Faith in New Jersey Unites Paterson in Meeting for Social Justice

FINJ, the multi-faith, multi-ethnic assembly of citizens and community leaders, hosted by Rev. Sean Evans at Second Baptist Church, welcomed two prominent New Jersey legislators as speakers: Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly and Senator Nellie Pou.

Local religious leaders were also in attendance at the event, including Bishop Michael Odom Sr., Rev. Milena Eason, Rev. Anthony Capers, Rev. Dr. Jesus Sevilla, and Rev. Sarah Anthony.

The evening began with discussions on state politics and local elections. Both Wimberly and Pou discussed the bills that FINJ supports, from protecting against gun violence and privacy protection for immigrants to increasing police accountability and protecting voting rights.

One of these bills is the Immigrant Trust Act (ITA), which would strengthen privacy protections for immigrants in New Jersey. It would ensure they can report crimes or seek public benefits or services without fear of discrimination, imprisonment, or deportation. Wimberly and Pou claimed they would support and sponsor this bill as long-time social justice advocates.

Both legislators also discussed the bill to create a Civilian Complaint Review Board to investigate complaints against police officers. This bill could have the potential to increase police accountability and decrease violence and corruption in law enforcement. Though this legislation was rejected in January 2024, Wimberly inspired hope in the audience while addressing what must be done to get this bill passed.

“We have to stand up,” said Wimberly. “We have to be loud. We have to go out to these hearings that we have, in particularly budget hearings…. You need to come down and let your voice be heard…. And if you don’t do it, nothing happens.”

Pou added that her colleague, Senator Angela V. McKnight, is now sponsoring the bill in the Senate. “For now… to get [the bill] to the committee level, there are many members that I believe would absolutely support that, and… I think [that] will allow the conversation to go forward,” said Pou.

As FINJ moved onto Medicaid Reimbursement for violence prevention services, attendee Michelle Brown gave heartbreaking testimony involving the death of her son and the shootings of her two other sons. As Brown got choked up recounting her tragic loss, she shared her struggles to pay medical bills, pleading for such aid to be available through the Reimbursement bill.

Likewise, local James Brown expressed his support for the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act, designed to reduce discriminatory voting policies by requiring certain jurisdictions to gain federal approval before changing voting laws. He argued that New Jerseyeans like him should have the chance to vote and participate in their country’s democracy, which he never got due to the systemic suppression targeting him as a person of color. 

Though Senator Pou had to leave early, Wimberly spoke on her behalf and expressed support for the Voter Empowerment Act. The latter also discussed how nationwide voter suppression can be resolved.

“So many folks are afraid [to vote],” said Wimberly. “We need to let folks know who’s eligible to vote…. And if you think voting doesn’t matter, look at everything we did here. We already talked about the police. We talked about infrastructure. We talk about health care. All of these things are votes.”

As the meeting neared its end, FINJ’s Executive Director Charlene Walker pulled no punches as she delivered an empowering call to action against the challenges that everyday citizens now face.

“The reality is this world is constantly plotting against everyday people for the sake of the 1%,” said Walker. “For the sake of the corporations. Why does Amazon pay less taxes than any of us? But then it tells us to point the finger at each other… when the truth of the matter is it’s all a distraction. Whether you are Black, White, Indigenous, or Arab, we are all in this fight together.”

With two state legislators supporting their cause, FINJ has built quite the momentum in their battle for social justice in New Jersey. This driving force should continue as Passaic County’s Faith Leaders have their Caucus meeting on October 14th and as FINJ Passaic meets again on October 28th.