[00:00:01]
TAKE A PHOTO BOMB FOR OUR PRESIDENT, EJMAKES IT MORE T ALRIGHT, GOT THREE CEREMONIAL.
I CAN'T BE, I PUT HIM ON MY NAME AND THE DATE OF THE MEETING.
[00:06:03]
ALL RIGHT.I AM ADORING MARIE THOMAS, HONORED TO SERVE IN THE POSITION AS THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER FOR DISTRICT TWO HERE IN THE GREAT STATE OF ESSEX, DAUGHTER OF NEWARK.
AND FRANKLY, I'M JUST HERE TO CELEBRATE ALL OF YOU AND OUR HONOREES WHO ARE EN ROUTE.
SO, AS WE HONOR BLACK WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH IN THE AUTISM EDUCATION AND AWARENESS MONTH, GIVE YOURSELVES A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR BEING A PART OF THE VILLAGE THAT HELPS MAKE THIS WORK HAPPEN AS WE CELEBRATE OUR HONOREES.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY COMMISSIONER, PRESIDENT, MY BOARD PRESIDENT, WHO DOES SUCH INCREDIBLE WORK TO UPLIFT THE PEOPLE, FAMILIES, BUSINESSES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND INCREDIBLE INDIVIDUALS LIKE YOU.
BE HONORABLE, MR. CARLOS PRIMERA MAKES A NOISE FOR HIM.
TAMARA, I WANNA THANK YOU AGAIN FOR JOINING US AS WE CELEBRATE TWO COMMUNITIES IN APRIL.
AGAIN, BLACK WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH IN AUTISM EDUCATION AND AWARENESS MONTH.
THERE ARE SOME INCREDIBLE WOMEN WHO ARE GOING TO HONOR, WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED AND CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE SO MUCH TO THESE COMMUNITIES.
IN ADDITION TO TWO COMMENDATIONS FROM THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE JOINED.
WE COUNCILWOMAN LOUISE SCOTT ROUNDTREE, WHO WILL BE PRESENTING HONOREES WITH PROCLAMATIONS FROM THE CITY OF NEWARK.
LATER TONIGHT, THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WILL BE VOTING TO RECOGNIZE BLACK WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH AND AUTISM EDUCATION AND AWARENESS MONTH FORMALLY IN ESSEX COUNTY.
SO YOU ALL GET TO BE A PART OF THAT HISTORY, OR SHALL I SAY, HERSTORY THIS MONTH.
AND WE'RE TRULY, TRULY HONORED TO DO THAT WORK.
OUR FIRST HONOREE IS A HUGELY IMPACTFUL PERSON WHEN IT COMES TO SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM, THE PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM, AND EDUCATORS AND PROFESSIONALS WHO ADVANCE THE INTEREST OF AUTISTIC INDIVIDUALS.
AS WE LEARN MORE ABOUT AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER, AND IF I'LL JUST BRIEFLY SAY THIS, IF FOLKS HAVE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO THE DATA OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, THE NUMBER OF AUTISM, UH, RECOGNITION FORMALLY HAS BEEN GOING UP.
AND PART OF THE REASON WHY WE'RE SEEING MORE INCREASE IN NUMBERS IS BECAUSE WE ARE RECOGNIZING IT EARLIER.
WE'RE DETECTING AND DIAGNOSING EARLIER, BUT THAT WORK IS IMPOSSIBLE IF YOU DON'T HAVE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND, MAKING SURE THE WORD GETS OUT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE DE-STIGMATIZE OUR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM OR OUR CHILDREN WITH ANY LEVEL OF DISABILITY AS SOMETHING BEING WRONG WITH THEM, AS OPPOSED TO THEM JUST BEING DIFFERENT.
AND IT BEING OUR JOB AS A VILLAGE TO HELP FIGURE OUT HOW TO HELP CULTIVATE THE BEAUTY AND THE BRILLIANCE THAT LIVES WITHIN THAT DIFFERENCE.
AND SO TONIGHT WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO I KNOW PERSONALLY AS A MEMBER OF THE, THE NORTH BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR HER INCREDIBLE WORK THERE.
I KNOW AS A MEMBER OF MY CHURCH COMMUNITY, THE WORK THAT SHE DID IN THE BOARD FOR 25 YEARS IN URBAN EDUCATION, 15 OF WHICH WORKING AS A SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, I COULD SPEAK TO HER ABOUT MAKING SURE THE WAYS THAT SHE MAKES SURE OUR BEAUTIFUL BETHANY BAPTIST CHURCH IS ALWAYS FLOWING AND MOVING AS IT IS.
BUT TONIGHT, WE'RE GONNA CELEBRATE THE WORK THAT SHE DOES, SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO OUR NEURODIVERGENT YOUTH.
I SHOULD MENTION THAT SHE'S ALSO A PROFESSIONAL RESEARCHER.
IT'S, SHE'S CALLED DOCTOR HANDFIELD FOR A REASON, RIGHT? BECAUSE SHE RESEARCHES THE IMPACT THAT TRAUMA OR COMMUNITY VIOLENCE HAS ON THE BEHAVIOR OF CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE NEURODIVERGENT BEFORE YOUR WORK, DR.
DOROTHY HANFIELD AND HONORING AND SUPPORTING AND UPLIFTING THE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES OF THOSE WITH AUTISM.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WE WELCOME YOU TO THE PODIUM FOR SOME REMARKS AND TO GET YOUR AWARD.
