[00:00:07]
THANK YOU, FELLOW HONOR TODAY WATCHING.
WELCOME TO AND TO CHAMBER HERE.
UH, MY NAME I SERVING HONOR, THEY COULD PROBABLY HEAR ME.
SO IT'S BECOME A TRADITION HERE IN ESSEX COUNTY TO RECOGNIZE THE CULTURES AND ETHNICITIES, UM, THAT MAKE THIS COMMUNITY SO RICH AND DIVERSE.
THIS TRADITION HAS BEEN MORE IMPORTANT, OF COURSE, UH, IN MORE RECENT TIMES, I THINK, UM, WE ARE VERY PROUD TO CELEBRATE THESE LEADERS TODAY AND TO COUNT THEM AMONG OUR FRIENDS AND OUR NEIGHBORS.
YOUR PRESENCE HERE TODAY IS A WITNESS OF OUR RESILIENCE AND OUR DETERMINATION TO MOVE THE NEEDLE OF OUR NATION FORWARD SO THAT WE HAVE TRUE LIBERTY FOR ALL.
EACH FEBRUARY, OUR NATION CELEBRATES THE WISDOM, THE STRENGTH, THE DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP OF AFRICAN AMERICANS BOTH PAST AND PRESENT, AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COUNTRY, TO OUR STATE, AND ESPECIALLY HERE TO ESSEX COUNTY.
SO TODAY, COMMISSIONERS CELEBRATE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF FOUR OUTSTANDING HONOREES, UH, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER.
UH, WE HAVE ASSEMBLYWOMAN GARNET HALL.
WE HAVE OUR BRAND NEW TEX COUNTY SHERIFF FROM MAYOR JONES.
WE HAVE DIANE ENGLIN OF PROGRAMS, UH, FOR PARENTS, AND THE MONTCLAIR NAACP AND DIANE COLSON OF THE PEOPLE'S ORGANIZATION FOR PROGRESS.
I, I THINK SHE MAY HAVE BEAT YOU ALL, I'M NOT SURE.
I DON'T KNOW, OR SHE BROUGHT A GREAT GROUP OF PEOPLE HERE TO CHEER ON.
SO WE HONOR ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS, AND DURING THE PROGRAM, WE'LL HEAR THE DETAILS OF THEIR ABUNDANT WORK, UH, THAT THEY'VE ALL DONE.
IN ADDITION TO THE PLAQUE AND THE COMMENDATION FROM THE BOARD, EACH HONOREE WILL ALSO RECEIVE CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION FROM, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN LAMONICA MACGYVER AND MIKEY CHERYL.
SO I'D LIKE TO THANK, UH, OUR MUSICAL GUESTS, THE INCREDIBLY TALENTED ALLWAY ENSEMBLE THAT WILL BE HERE TODAY.
LET'S GIVE THEM A HAND, AND I'D LIKE TO INVITE THEM, UH, NOW TO PERFORM TWO SONGS, UH, FOR US AS WE STARTED THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER.
AND OF COURSE, UH, LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING, OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE BLACK NATIONAL ANTHEM.
OH SAY, CAN YOU SEE BY THE LIGHT WHAT'S SO PROUDLY? WE AT THE WHO'S BROUGHT STRIPES AND BRIGHT STARS THROUGH THE, OR THE PARTS WE WERE SO STREAMING AND THAT FLAG STILL THERE, THE LAND OF
[00:05:23]
LIFT EVERY VOICE, SAD SING STILL BRING WITH THE HEART MORE ON KNEES OF LET IT SOUND LOUD AS THE SEED SING SONG FULL OF THE FAITH THAT THE DARK PAST HAS TAUGHT US.SING A SONG FULL OF THE HOPE THAT THE PRESENT HAS BROUGHT RISE FACING THE LET US MARCH ON TIL IS, LET'S GIVE ANOTHER ROUND APPLAUSE FOR THAT WONDERFUL PERFORMANCE.
