As a young Jewish woman, I try to hold on to hope for a future in which my people aren’t marked forever by Israel’s actions, for the blood on the hands of the once-oppressed-now-oppressors. But in a world where the Holocaust’s existence is questioned, I hope that the plight of the Palestinians is remembered, and remembered well.

For many, commemorative holidays have been reduced to another day off or a means to host a barbecue or ravage a sale. Yet, they all came at a human cost. 

Juneteenth is one such noble day that represents more than just the end of the enslavement of Africans in America, but reminds us of a political moment that lives vividly in our contemporary space. It is also referred to as "Freedom Day" or "African American Emancipation Day." 

Following the devastating impacts of the recent earthquakes hitting both Syria and Turkey, one woman saw an opportunity to lend a hand in a way that is often overlooked. She did not donate food, clothes, or even money. Instead, Eiko La Boria, founder of The Flow Initiative, donated over 20,000 menstrual products to the people of Turkey and Syria.

On Tuesday night, March 7, hundreds of citizens gathered to mourn and protest in outrage the killing of yet another Black man, 31-year-old, Najee Seabrooks, by two Paterson Police officers, while Seabrooks was experiencing a mental health crisis.

In provocative irony, Seabrooks worked as a high-risk violence interventionist with the Paterson Healing Collective to assist Paterson community members, mainly young people, experiencing a crisis.

While New Jersey has strong legal protections for the right to reproductive autonomy and abortion care, reproductive justice advocates say that doesn’t mean everyone has equal access to abortion—especially those in disenfranchised, low wealth and under-resourced communities and women of color regardless of income level.

It's been a year since Justin Rodwell was detained at Essex County Correctional Facility. Arrested after an incident described in the media as a "mob" attack on police, Rodwell maintains that he acted in self-defense. In the past year, he's missed precious moments with his children: His daughter's first prom and eighth grade graduation, his toddler's first steps. And he is missed by family and friends who continue to call for their loved one's immediate release.

It was emotionally climatic for the small caravan of activists chanting "Justice for Justin" to hear the voice many have not heard for over a year. “I thank y'all for y'all support,” said Justin Rodwell over the phone. “Thank you a hundred percent.”

TRENTON—Despite a ban on racial profiling in policing in New Jersey, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in January that law enforcement cannot stop people because of their race, ethnicity or gender, overturning the conviction of two Black men accused of robbing a 7-Eleven in 2011. The incident highlights the issue of racial profiling in law enforcement.

BRIDGEWATER—Dozens braved the March chill on Saturday morning for the second rally organized by the Peoples Organization for Progress in support of 14-year-old Z'Kye Husain. Protesters marched from the Bridgewater police station to the Bridgewater Commons Mall in Somerset County to denounce the arrest of Husain when police broke up a fight between Husain and another teen at the mall in February.

NEWARK—Monique Rodwell sat in Essex County courtroom 1102 on Thursday morning, awaiting yet another court proceeding. Her son Justin Rodwell — currently detained — and his three brothers, Branden Rodwell, Jaykil Rodwell, and Jasper Spivey, accompanied by their attorneys, appeared to hear any outstanding discovery demands, plea negotiations, or motions on the four cases against them.

MONTCLAIR-NEWARK, NJ—On Friday, Oct. 8, members and supporters of the People's Organization for Progress, or POP, began their 'Long March for Justice' in Montclair. The 67-mile march will span 22 towns and cities and culminate in Trenton on Saturday, Oct. 16. With the support of organizations including Newark Communities for Accountable Policing, Black Lives Matter of NJ, the National Action Network's Atlantic City Chapter, and the Trenton Anti-Violence Coalition, POP is marching for police accountability and social justice, and economic progress.

In this interview, Public Square co-founder Linda M. Carter speaks to Matthew Barry Johnson, Associate Professor of Psychology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY, about the impact of the 2016 consent decree in the City of Newark, related criminal justice issues of interrogation, confessions, and wrongful convictions, and how police reforms can help build community trust.