[00:10:02]
COME RIGHT DOWN.MAKE SOME DORS FOR ONE MORE TIME.
WHILE YOU WERE SPEAKING, I'M THINKING, WELL, WHO'S SHE'S TALKING ABOUT? SHE'S TALKING ABOUT ME,
BUT IT IS A TRUE HONOR TO BE RECOGNIZED.
I DON'T DO THE WORK FOR RECOGNITION, BUT I DO APPRECIATE BEING RECOGNIZED FOR, UH, ACKNOWLEDGING AND, UH, SUPPORTING FAMILIES WHO ARE DEALING WITH A LOVED ONE OR LOVING A LOVED ONE WHO IS NEURODIVERGENT AND IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE GET THE INFORMATION OUT TO FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY FAMILIES OF COLOR AND IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, OR THAT DON'T GET THE SERVICES THAT THEY DO DESERVE.
SO THEY CAN BE JUST AS INFORMED AS ANY OTHER FAMILY THAT ARE, ARE IN OR IN, UH, THE ESSEX COUNTY AREA.
SO AGAIN, I APPRECIATE, UH, TO BE RECOGNIZED.
I'M TRULY HUMBLE AND I REALLY LOVE BEING A SERVANT LEADER WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'LL DO ONE TOGETHER, DO ONE WITH OUR HONORABLE PRESIDENT AS WELL.
I AM NOT GONNA MAKE IT ANY PRETTIER
HANFIELD SAID, WE DON'T DO THE WORK FOR FLOWERS, BUT THEY SURE SMELL AND LOOK GOOD.
HANDFIELD, TO RECOGNIZE YOU FOR THE HUMBLE, SELFLESS WORK YOU DO EVERY SINGLE DAY.
ON BEHALF OF OUR CHILDREN, OUR FAMILIES, ACTIVISTS, ADVOCATES, OUR PARENTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE WITH AUTISM, I WANNA TRANSITION NEXT TO HONOR THE WOMEN WHO ARE DOING INCREDIBLE WORK, NOT JUST IN NEWARK, NOT JUST IN ESSEX COUNTY, BUT IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
AS WE RECOGNIZE BLACK WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2016, TO UPLIFT AND SUPPORT THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF BLACK AND MINORITY WOMEN FOLLOWING BLACK WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, OR RATHER FOLLOWING BLACK HISTORY MONTH IN FEBRUARY AND WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH IN MARCH.
IT'S POIGNANT TO RECOGNIZE THE UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES AND CONTRIBUTIONS AND HISTORY OF BLACK WOMEN IN APRIL.
I'D LIKE NOW TO ADD UP TO THE PAGE, OR RATHER WELCOME TO THE STAGE, THE ONE, THE ONLY MISS SHOSHANA PAGE.
I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT YOU WHILE YOU RIGHT HERE.
'CAUSE I WAS SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT YOU WHILE YOU WERE SITTING.
BUT SPIRIT SAID, SINCE SHE ALREADY NOW I COULD TALK AT LENGTH ABOUT THE WORK THAT SHE'S DONE AS A SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR AND COMMUNICATION STRATEGIST TO THE MAYOR OF NEWARK, MAYOR RAJA BARAKA, I COULD TALK AT LENGTH ABOUT DURING COV AND PARTICULARLY ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE DOING TO HELP OUR SENIORS, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO WERE VULNERABLE, AFFECTED BY VIOLENCE, ALL TYPES OF THINGS, HOMELESSNESS DURING THAT TIME, AND ALL THE WORK SHE DID TO REPLACE THE 23,000 KNOWN LED SERVICE LINES IN LESS THAN THREE YEARS AT NO COST OF RESIDENCE.
I COULD TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT SHE'S DONE BEING A PROUD RECIPIENT OF THE 2023 NEW JERSEY LEAGUE OF MUNICIPALITIES, OUTSTANDING WOMEN IN A MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT AWARD INSIDE A NEW JERSEY'S TOP POLICY MAKERS FOR 2023, AND RECENTLY THE 2024 WOMEN OF IMPACT AWARD FROM THE VIRTUOUS HOUSE, AND SO MANY OTHER WORK THAT SHE'S DONE UNDER HER TENURE OF THE NEW JERSEY URBAN MAYOR'S ASSOCIATION AND WOMEN'S FUND OF NEW JERSEY FOR POLICY ANALYSIS, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND CAPACITY BUILDING.
BUT I WANT TO SPEND 30 SECONDS TALKING ABOUT HER HEART AND HER SPIRIT.
HANDFIELD DOESN'T DO IT FOR THE WORK OF BEING RECOGNIZED, BUT DOES IT FOR THE SPIRIT.
AND SO SHOSHANA, WHOSE NAME MEANS IN HEBREW RIGHT, IS ABOUT PRAISE, AND IT'S ABOUT WORSHIP, AND IT'S ABOUT REJOICE.
I THANK YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE TO OUR CITY, WHO YOU ARE TO BLACK WOMEN WHO YOU MENTOR.
YOU DON'T SEE AS COMPETITION, BUT YOU TAKE THEM UNDER THEIR WING AND YOU SUPPORT THEM.
AND I THANK YOU FOR WHO YOU'VE MENTIONED ME, A PRAYER ROY, A SISTER, A FRIEND, A SISTER IN THE WORK.
