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.

After months of fear-mongering that democracy is at risk, the Democrats invoked the very layered and opaque delegate process to appoint a nominee not listed as a choice on any primary ballot, given she filed to run for president on July 21, 2024, the day Biden dropped out of the race.

Hurricane Beryl, the strongest hurricane recorded in the Caribbean since 2005 and the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever observed in the Atlantic Ocean, devastated the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in its path across the Caribbean. The prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a small island developing state, spoke with Public Square Amplified’s executive director about the widespread devastation, the nation’s appeal for aid and the broader meaning of the increasingly powerful storms afflicting the planet.

The historical and ongoing struggle for Black equality in America is a narrative woven from resilience, sacrifice, and a persistent yearning for true equity within our nation. What does it say about America today that this remains a yearning?

On Sunday, June 9, at about 7 a.m., dozens of Rutgers police raided and then evicted a peaceable assembly – an encampment – of Newark residents and Rutgers University students at the institution’s Newark campus. The raid occurred without warning.

Debates at city hall have been called lots of things by lots of people — obfuscatory, corrupt, insulting, biased, protective of special interests, among countless others. But the discourse has rarely been called or considered “art.” In New Brunswick, coLAB Arts is implementing a new program, “Documenters,” part of a nationwide effort, to provide community residents with reports on the discussions and decisions that occur at public meetings. But coLAB Arts isn’t stopping there — it also plans to leverage the reporting to inspire and support the creation of art. Ultimately, this art inspires, catalyzes and drives community engagement — a key aspect of the organization’s mission.

In the wake of George Floyd’s death, news leaders across the country made a flurry of promises: They made commitments to diversify stories, sourcing and staff; to question statements by authorities; and to lead the charge on equity — both in the newsroom and in communities served by the outlet.  Now, just four years after Floyd’s death, journalists across the nation are being squeezed out, laid off or shifted to other beats as newsrooms move on, contending with an evergreen funding problem. Many of them are young, BIPOC journalists who will either be burned out or laid off.  Unfortunately, there is a pattern to this.

Flooding in areas of Morristown has caused significant damage to property — and forced many Black residents to leave over the years. Residents use the annual Whippany River cleanup to raise awareness of the flooding problem — and push government officials to address it. In this news video, they speak of the history and their hope for resolution.