy and self-identity.

The NJ Uncommitted movement, after earning over 40,000 votes during the New Jersey Democratic primaries in June, reemerged as No Votes for Genocide (NVFG) launched on September 1. The organization, led by Mona Dalia, a Palestinian healthcare worker and organizer, and Martina Manicastri is an organizer with Central New Jersey DSA; with the support of Ghada Elnajjar, a political activist and community organizer with the “No Peace, No Peach” movement out of Georgia.

In 2023, approximately 2.5 local newspapers shut down each week. This national downhill trend has continued in 2024 and is hitting home in New Jersey. Decisions made by the Newark Morning Ledger Co. and NJ Advance Media have led to the print closures and full closures of multiple local New Jersey news outlets.

In this interview, Public Square Amplified community reporter Alaa Essafi speaks with Amol Sinha, executive director of the ACLU-NJ, about the types of legal advocacy being utilized to ensure immigrant rights are protected, ongoing immigration policy campaigns, and ways to promote civic engagement leading up to the 2024 presidential election.

This was published as part of the 2024 community journalism class sponsored by New Jersey Civic Information Consortium. 

It’s June 14, the jump ball is thrown, and Big Fendi, former Nicki Minaj manager and now author, takes it running. A promotional video for a community basketball tournament dubbed “Nuttin’ Butt Azz’” is circulated on Facebook.

The bustling intersection at Broad and Market Streets is a prime location for shopping, featuring a variety of department stores and street vendors. It’s also a public transportation thoroughfare making it an ideal spot to engage with folks.

On Sunday, September 22, the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists (NJSPJ) hosted a webinar with the Executive Director and Editor of HonestReporting.com, Gil Hoffman. Initially suggested by Steve Lubetkin, NJSPJ board secretary, then championed by Kenneth Burns, board president, it is unclear how much research and effort was made to ensure the guest was appropriate for the topic.

On Wednesday, August 28th, a coalition of abolitionists and organizers hosted an annual commemoration of Black August at The HUBB in Orange that brought together political prisoners, academics, returning citizens, and fellow community members.

As we pass 300 days since a one-day attack, part resistance and part massacre, we continue to bear hourly witness to an ongoing Genocide. Anyone can livestream the completely disproportionate response to that attack that is a trifecta of war crimes: collective punishment, forced displacement, and ethnic cleansing.