[00:15:01]
RECOGNIZE YOU AS OUR FIRST HONOREE FOR BLACK WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH.UM, I HAD TO WRITE SOMETHING DOWN BECAUSE IF I DON'T, I RAMBLE, APPARENTLY.
UM, BUT, UM, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU, UM, JUST FOR, SINCE THE DAY THAT I'VE MET YOU, YOU'VE CREATED A SPACE FOR, FOR EVERYBODY TO SHINE, BUT PARTICULARLY BLACK WOMEN.
AND IT'S BEEN A, YOU'VE BEEN A SAVING GRACE IN THIS SPACE FOR ME, JUST WATCHING YOU RISE TO NOW.
COMMISSIONER AND LORD ONLY KNOWS WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO NEXT, BUT I KNOW THAT AS WE WATCH, YOU'RE GONNA DO AMAZING THINGS.
SO I'M JUST THANKFUL FOR YOU IN THIS MOMENT, IN THIS WORLD AND IN THIS WORK.
YOU ARE MY SISTER, THANK YOU PRESIDENT, UM, RIS AND THIS DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE ESSEX COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR PUTTING ESSEX FIRST AND THE PROVING THE LIVES OF ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS.
THE THEME OF TODAY'S CELEBRATION REVOLVES AROUND THE ESSENCE OF PROGRESS, THE CONTINUOUS JOURNEY TOWARDS A MORE INCLUSIVE, EQUITABLE, AND JUST WORLD.
IT IS A JOURNEY THAT REQUIRES BLACK WOMEN TO DREAM BIGGER, ADVOCATE LOUDER, AND TAKE BOLD STEPS TOWARD CREATING A BETTER TOMORROW FOR ALL.
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE DO AS BLACK WOMEN, RIGHT? WE MAKE EVERYTHING BETTER.
I AM PROUD TO BE A BLACK WOMAN, PROUD TO COME FROM A LINEAGE OF STRONG BLACK WOMEN WHO TELL YOU THINGS THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR WHEN YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT, RIGHT? BUT YOU NEED TO HEAR IT.
AND I'M THANKFUL FOR, UM, THE BLACK WOMEN IN MY LIFE WHO LOVE ME AND SUPPORT ME BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND THE PRESSURE AND THE STRUGGLE OF WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A BLACK WOMAN.
TODAY, THE INCREDIBLE STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE OF BLACK WOMEN HAS BEEN EVIDENT THROUGHOUT HISTORY AND CONTINUES TO SHINE BRIGHT TODAY, ESPECIALLY AS WE LOOK AT TODAY'S OTHER HONOREES.
WHEN WE EMPOWER OURSELVES, WE EMPOWER OTHERS TO DO THE SAME.
CREATING A RIPPLE EFFECT OF EMPOWERMENT THAT TRANSCENDS BOUNDARIES AND LIMITATIONS.
THE COMMON THREAD OF ALL WOMEN, REGARDLESS OF RACE AND ETHNICITY, IS THAT WE HAVE ALL FACED DIVERSITY, DISCRIMINATION, AND CHALLENGES WITH UNWAVERING DETERMINATION, COURAGE AND GRACE.
OUR ABILITY TO RISE ABOVE OBSTACLES, BREAK BARRIERS AND CREATE CHANGE IS A TESTAMENT TO THE INDOMITABLE SPIRIT THAT RESIDES WITHIN EACH OF US AS SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR AND COMMUNICATION STRATEGIST FOR MAYOR RAJA BARAKA OF NEWARK, THE SEAT OF ESSEX COUNTY AND NEW JERSEY'S LARGEST CITY.
IT IS ONLY THROUGH POLICY AND ADVOCACY THAT WE AMPLIFY OUR VOICES, STAND UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT, AND CHAMPION CAUSES THAT PROMOTE EQUALITY, JUSTICE, AND EMPOWERMENT FOR ALL ADVOCACY MUST BE AT THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR WORK.
SO LET US ADVOCATE LOUDER, SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER AND WORK TIRELESSLY TO DISMANTLE BARRIERS AND CREATE A MORE INCLUSIVE SOCIETY FOR OUR NEXT GENERATION.
I'M GONNA TELL A LITTLE STORY, LITTLE QUICK.
I I'M GOING OFF TOPIC AND I SAID I WASN'T GONNA DO THIS.
UM, BUT WE ARE, ME AND, UM, THE COMMISSIONER ARE IN THIS INCREDIBLE, UH, TEXT GROUP CALLED YOUNG BLACK EXCELLENCE.
AND, UM, IT'S ABOUT 30, UM, INDIVIDUAL INCREDIBLE INDIVIDUALS FROM ACROSS THE STATE IN POLICY LENSES AND, AND, AND JUST DOING DYNAMIC THINGS.
AND WE SEND EACH OTHER STUFF THAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING AND WE CLAP AND WE APPLAUD AND WE, WE, WE JUST SUPPORT EACH OTHER.
AND I THINK THAT THAT HELPS ME GET THROUGH THE DAY.
SEEING YOU, SEEING THE RECOGNITION THAT YOU GET ON THAT TEXT THREAD AND, AND CREATING THOSE SPACES WHERE WE CAN ALL THRIVE IS, IS WHAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO.
SO I'M THANKFUL FOR THAT SPACE.
I'M THANKFUL FOR YOU IN THIS SPACE.
AND I'M JUST, I'M NEWARK FORWARD.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA LIGHT UP.
