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.

Numerous studies have confirmed that flooding is a problem in Morristown. But nothing has been done about it for years. Will a new study finally lead to action? Emma Uk looked into it.

In January, Newark became the first city in New Jersey to give 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in local school board elections. It was a major victory for student advocates, who are now building on the momentum to win the franchise in other cities.

As increasing attention at the national and state level is focused on the racial disparities in maternal health care, New Jersey continues to be plagued with staggering maternal and infant mortality rates. Currently ranked 29th in the country for maternal deaths, New Jersey has one of the widest racial disparities for maternal and infant mortality, with Black mothers in New Jersey nearly seven times more likely than White mothers to die from maternity-related complications. Black babies in New Jersey are nearly three times more likely than White babies to die before their first birthday. 

As a young Jewish woman, I try to hold on to hope for a future in which my people aren’t marked forever by Israel’s actions, for the blood on the hands of the once-oppressed-now-oppressors. But in a world where the Holocaust’s existence is questioned, I hope that the plight of the Palestinians is remembered, and remembered well.

Newark, NJ - The act of childbirth is always an intimate one — filled with a host of emotions, from joy to pain.

Using his black and white medium, Public Square Amplified's Brian Branch-Price had the unique opportunity to do what only great photographers can–to almost not exist in the moment yet to be at the center of it. "For them to welcome me into that space was a crazy, wonderful experience," Branch-Price recalled, "It's unusual for that to happen unless the subject has a lot of trust and confidence.”

In the four decades since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began, the disease has taken the lives of more than 750,000 Americans, part of a total of 40.1 million deaths worldwide. A 2022 estimate shows that there are currently over 1.2 million Americans living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), of which 13% remain undiagnosed.