Ras Baraka: A Visionary Leader for New Jersey's Future
- Karen Brittingham-Edmond
- Jun 5
- 6 min read
June 5, 2025
NJ Governor Primary Candidate
New Jersey -- For Black citizens, New Jersey presents two contrasting realities. On one side, a portion of New Jersey voters who continue to hold Confederate ideology hold deep-seated resentment towards the ancestors of Black citizens despite residing in the Northern areas of America.
On the other side, there is a mainstream liberal White population of NJ voters that ignores the long-term injustices experienced by fellow citizens who happen to be direct descendants of Africans who suffered under chattel slavery. With whom are as well as Black citizens are also the direct descendants of indigenous North American natives who were also enslaved and dispossessed yet existed in N.J. before Columbus for over 3,000 years.
https://www.newjerseyalmanac.com/native-americans.html Consequently, political influences, some of which Black citizens elected to office, either block, push out, or systematically disenfranchise everyday citizens through:
Credit checks that resemble Jim Crow laws for federal housing programs take place after cyber-attacks have jeopardized the credit history of most American citizens.
Demolition or repurposing of historic Black sanctuaries that date back to the Civil War era.
Desecration of Black cemeteries with the support of New Jersey's Cemetery Board operated by non-Black board members.
Strategic withdrawal of economic investment from Black communities, initiated in the 1970s by corporations angered by the success of the Black citizen-led Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
Displacement of long-term Black residents from their historically significant African plus 1st Nation areas in New Jersey through increased taxation, rendering it unaffordable for descendants to remain in their ancestors' original territories
Renaming of Black towns and manipulation of voting districts to diminish Black electoral influence
Omission of authentic local Black and Indigenous North American history in New Jersey's educational curriculum
Enforcement of unlawful Jim Crow-era policies, such as "the slumbering law," enabling the state to seize or manipulate Black-owned property without consent of property owner
Imposition of substantial fines that entrap Black youth in a cycle of non-criminal penalties and incarceration
Application of oppressive strategies leading to mass incarceration of citizens
These outcomes are the result of long-standing systemic traps set by New Jersey's counties, state, and federal government departments that pay no heed to the horrendous cause and effect that their policymakers put into action dating back to when Republican Christine Whitman was governor of N.J. which was then followed up by Michael Bloomberg N.A.E. initiative in partnership with the Christian Coalition that manage to sway New Jersey mayors to support and make way for Bloomberg's and his billionaire colleagues New American Economy (N.A.E.) scheme that sought to replace the current American citizen economy population with new workers who aren't citizens (if that makes any sense.) Worse yet, New Jersey has gladly spent trillions upon trillions of dollars on non-citizens while neglecting to pay the owed reparations due to their Black citizenship since the late 1800s per willful neglect of the state of N.J. with whom Black citizens have paid taxes to for centuries.
Since the 1970s, New Jersey has encountered difficulties in addressing the rights and safety of Black citizens, often implementing policies that have neglected their needs. Historical policies, particularly those from the Reagan era, have placed substantial pressure on single-mother families, restricting opportunities for full-time child-rearing and contributing to systemic issues such as unsupervised youth and overcrowded jails that have haunted N.J. for over the last four decades. Black communities continue to face disproportionate arrests for minor offenses, resulting in lasting impacts on families and limiting opportunities for young adults. Furthermore, barriers to accessing public housing, including policies like HUD's credit checks reminiscent of Jim Crow practices, have worsened homelessness in New Jersey and restricted resources for American children in dire need of stable, quality, and genuinely affordable housing. (And not the rip-off version of affordable housing propagated by the Kushners.) This situation necessitates urgent change, and Ras Baraka is the logical candidate to make that change in New Jersey.