IT ACTUALLY MORE LOOK THIS WAY.
ONE MORE AND THEN LET'S DO ONE ON YOUR PHONE SO WE CAN DO BOTH.
I GOT, I GOT CARLOS PRESIDENT, DON'T THIS.
[00:20:22]
ONE OF THE, I MEAN, EVERYTHING THAT WAS SHARED RESONATED WITH ME, BUT ONE OF THE LAST THINGS THAT ANA JUST SPOKE ABOUT WAS LIFTING UP OTHERS, CELEBRATING OUR SISTERS AND BROTHERS AS THEY DO INCREDIBLE THINGS.UM, AND I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF SEEING THIS PARTICULAR NEXT HONOREE DO INCREDIBLE THINGS SINCE SHE WAS LIKE 15, 16 YEARS OLD.
UM, AND IN THE PAST HAS MAYBE ONE OR TWO YEARS I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE HER NOT JUST AS A YOUNG GIRL DOING REALLY GREAT WORK, BUT A YOUNG WOMAN WHO'S DOING INCREDIBLE WORK, NOT JUST AS AN ARTIST, BUT AS AN ORGANIZER IN THE SPACE OF RACIAL JUSTICE, IN THE SPACE OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN THE MIGHTY SOUTH WARD.
AND TO HELP RAISE ME UP, I JUST WANNA HONOR FIRST LADY BARAKA COUNCILWOMAN ROUNDTREE FOR MAKING THEIR WAY EVEN GIVE SOME ROUND APPLAUSE FOR THEM AND ALL THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT THEY DO TO LIFT UP REALLY INCREDIBLE YOUNG WOMEN, LIKE THE YOUNG WOMEN WE ARE ABOUT TO RECOGNIZE RIGHT NOW.
BUT FAGER KEGLER IS THAT YOUNG WOMAN I'M SPEAKING TO.
SHE'S A DEDICATED 22-YEAR-OLD STUDENT AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY.
SHE'S EARNING HER BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND ADMINISTRATION NEXT MAY.
SHE'S PASSIONATE FOR FOSTERING POSITIVE CHANGE AGENTS, JUST LIKE A POSITIVE AGE AGENT.
IN ADDITION TO BEING A YOUTH ORGANIZER FOR THE SOUTH WARD ENVIRONMENTAL ALLIANCE, A DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATION COMMITTED TO ENHANCING THE LIVES OF NEWARK RESIDENTS IN SOUTH WARD IN ITS VICINITY.
SHE'S JUST A KIND PERSON WITH A KIND SOUL WHO USES THAT KINDNESS TO UPLIFT OTHERS.
YOU MAY RECOGNIZE HER VOICE WHEN YOU HEAR HER IN A FEW MOMENTS FOR BEING THE YOUNG WOMAN WHO GAVE THE POEM, UH, CELEBRATING THE SOUTH WARD DURING MAYOR BARAKA'S STATE OF THE CITY JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO.
BUT IT'S JUST MY HONOR TO RECOGNIZE FAJA KEGLER, WHO'S AN ARTIST, A SPOKEN WORD POET FOR HER EXTENSIVE VOLUNTEERISM, LEADERSHIP, CREATIVITY IN SERVICE, AND EVERYTHING IT BRINGS TO THE CITY OF NEWARK AND ESSEX COUNTY.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WE'RE GONNA BRING UP FAGER SPECIFICALLY FOR HER WORK WITHIN THE SOUTH WARD ENVIRONMENTAL ALLIANCE, BUT FOR HER WORK ACROSS THE BOARD.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, I WAS AT THE SOUTHWARD ENVIRONMENTAL ALLIANCE TODAY, UM, PUSHING OUR WORK, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WHAT WE DO IS, IS HEARD IN THE COMMUNITY.
AS A STUDENT, AS SOMEONE WHO'S BORN AND RAISED IN NEWARK, AS SOMEONE WHO'S HAD, UH, SUCH A IMPACT ON THEIR COMMUNITY, BY THE COMMUNITY HAVING SUCH AN IMPACT ON ME, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO WAS INVOLVED AND, UM, YES, THANK WE TWO MORE.
SO WE'LL WRAP THE, SO AS MY MOTHER, MY IMAGER, ALL THE THINGS THAT'S TAKEN THAT LAST PHOTO, THAT CERTAINLY WON'T BE THE LAST PHOTO BECAUSE IT'S GOT SOME MORE PICTURES IN KEEPING WITH YOUNG BLACK BRILLIANCE.
AND BY THE WAY, LEMME JUST SAY THIS.
LET ME LEAD WITH YOUTHFULNESS IS A SPIRIT.
[00:25:01]
IT IS NOT DETERMINED BY AGE OR BIRTH CERTIFICATES.IT'S AN ENERGY, IT'S A SPIRIT.
I'M THINKING OF WHAT, UM, COUNCILWOMAN MINISTER ROUNDTREE ALWAYS SAYS, IT'S PREPARATION FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.
AND THAT DOESN'T HAVE A AGE REQUIREMENT ON IT.
