To: The New Jersey State House, The New Jersey State Senate, and Governor Phil Murphy
A Petition to Include NEW JERSEY’S Great Civil Rights Movement of the 19TH Century in NEW JERSE...
Whereas the New Jersey Amistad Commission has already addressed the critical need of adding the national and world history of African Americans to the New Jersey social studies curriculum and,
Whereas, the early history of African American people in New Jersey has evolved over a distinct and documented trajectory of struggle for the expansion of human and citizenship rights in the Garden State – especially in the nineteenth century and,
Whereas, the history of the great civil rights struggle by free African Americans in New Jersey African Americans in New Jersey in the nineteenth century is virtually absent from New Jersey social studies curriculums and,
Whereas, such omission of New Jersey’s earliest civil rights movement from New Jersey social studies curriculums diminishes our understanding of how democracy has grown and expanded and,
Whereas, the inclusion of New Jersey’s earliest civil rights movement in the history and social studies curriculums of our state would enliven the study of our past,
We, the undersigned citizenry demand that the mission and goals of the New Jersey Amistad Commission be expanded to include the history of the great civil rights struggle - as well as the fight to end slavery - waged by free African Americans in New Jersey in the nineteenth century. Lastly, we strongly urge the New Jersey Department of Education, the New Jersey State Legislature Education Committee, and the governor of our state to support this petition in their fullest capacities.
Whereas, the early history of African American people in New Jersey has evolved over a distinct and documented trajectory of struggle for the expansion of human and citizenship rights in the Garden State – especially in the nineteenth century and,
Whereas, the history of the great civil rights struggle by free African Americans in New Jersey African Americans in New Jersey in the nineteenth century is virtually absent from New Jersey social studies curriculums and,
Whereas, such omission of New Jersey’s earliest civil rights movement from New Jersey social studies curriculums diminishes our understanding of how democracy has grown and expanded and,
Whereas, the inclusion of New Jersey’s earliest civil rights movement in the history and social studies curriculums of our state would enliven the study of our past,
We, the undersigned citizenry demand that the mission and goals of the New Jersey Amistad Commission be expanded to include the history of the great civil rights struggle - as well as the fight to end slavery - waged by free African Americans in New Jersey in the nineteenth century. Lastly, we strongly urge the New Jersey Department of Education, the New Jersey State Legislature Education Committee, and the governor of our state to support this petition in their fullest capacities.
Why is this important?
Black lives matter in social studies education!