The Uncomfortable Truth: Racism, Injustice, and Poverty in New Jersey

On September 19th the Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey released The Uncomfortable Truth, a groundbreaking, timely, and bold new research report that looks at the ways that structural racism perpetuates poverty in New Jersey, along with recommendations for how our state can move toward the end of structural racism. This report is the culmination of a multi-year collective process with policy experts and advocates from across New Jersey.

Structural racism, compounded by the implicit and explicit racism that shapes New Jersey’s culture and institutions, is both a primary cause of poverty in New Jersey and a barrier to implementing solutions. The racism and racially skewed policies that weave through the nation’s and New Jersey’s history require comprehensive responses, in addition to policy changes targeted to specific institutions. Key changes on the state level can provide the impetus and tools to change entrenched patterns of racial and ethnic disparity.

1 Make addressing structural racism an explicit public priority The State of New Jersey must commit itself to an inclusive, concerted, aggressive and powerful effort to end both racism and poverty, including mounting a well-publicized campaign to educate all public officials and the general public about the ways in which racism harms all of us — economically, environmentally, socially and morally. A state-wide, inclusive Task Force, should be created to develop a comprehensive plan to mitigate the barrier effects of racism that perpetuate poverty, including legislative and administrative action and necessary funding support.

2 Require racial impact statements for all state legislation and rule-making with potential disparate impacts In parallel to the requirement for fiscal impact statements attached to bills and regulations that have a potential impact on the state budget, all legislation and regulations that may have a disparate impact on communities of low income or communities of color would require an Office of Legislative Services departmental analysis of this potential impact for consideration in the deliberation process.

3 Require data collection and dissemination by race/ethnicity and socio-economic status All state departments that collect program service data should be required to calculate demographic data (racial/ethnic and poverty data) and to make this data publicly available (with all necessary protections for personal data).

4 Reinstitute the Public Advocate Reestablish an independent Office of the Public Advocate with the power and resources to audit public agencies, having as a priority mandate the charge to evaluate policies or programs that perpetuate racial and gender disparity. In addition, it is important to reactivate the Commission on New Americans to integrate immigrants, protect their rights, as well as take steps to alleviate poverty. As the primary recommendation of the Corzine Blue Ribbon Panel on Immigrant Policy, the Commission on New Americans was created under the Public Advocate by executive order in January 2010. It met for nearly a year, but without a Public Advocate, it ceased to function.

5 Strengthen the Division of Civil Rights Facilitate enhanced capacity within the Division of Civil Rights to file and prosecute systemic racism cases by removing current restrictions that require an individual plaintiff to demonstrate personal harm.

On April 21, 2018 APN will be hosting forums to discuss the policy issues and recommendations contained in the report to move toward the end of structural racism in our state. PLEASE join us.