BUT IF WE GONNA TALK ABOUT AGE, I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO BRING UP OUR NEXT HONOREE, WHO NOT ONLY IS A SEASONED MENTOR, ACCOMPLISHED LEADER, PROLIFIC WRITER, COMPELLING SPEAKER, A PROUD HAITIAN AMERICAN BORN AND PORT OF PRINCE, AND RAISED IN IRVINGTON, WHO NOT ONLY HOLDS A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION FROM MONTCLAIR STATE WITH AN INTERNATIONAL STUDIES MINOR, BUT HAS SERVED AS THE CHIEF OF STAFF TO STATE SENATOR RENEE BURGESS AND LEGISLATIVE AID TO FORMER ASSEMBLYWOMAN STAFF JAFFER, AND WORKED ON GOVERNOR MURPHY'S CAMPAIGN IN 2021, ALL UNDER THE AGE OF 25 YEARS OLD.
I I I'M NOT DONE THOUGH, BECAUSE WHEN SHE'S NOT GETTING HER BEAUTY SLEEP, SHE'S CLEARLY OUT HERE DOING THE WORK BECAUSE SHE'S ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF THE ESSEX COUNTY YOUNG DEMOCRATS, THE POLITICAL GOVERNMENT RELATIONS MANAGER FOR THE NEW JERSEY LEAGUE OF CONVERSA, OF CON CONSERVATION OF VOTERS FOCUSING ON COMBATING ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM.
THIS YOUNG BLACK WOMAN IS A YOUNG BLACK WOMAN LIKE FAGER, WHO ROCKS IS A YOUNG BLACK WOMAN LIKE DR.
HANFIELD, LIKE SHAANA PAGE, WHO ROCKS.
AND SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I WANNA BRING UP MY FRIEND, MY PARTNER IN THE MOVEMENT, UM, WHO I, I'LL CLOSE BY ADDING SOMETHING THAT'S, SHE'LL SEE HER ACCOMMODATION, BUT I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NAME THE WOMEN WHO COME BEFORE US.
SHE'S INSPIRED BY HER LATE GRANDMOTHER, MISS HER GABRIELLE, WHO PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN RAISING HER AND HER SISTERS AND COUSINS.
AND SO, JASMINE, AS WE RECOGNIZE YOU, WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THE WOMEN WHO CAME BEFORE YOU ON ALL WHOSE SHOULDERS YOU STAND AND WHO CAN LOOK AT YOU AND SAY, WELL DONE.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, JASMINE TELL US.
[00:31:03]
SO CAN ANYONE WHO'S HERE SUPPORTING SOMEONE ELSE, CAN YOU GIVE YOURSELVES A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR BEING THE VILLAGE, FOR BEING A PART OF THE WORK? I ALREADY RECOGNIZED OUR INCREDIBLE FIRST LADY FROM THE CITY OF NEWARK, MS. LINDA BARAKA, OUR COUNCILWOMAN ROUNDTREE, WHO WILL BE PRESENTING AND CLOSING US OUT IN A LITTLE BIT WITH COMMENDATIONS FROM THE CITY, ONE WILL FORMERLY RECOGNIZED TWO OTHER INCREDIBLE WOMEN.
BEFORE WE BRING UP OUR LAST HONOREE, WE HAVE MY FORMER BOARD OF EDUCATION, UH, UH, MEMBER EMERITUS.
ALTHOUGH WE DIDN'T SERVE TOGETHER, I WAS MENTORED BY HER AND COACHED BY HER BE HONORABLE.
MRS. RICHARDSON, WHO IS HERE WITH US, MS. ANTOINETTE RICHARDSON.
WE HAVE A WOMAN WHO SIMILARLY NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION, BUT WHO NOT ONLY DOES INCREDIBLE WORK AS A HERSTORY MAKING LEADER HERE WITHIN, UH, THE BOARD OF, OR RATHER THE COUNTY OF ESSEX, BUT ALSO SERVES AS THE FIRST LADY, NOT JUST OF ESSEX COUNTY DEMOCRATS, BUT OF STATE NEW JERSEY DEMOCRATS, THE ONE AND ONLY MS. JACQUELINE JONES, WHO'S WITH US TODAY.
SO AS JASMINE SHARED, THE VILLAGE IS WIDE.
AND AS A BLACK WOMAN, WE CAN'T DO THIS BY OURSELVES.
WE DO THIS WITH SO MANY OTHERS WHO ARE SUPPORTING US AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
THIS NEXT AND FINAL, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, HONOREE FOR BLACK WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH AS WELL AS AUTISM AWARENESS HISTORY MONTH.
I WANNA TALK ABOUT A WOMAN AS THE FOUNDER AND CEO OF THE GYM PROJECT, A PIONEERING NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO ELEVATING HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT THROUGH YOUTH ORGANIZING AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.
AN ORGANIZATION THAT, SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 2006, HAS DIRECTLY IMPACTED THE LIVES OF MORE THAN 3,500 YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS.
A WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE WHITE HOUSE, WHO'S BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE CITY OF NEWARK, WHO HAS HAD PUBLICATIONS CELEBRATING HER EVERYWHERE FROM THE NATIONAL JOURNAL TO THE NA, TO THE BLACK ENTERPRISE TO NEW JERSEY, SPOTLIGHT TO PBS, TO FORBES MAGAZINE, WHO IS NOT ONLY A GRADUATE OF RUTGERS UNIVERSITY NEWARK, BUT EARNED HER MASTER'S DEGREE FROM CUNY SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, WHO WAS ALSO AN ALUM FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL OF RUTGERS, WHO IS NOT ONLY AN ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER OF THE GREATER NEWARK HEALTH COALITION, IMPACT ESSEX MEMBER WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP COUNCIL, THE FORMER VICE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR RUTGERS UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, A FORMER ASSOCIATE BOARD MEMBER AT THE UNITED NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSES, WHO'S NOT ONLY A A, A LECTURER AT THE BRONX COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND A FOUNDER IN RESIDENCE AT ANTLER NEW YORK CITY, BUT HAS RECENTLY BEEN A PART OF HISTORY HERE IN THE CITY OF NEWARK, WHERE ONE OF HER, ACTUALLY SEVERAL OF HER YOUNG PEOPLE FOR THE GYM PROJECT HELPED USHER IN A HISTORIC ORDINANCE LOWERING THE VOTING AGE FOR SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS HERE IN THE CITY OF NEWARK.
