An Attack on the Black Family: The Naquel Anderson Story
- Karen Brittingham-Edmond
- Sep 28
- 6 min read
Updated: Oct 19
28 September
Social Justice
Barnegat Township, NJ - Today's article examines the significant factors contributing to the decline of the African American family structure in New Jersey. As Black Americans are often influenced or misled to prioritize what mainstream white media agendas or what mainstream media deems important, there has been a neglect in addressing the systemic challenges faced by vulnerable Black citizens who urgently need our recognition and action for the last 40 years. It's time to stand up and say, "Enough is enough!"
I recently came across a deeply upsetting example of how New Jersey's penal system disproportionately impacts Black families, particularly those led by single Black mothers. These women are burdened with everyday responsibilities, such as:
- Ensuring that they and their children have stable housing.
- Providing essential food and clothing for their families.
- Finding a supportive faith-based community that won't place blame on them for the legacy of Jim Crow racism that existed long before they were born.
- Securing healthcare for their children, including vaccinations, medications, eyeglasses, and more.
- Finally, battling against the long-standing media misrepresentation of Black women, which has hindered the pursuit of long-overdue reparations for them and their community.
Naquel Anderson, a single mother, has faced harrowing challenges as she navigates the aftermath of false allegations of child abuse in Barnegat Township, NJ. Over the past four years, she has fought to clear her name, with her trial initially scheduled for 2 October 2024. However, just days before this critical moment, on 27 September 2024, she was arrested under circumstances she insists were unjust.
Click the link:
https://www.change.org/p/stop-wrongful-convictions-support-families-suffering-in-silence?signed=true
A Quote from Miss. Naquel Anderson September "I thought silently living in grief was the most scariest place to be in, I was wrong. The most scariest place is being confined to a place far away from home, and separated from the people who mean the absolute most to me, my children" "I understand now why the statistics are so high with unsuccessful children, because mothers and fathers are being taken away very wrongfully leaving our children to suffer in mental anguish"" Setting boundaries for your teenage sons because you want the absolute best for them should never be considered a crime, and neither should a mother had to suffer for doing so"
Anderson has devoted her life to nurturing her children with love and care, and the allegations against her have been profoundly harmful. During the police encounter, weapons were aimed at her son, a situation no family should endure. According to Anderson: "After my arrest, they returned to my home and searched it, claiming to be looking for a weapon. When my son opened the door, guns were pointed at him. He opened the door in disbelief, confused about what was happening." Anderson also mentioned that when she was arrested, she had just returned home from school, as she was pursuing a degree in the Culinary Arts. After her arrest, Anderson watched "what happened with my son from jail on video." She feels that the experience of having guns drawn on her son was more traumatic than any discipline she might have imposed, as a single Black mother raising two young men preparing to face a world that would judge them by their skin color rather than the content of their character. Following her arrest, Anderson was jailed and coerced into signing a guilty plea under the threat of permanently losing her children.
This coercion led to an agonizing separation that lasted nine months, during which she not only lost her home but also suffered the devastating loss of her family pets, plus her job. Here's the twist: upon her release from jail, Anderson was immediately reunited with her children because, according to her own Social Worker, she had not abused them. Hence, this was in part a wrongful conviction that has traumatized the Anderson Family as a whole. Despite this, Anderson spent nine long months in jail, and as a consequence of her arrest and incarceration, she lost her housing certificate. The one lifesaving resource that every family needs. A place to call home and start over again.
Anderson's plight reflects a broader issue within the justice system, particularly for those struggling with poverty. Faced with a lack of understanding of their rights and the law, individuals like Anderson are too often manipulated and coerced. This experience has opened her eyes to the alarming statistics surrounding families in distress and the impact of wrongful convictions. According to the Vera Institute, an organization founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders to effect change. Shares that "the number of women in jail grew from under 8000 in 1970 to nearly 110,000 in 2014." With whom numbers are only increasing throughout the 21st century.
Anderson has courageously filed an appeal against her conviction, aiming to restore her dignity and seek justice in light of systemic racism within the criminal justice system, which disproportionately incarcerates Black women who, upon full revelation of the facts, likely should not have been imprisoned. Anderson seeks to shed light on the injustices faced by many in similar circumstances and is requesting support in her pursuit of justice, as detailed on her GoFundMe page, as she attempts to rebuild her life, which was unjustly disrupted.
To Reinnerate:
The case of Naquel Anderson serves as a poignant illustration of the systemic inequities faced by vulnerable Black mothers within our legal framework. It highlights the urgent need for community advocacy to safeguard the rights and dignity of single Black mothers, who are often subjected to punitive measures that undermine family unity. Ms. Anderson's experience underscores the grave injustices perpetuated by an overreaching penal system that prioritizes incarceration or false accusations that lead to punishment of American Black mothers over rehabilitation, therapy, and support.
The prolonged incarceration of individuals for minor allegations, particularly in instances involving caregiving and familial responsibility, not only inflicts irreparable harm on families but also perpetuates cycles of poverty and despair. The significant emotional and psychological toll on the family unit, especially regarding children who are separated from their parents, can have lasting adverse effects on future generations. Furthermore, the persistence of racially biased practices, rooted in the Jim Crow Era, remains an alarming reality that we cannot condone in the 21st century. Such normalized protocols should be vigorously challenged as they violate fundamental human rights and the principle of equality before the law.
Since being incarcerated, Anderson missed her youngest son's high school graduation. He graduated on 18 June 2025. She was released on 29 June 2025. Her eldest son attends college, while his brother, who recently graduated from high school, is considering a career in the Air Force. Thankfully, her family stepped in to help her. This situation serves as a poignant reminder for Echo readers, underscoring that, over the last 40 years, Black citizens have had fewer rights compared to those entering America illegally. Non-citizens often receive Affordable housing certificates, Mortgages, and Small Business Grants to help them start anew. In contrast, Black mothers like Naquel have their housing resources stripped away due to the over penalization of the county, state, and federal authorities, who are supposed to prioritize the protection and provision for citizens and their families first.
We must demand that our communities come together to advocate for meaningful reforms that protect single Black mothers and dismantle the punitive structures that have historically targeted them. In light of these considerations, it is imperative that we raise our voices against the injustices faced by individuals like Naquel Anderson in concern for the future of Black American families. We must collectively advocate for a justice system that fosters family cohesion, protection, and supports the well-being of all American citizens, ensuring that no parent is subjected to unwarranted legal action purely based on race or socioeconomic status. It is time to reject the status quo and strive for a more equitable and just society.
References:
Kemba Smith. How draconian sentencing policies have made Black women the forgotten victims of the "war on drugs" and mass incarceration. https://www.naacpldf.org/case-issue/kemba-smith-black-women-and-mass-incarceration/ https://www.vera.org/publications/overlooked-women-and-jails-report
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