The contrasting reality of the moderately racist majority of White voters in N.J. is reflected in New Jersey voters' inclination to overlook the substantial difficulties encountered by everyday citizens, while prioritizing the care and well-being of non-citizens. This approach seems to ignore long-standing issues affecting citizens, such as homelessness and the mass incarceration of homeless youth as they transition into adulthood. The harmful effects of cognitive dissonance and implicit and explicit racism are dangerously unfair, and we need leaders capable of driving change despite the ignorance of specific White individuals who believe everything is fine. This attitude contributes to the overcrowding of already densely populated urban areas, where many Black citizens reside, under the guise of urban renewal or gentrification.
Black male citizens ages 25 to 34 are systematically funneled into prisons, where they constitute the largest minority group during crucial ages for voting and when they would more than likely begin civic engagement in America in order to correct systematic disenfranchisements coordinated by the state they reside in. Chart provided by: ji23_example.pdf Jail Inmates 2023 – Statistical Tables Zhen Zeng, PhD BJS Statistician
A result of N.J.'s color-blind citizens focusing on assisting an illegal population over the past 40 years has provided many Hispanics, for example, who enter America illegally but manage to reside in the country after three to four years, access a loophole that grants them
Legal status,
The right to vote
Social security benefits, but more importantly.
A Majority Minority Voting Population since 2003 by design per statisticians
Hispanics becoming the majority-minority is how Donald Trump won two presidential elections. Without the full support of a large portion of Hispanic eligible voters, originally illegal or legal, Trump would have never, never, never entered into the presidential office, not once or little less twice. Trump's nominations as president have led to over 121,000 quality federal workers, with approximately 60,000 of them being Black American females being fired. And we can thank Hispanics voters for that. And as Americans in New Jersey, we have to come clean and tell the truth. Setting up citizens for failure is criminal no matter how nice or Christian the name of a Southern Confederate Evangelical far-right Republicans calls their mission to disenfranchise American citizens for enforcing the right for Black Americans to vote. None of the last ten governors, male or female, who all were White, refused to tell Sanctuary Movement Operators that plotting against the rights plus protections of all citizens is wrong, wrong, wrong. And that all American citizens deserve to be protected and provided for, not just some. With that said, maybe it's time for New Jersey's Democratic Party to nominate a Black man to run for Governor, namely Ras Baraka, and here's why.
In a political landscape marred by historical injustices and systemic barriers, Ras Baraka stands out as a champion for progressive change. His leadership is characterized by a deep understanding of the complex issues facing our society, particularly when it comes to dismantling the structural racism that has plagued our state for far too long. (Even White citizens of New Jersey are tired of racist tactics that work against fellow Americans.)
Baraka's advocacy for reparations reflects a deep sense of moral responsibility and a recognition of the historical injustices that have been inflicted upon Black communities. By acknowledging the need for reparations, he is taking a bold step towards rectifying past wrongs and building a more equitable future for all New Jersey residents.
Furthermore, Baraka's progressive leadership style is rooted in a genuine commitment to uplifting the voices of women and children, as well as the American way, which advocates for policies promoting social and economic justice, as well as family-friendly environments that all New Jerseyans have a right to enjoy. His track record of grassroots community engagement and his ability to bridge the gap between government and the people make him a formidable candidate for Governor. As we look towards the future of New Jersey, we must support leaders like Ras Baraka, who are unafraid to confront the realities of systemic racism and who are dedicated to creating a more inclusive and just society for all. Making sure that New Jersey kids, no matter their age, color, or economic standing, have good, enriching things to do that will build them up into the future leaders. New Jersey urgently needs to transform our communities into family-friendly areas rather than segregated environments influenced by domestic terrorists and their insourced allies who supported Donald Trump in two elections wholeheartedly.
Together, we can build a future where every citizen plus legal resident, regardless of race or background, has an equal opportunity to thrive and succeed. Let us stand together in support of Ras Baraka's vision for a more equitable and progressive New Jersey. Together, we can create a state where justice, fairness, and equality are not just ideals but tangible realities for all.
Comments