THAT WAS A GYM PROJECT YOUTH WHO HELPED BE A PART OF THAT WORK.
[00:35:01]
OF COURSE, WE WERE JOINED BY SO MANY INCREDIBLE STAKEHOLDERS LIKE THOSE FROM THE JERSEY INSTITUTE THAT'S RIGHT, OF SOCIAL JUSTICE.AND SO MANY OTHER ORGANIZERS, OUR COUNCIL PRESIDENT LAMONICA MACGYVER, ME AND ENTIRE, UH, CITY MUNICIPAL COUNCIL, UH, MINISTER ROUNDTREE, WHO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
BUT THERE WERE YOUNG PEOPLE NOT JUST IN THE ROOM WHEN IT WAS HAPPENING, BUT THEY WERE DRIVING AS SOME OF THE YOUNG KIDS WOULD SAY, THEY WERE DRIVING THE BOAT TO MAKE IT WORK.
AND THESE YOUNG PEOPLE WERE GYM PROJECTS.
SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I WANNA RECOGNIZE MY FRIEND, MY SISTER, MY MENTOR IN MY HEAD IN THE MOVEMENT, WHO DOES INCREDIBLE WORK, AND WHO I CONTINUE TO BE INSPIRED BY AS WE CELEBRATE HER ON TODAY.
Y'ALL MAKE SOME NOISE FOR HER AS SHE MAKES HER WAY UP HERE.
AS GOD WOULD HAVE IT, THIS CELEBRATION WOULD ALSO BE ON HER BIRTHDAY.
SO WHEN WE END, WE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE SOME CUPCAKES OUTSIDE IN THE HALLWAY FOR Y'ALL, JUST TO CELEBRATE NOT ONLY HER BIRTHDAY, BUT EVERYONE ELSE, AMANDA, EVERYONE.
I'M SO, SO EXCITED TO BE HERE.
UH, I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THIS RECOGNITION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ESS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
SO WHEN I LOOK INTO THIS ROOM, I FEEL LIKE HOME, RIGHT? I SEEING MY SISTERS, I'M BEFORE GIANTS AND QUEENS.
I WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY IF IT WASN'T FOR SO MANY YOUNG WOMEN WHO, WHO PAVED THE WAY AND WOMEN FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE TO PAVE THE WAY.
AND SO WHEN WE HEAR ABOUT EVEN THE HISTORIC ORDINANCE WITH THE SUPPORT OF RYAN HAYGOOD, AND YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL MACGYVER, IT TAKES A VILLAGE.
AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A BLACK WOMAN IN CELEBRATION FOR A BLACK WOMAN HISTORY MONTH HERE, OUR BRILLIANCE CANNOT BE CONTAINED.
AND IT, IT KIND OF FLOWS LIKE A RIVER, RIGHT? AND TOUCHES EACH PERSON.
BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE TOGETHER, WE'RE A FORCE.
WE'RE A, A BEACON OF A SUPPORT NETWORK OF HEALING.
AND I KNOW THAT HEALING THAT I GET EVERY DAY, ESPECIALLY WHEN I CONNECT WITH YOU, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME, BEEN OVER, I DON'T EVEN KNOW, LIKE
AND JUST BEING IN THIS SPACE JUST TELLS ME THAT THERE IS WORK TO DO.
BUT IT'S WORK KNOWING THAT YOUR SISTERS ARE HERE TO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS.
UM, I DO THIS WORK BECAUSE I DO IT BECAUSE THERE'S YOUTH WHO ARE BRILLIANT, ALL YOUTH ARE BRILLIANT.
AND I ALSO DO THIS WORK, AND I DON'T REALLY TELL THIS STORY, BUT I'VE BEEN TOLD WHEN I WAS A YOUNG PERSON THAT I WOULD NOT AMOUNT TO KNOW ANYTHING BY, UH, SOMEONE VERY CLOSE TO ME, A FAMILY MEMBER.
AND, AND I THINK OF THAT, I THINK ABOUT THE MANY YOUNG PEOPLE WHO MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE THAT MENTOR, THAT PERSON TO LEAN ON.
AND SO I REFLECT ON THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE AND THAT CREATING THAT PATHWAY OR THAT SPACE FOR THEM TO FLOURISH AND GROW IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN MY TRUE LIFE'S WORK AND HAS BEEN OVER ALMOST TWO DECADES NOW IN DOING THIS TYPE OF WORK.
AND IF I THINK ABOUT ALL OF THE WOMEN WHO'VE COME TO MY LIFE TO HELP ME EVEN HAVE A CHANCE, IT'S JUST TOO MANY TO THINK OF.
THERE'S THIS ONE WOMAN, HER NAME IS BASHEERA BROWN.
