The U.S. news cycle proves to be a continuing barrage of the absurd and alarming. Unclaimed drones share headlines with warnings of a looming purge of civil servants and replacement by reprobate sycophants. At the same time, relentless coverage of an alleged 26-year-old assassin hints at the undercurrent of an unspoken rage, even among those assailed as being “woke.”

Though New Jersey has taken important steps to expand access to the ballot in recent years, many barriers still exist that disproportionately harm communities of color. For our state to live up to its values, transformational change is needed to ensure that voting rights are protected and expanded for all New Jerseyans.

Mona Dalia and Ghada Elnajjar are members of the NVFG movement and supported the campaign from their respective home states. Both offered some personal insights, experiences, and visions for the future of their ancestral homeland and their transplanted homeland, the U.S.

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 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.

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.

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.