NEW JERSEY INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE INC
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Mission Statement
The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice's (“Institute”) cutting-edge racial and social justice advocacy seeks to empower people of color by building reparative systems that create wealth, transform justice and harness democratic power—from the ground up—in New Jersey. Known for our dynamic and independent advocacy aimed at toppling load-bearing walls of structural inequality to create just, vibrant and healthy communities, we are committed to exposing and repairing the cracks of structural racism in our foundation that erupt into earthquakes in communities of color. The Institute advocates for systemic reform that is at once transformative, achievable in the state and replicable in communities across the nation.
About This Cause
The Institute's work falls under three principal pillars: (1) Economic Justice (2) Democracy & Justice and (3) Criminal Justice Reform. Economic Justice is focused on policies that will close New Jersey's staggering racial wealth gap. Our original data analysis shows an astounding $300,000 racial wealth gap, a symptom of generations of policies creating barriers to opportunity. Redlining, racially restrictive covenants, inequities in the GI Bill and discriminatory lending practices supported wealth-building for white people, while denying it to Black families. In addition, ongoing disparities in loan approvals, where Black and Latina/o borrowers are 1.6 times more likely than their white counterparts to be denied mortgage loans make home buying more challenging for Black and Brown families. The Institute is pursuing policies that will make home buying and inter-generational wealth building for Black and brown families more equitable. Examples include a fair appraisals bill, first generation homebuyers' programs, baby bonds. At our country’s founding, access to the ballot and the rights of citizenship were limited, and while that has changed, far too many residents in New Jersey are either stripped of the right to participate in the democratic process or are not civically engaged. The Institute’s Democracy & Justice pillar is committed to ensuring that the people of New Jersey, specifically people in historically marginalized communities, have access to the ballot and a say in our government. After having successfully advocated for 9 days of early voting, vote by mail and voting rights restoration to people on probation and parole, the Institute's work is focused on advocating for same day voter registration and a New Jersey Voting Rights Act. Recognizing that systemic causes are interwoven and create complicated webs of inequity, our Criminal Justice Reform work, in partnership Democracy & Justice, Economic Justice, directly addresses the generational disinvestment in Black communities as the root cause of entanglement with the criminal justice system. The Institute is advocating on a chokehold ban, an end to qualified immunity, a binding timeline for youth prison closure and investment in community based systems of care for youth.