SHE BELIEVED IN ME WHEN I WAS A COLLEGE STUDENT BEFORE PEOPLE THOUGHT WOULD THINK THAT I WAS CRAZY.
THINKING ABOUT AN IDEA ABOUT WHAT IS THE GEM PROJECT.
THIS IS A WOMAN WHO WAS FIGHTING BREAST CANCER, AND SHE WAS A TWO TIME SURVIVOR.
AND IT WAS A TIME DURING MY LAST YEAR OF COLLEGE WHERE SHE, SHE MARCHED WITH ME TO ADDRESS ISSUES.
AND, AND SHE SAID, AND SHE POURED INTO ME AND, AND REALLY JUST SPOKE TRUTH TO POWER WHEN IT COMES TO YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS DOING SOMETHING.
AND THOSE ARE THE WORDS THAT I TAKE ON WITH ME, UM, FOR FOREVER.
AND THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF CONNECTIONS THAT WE AS WOMEN CAN CONTINUALLY SUPPORT OTHER WOMEN, UM, AND YOUNG WOMEN, UM, TODAY AS WELL.
[00:40:19]
SOME MORE NOISE FOR AMANDA.SO INSPIRED BY YOU AND HONORED TO BE IN THE WORK OF YOUTH ORGANIZING AND YOUTH WORK WITH YOU.
A LOT OF TIMES WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME, HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO RUN FOR OFFICE? I TELL THEM NEVER.
TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST, IT WAS NEVER A PART OF THE GOAL.
I WAS TAKING YOUNG PEOPLE FROM MY ORGANIZATION.
TO THE MAYOR'S LEADERSHIP BREAKFASTS, ACTUALLY AT KING'S RESTAURANT.
AND WHEN I WANTED HIM TO NOTICE MY YOUNG PEOPLE SO HE COULD PULL THEM INTO THE WORK, HE NOTICED ME AND THE REST HAS BEEN HISTORY.
AND IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR ME RUNNING FOR OFFICE AND DOING THAT WORK WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD, I WOULD'VE, MAYBE I WOULD'VE.
'CAUSE FATE HAS WORKED IN A LOT OF REALLY INTERESTING WAYS HERE.
BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD'VE MET CHAIRMAN JONES WHO SIMILARLY SAW ME WHEN I WAS GETTING HONORED FOR THE WORK THAT I WAS DOING, WAS SHE WINS JUST YOUNG PEOPLE.
Y'ALL LITERALLY DOING THE WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE.
AND CHAIRMAN SAID, HOLD ON, I SEE SOMETHING FOR YOU AND I BELIEVE IN YOU AND CONTINUE TO CULTIVATE ME AND CULTIVATE ME.
SO I WANNA FIRST OF ALL HONOR OUR CHAIRMAN LEE LAURA JONES, Y'ALL, WHO IS HERE WITH US TODAY, WHO ALWAYS FINDS IT NOT ROBBERY TO COME AND CELEBRATE OUR YOUTH AND CELEBRATE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
I ALSO WANNA GIVE A FEW MORE THANK YOUS AND THEN WE'LL CLOSE BY ACTUALLY HAVING CHAIRMAN ROUNDTREE.
AND SINCE YOU'RE HERE, CHAIRMAN JONES, I'LL HAVE YOU JUST HELP US CLOSE OUT AS WELL.
I WANNA THANK ADAM, MY INCREDIBLE PARTNER IN THIS WORK HERE.
[00:45:31]
AH, ANYHOW, UM, WE'VE GOT TO DO ONE MORE THING BEFORE I STOP CHAIRMAN JONES.AND THAT IS THAT ME NO, A DORIAN WITHOUT A DANA.
AND I, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO HONOR THE MOTHERS THAT NURTURE.
UM, SOME OF, SOME, SOME WOMEN DON'T HAVE DANA'S.
SOME OF OUR YOUNG WOMEN NEED AN A DORIAN AND A DANA AND A HASHANAH.
THEY NEED AN EXAMPLE OF A JACKIE JONES THAT CAN SHOW YOU THAT YOU CAN BE, WILL BE AND GOING TO BE SOMEBODY IF YOU HANG WITH US, BECAUSE WE ARE GONNA PUSH YOU INTO YOUR DESTINATION NO MATTER WHAT YOUR LOCATION IS.
IT DOES NOT DETERMINE YOUR DESTINATION.
AND IF YOU'RE SOMEWHERE WHERE IT'S NOT GREAT, WE CAN PUSH YOU TO GREATER.
SO WE THANK YOU, WE HONOR YOU, WE LOVE YOU.
AND ON BEHALF OF MAYOR RASPBERRY ROCK, THE NESS COUNCIL, REVEREND LOUISE, SCOTT ROUNDTREE, LADY BARAKA, AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT GOES WITH THE CITY OF NEWARK AND ABROAD, WE CELEBRATE YOU.
WE HONOR YOU, AND WE CONGRATULATE YOU.
WHY DID I LET HER GO FIRST? WHY DID I LET HER GO FIRST? SO, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, LOOK, IT, IT, I, YOU KNOW, I GOT NOTICE OF THIS LATE AND I I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR JASMINE CALLING ME UP, UH, YOU KNOW, EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, AND THEN MY WIFE JACKIE CALLING ME UP.
