New Jersey Reparations Council to hold 2-year study on slavery in New Jersey

The announcement was made from alongside the Perth Amboy waterfront – a port along the Arthur Kill that was once used to unload slave ships in the Garden State.

Matt Trapani

Jun 19, 2023, 11:34 PM

Updated 482 days ago

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New Jersey launched the New Jersey Reparations Council on Monday, in time for Juneteenth.
The announcement was made from alongside the Perth Amboy waterfront – a port along the Arthur Kill that was once used to unload slave ships in the Garden State.
The New Jersey Reparations Council will perform a two-year study on slavery in New Jersey. The goal is to come up with a way to repay descendants of slaves.
"The Council will not only propose bold strategic policies to repair enduring harm to Black people from slavery, but also answer this foundational question, ‘What kind of reparative system does New Jersey need to build and invest in for Black people here to finally be free?’” says Ryan Haygood, president of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.
Talk of reparations has previously come up in the state Assembly. A bill is being pushed to start up a reparations task force. It has yet to pass through committee.