Top 6 Bills Targeting Environmental Issues
By: Maggie Garbarino It is important this Earth Day to reflect on the most pressing environmental protection issues of our time. Currently, human activity is on track to do significant, permanent damage to our planet and it is our…
This Boy is my Brother
By: Keyonna Murray There’s a young boy in Northern New Jersey who was born in the mid-2000’s. With a bright smile and a contagious joy, he was always a person who brought some much-needed perspective to his family. In…
World Down Syndrome Day: How a Mothers’ Personal Story Continues to Make a Difference
By: Maggie Garbarino Every year, World Down Syndrome Day is observed on March 21st, a date symbolically chosen to represent the triplication of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome. Advocates in New Jersey, and all over the country,…
Patricia Perkins-Auguste, Creating New Models for Building Successful Neighborhoods
Patricia Perkins-Auguste, Councilwoman-At-Large, City of Elizabeth, is a career public servant who embodies the principles of biblical teachings and practical delivery of professional public services to her community, constituents and business interests in and around the City of Elizabeth,…
Senator Weinberg, Breaking Down Barriers
New Jersey Senator Loretta Weinberg is retiring this year after serving in the Senate since 2005. She was first elected to public office on the Teaneck Township Council in 1990, completing her council term in 1994. She served in…
Salena Lesniak, My Remembrance on Women’s History Month
We celebrated Salena’s birthday February 27th. She would have been 45 years old. Sadly she died July 3, 2019 of arteriosclerosis, a silent killer. Salena was a standout from her teens, being one of the founders of Dems 2000,…
Top 6 Books Every Advocate Should Read
By: Abel Morais For National Read Across America Day, I have put together a list of books that will be beneficial for advocates in order to become champions of change. All of these books are some of my favorites…
Students need mental health services now more than ever
By Paige Fleming As our “new normal” becomes more permanent, students are struggling to find balance and strength in dealing with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and social deprivation. The mental strain of the COVID-19 pandemic…
I honor Chessie Dentley Roberts on the First Day of Black History Month
Black History Month starts today. I’d like to kick it off by honoring Elizabeth’s own – Chessie Dentley Roberts. Admittedly, I’m biased. Chessie taught me civil rights as a student at Roosevelt Junior High School. She was a civil…
It’s About Protecting Lives, It Shouldn’t Be That Hard?
By: Abel Morais There are 72 jurisdictions where being gay or trans is criminalized. Punishments can range from fines to death in some cases. Under Secretary John Kerry, who was the Secretary of State from 2013 to 2017,…