UH, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA GET YOU BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T CALL ME UP
BUT, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, LET ME JUST SAY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, ON THIS, UH, INAUGURAL CELEBRATION FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, BLACK WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH AND A DORIAN, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST HAVING THE FORESIGHT, UH, THE VISION TO EMBRACE THAT, YOU KNOW, AT A TIME THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT WE BEGIN, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE CONTINUE TO HONOR AND CELEBRATE, YOU KNOW, BLACK WOMEN, UH, YOU KNOW, WHICH ARE THE FOUNDATION OF, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNITIES REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOUR ETHNICITY IS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO SAY TO, UH, YOU KNOW, THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD, CARLOS PALM, YOU KNOW, FOR ALSO HAVING, YOU KNOW, THAT ELEMENT OF SUPPORT.
YOU KNOW, TO SUPPORT YOUR COLLEAGUES AND TO BE HERE, TO BE HERE.
AS YOU KNOW, WE EMBRACE, YOU KNOW, THE SPIRIT OF, YOU KNOW, BLACK WOMEN.
UH, YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, I COME FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, A HOME THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, A MODEL HOME THAT A BLACK WOMAN, YOU KNOW, MADE SURE THAT HER ONLY SON, UH, YOU KNOW, WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, WAS GOING TO BE ON THAT STRAIGHT AND NARROW.
ALTHOUGH SHE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD, I HAVE TWO OTHER SISTERS.
IT WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT MOTHERLY, YOU KNOW, DIRECTION.
AND, YOU KNOW, MY, YOU KNOW, MY PATERNAL, YOU KNOW, ADVICE FROM MY FATHER THAT MADE SURE, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I HAD A MINDSET THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, EXPANDED UPON, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN JUST THE SPACE THAT A BLACK MAN WOULD OCCUPY, BUT ALSO THE RESPECT, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND ADMIRATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT THAT HE WOULD HAVE FOR BLACK WOMEN.
AND THAT'S WHAT I DO FOR, YOU KNOW, MY FIRST LADY, UH, JACQUELINE JONES, WHO'S SITTING BACK THERE, UH, YOU KNOW, AT THE BACK OF THE, THAT'S WHAT, UH, YOU KNOW, MY FRIEND RAS BARAKA DOES, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR, YOU KNOW, HIS FIRST LADY, LINDA BARAKA, WHO FLEW TODAY.
AND I BELIEVE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL OF US WHO OCCUPY, YOU KNOW, THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS SO-CALLED SPACE OF LEADERSHIP, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO EMBRACE, YOU KNOW, THE SPIRIT OF, YOU KNOW, UH, OF AN INTERNAL RESPECT FOR YOUR SPOUSE AND GIVING HER, YOU KNOW, THE SPACE AND THE LATITUDE TO LEAD WHEN IT'S TIME TO LEAD.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO JASMINE, UH, TO AMANDA WHO I CAME IN ON, UH, YOU KNOW, HER PRESENTATION, UH, YOU KNOW, TO ALL THE OTHER, UH, HONOREES, UH, YOU KNOW, SHOSHANA WAS ALSO MENTIONED.
I GET THESE EMAILS CONSTANTLY FROM SHOSHANA AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SHE'S ON POINT, ALL THE HONOREES THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT A DORIAN HAS, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, ALLOWED US TO SEE WHAT THEY ARE, FEEL WHO THEY ARE, KNOW WHAT THEIR JOURNEY WAS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, KNOW WHAT THEIR MISSION IS GOING
[00:50:01]
FORWARD.SO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO MY FRIEND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, MY LITTLE MENTEE WHO IS BECOME, I'M BECOMING HER MENTEE, DANA SHOULD KNOW THAT BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE APPLE DOESN'T FALL FAR FROM THE TREE.
AND DANA, YOU'VE DONE A MAGNIFICENT JOB WITH THIS YOUNG LADY.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE STOP FOR THIS YOUNG LADY AND, UH, YOU KNOW, KNOW IF IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, IF I'M ALWAYS GOING TO BE AROUND, AND I EXPECT TO FOR A LITTLE BIT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE PATHWAY AND, AND, UH, THE FUTURE FOR THIS YOUNG LADY AND ALL THE FOLKS THAT SHE TOUCHES IS A BRIGHT AND SHINY FUTURE, AND THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A ROAD TO SUCCESS AND PROSPERITY, LOUISE FOR, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST BLACK WOMEN, BECAUSE THAT IS GOING TO BE A CENTRAL THEME IN THIS, BUT IT'S ALSO GOING TO BE THE COMMUNITY, THE VILLAGE THAT WE ALL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO UPHOLD, UPLIFT, AND, UH, AND MOVE FORWARD.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, TODAY, AND I'M, I'M, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET, YOU KNOW, JUST TO BE JUST A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN LOUISE, JUST TO GET MY TIME IN
I JUST WANTED TO SAY TO ALL OF THE HONOREES, UH, YOU KNOW, JASMINE AND AMANDA AND ANA, AND ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE COME, YOU KNOW, TO BE CELEBRATED.
KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AND THEN DORIAN, UH, YOU KNOW, KEEP THE SPIRIT AND THE FAITH OF MAKING SURE THAT THESE YOUNG LADIES AND SO MANY MORE ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF ALL OF OUR AGENDAS.
SO WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ALL THE, AND THEIR VILLAGE.
AND OF COURSE OUR CHAIRMAN AND OUR COUNCIL COME UP TOGETHER FOR A OUTSIDE.