I AM COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT TMI COOPER.
AND IT IS MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE THE REVEREND DR. CAROL LYNN PATTERSON.
LET'S GIVE HER A ROUND OF APPLAUSE AS SHE CAN COME FORWARD.
BEFORE SHE BEGIN, LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE REVEREND DR. PATTERSON.
SHE IS COMMITTED TO PREACHING, TEACHING, AND DEMONSTRATING AND LIBERATING GOSPEL.
SHE'S FREQUENTLY INVITED TO PREACH AND TEACH AT CHURCHES, ASSOCIATIONS AND CONFERENCES WITH A STRONG EMPHASIS ON EVANGELISM SHOW, SOCIAL JUSTICE AND DISCIPLESHIP.
REVEREND DR. PATTERSON RECEIVED HER MASTER OF DIVINITY DEGREE AT DREW THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL, HER MASTER OF THEOLOGICAL DEGREE IN NEW TESTAMENT STUDIES FROM PRINCETON.
AND FINALLY, SHE HAS A DOCTORATE OF MINISTRY FROM DREW UNIVERSITY.
SHE WAS THE FIRST WOMAN TO BE ORDAINED AT CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH OF MORRISTOWN.
AND IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH, SHE HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY EBONY MAGAZINE AS AN OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS BY THE MORRIS COUNTY BRANCH OF THE NAACP COMMUNITY LEADER SOCIAL JUSTICE AWARD IN BUSINESS, NEW JERSEY AS ONE OF THE TOP 10 WOMEN IN THE STATE.
SO THIS EVENING, WE ARE SO BLESSED TO HAVE HER DELIVER OUR OPENING PRAYER.
MOST GRACIOUS GOD, WE COME TO TELL YOU THANK YOU.
THANK YOU THAT WE LIVE IN A PLACE WHERE WE RECOGNIZE THAT DIVERSITY IS NOT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT QUALIFIED.
THANK YOU THAT YOU ARE THE GOD OF DIVERSITY, WHO MADE EVERY COLOR, EVERY ETHNICITY, AND OUT OF ONE BLOOD, EVERY NATION.
GOD, WE COME GATHERED IN A ROOM OF PEOPLE WHO RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE MANY THINGS IN COMMON AND OUR DIFFERENCES ARE WHAT MAKE US BETTER.
WE THANK YOU THAT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US HAS AN OFF-WHITE SKELETON, RED BLOOD, AND WE ALL BREATHE OXYGEN.
WE ASK THAT AS WE HONOR THOSE OF A PARTICULAR ETHNICITY TONIGHT WHO HAVE MADE EXTRAORDINARY ACCOMPLISHMENTS, THAT WE WOULD BE EVER SO MINDFUL THAT EACH OF US
[00:10:01]
HAS A UNIQUE GIFT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THESE DAYS.HELP US TO DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CLOCK IS NOT TURNED BACK, AND THAT WE CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD OVER THIS WAY THAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT US ALL THE WAY.
WE THANK YOU FOR EVERY PERSON IN THIS ROOM, AND WE ESPECIALLY CELEBRATE THE HONOREES.
AND WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD CREATE SPACE IN THEIR LIVES FOR THEM TO JUST SMELL THESE FLOWERS THAT THEY ARE RECEIVING TONIGHT.
WE PRAY THIS IN THE NAME OF THE ONE WHO WAS BEFORE WAS, WAS IN THE NAME OF THE ONE WHO IS RIGHT NOW.
AND IN THE NAME OF THE ONE WHO WILL ALWAYS BE, NO MATTER WHO IS ELECTED TO OFFICE, IT'S IN THAT NAME THAT WE ALL SAY TOGETHER.
LET'S GIVE ANOTHER ROUND APPLAUSE TO DR. PATTERSON.
I'M GONNA CARRY WITH ME FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.
BEFORE WE CONTINUE IN OUR PROGRAM, LET ME TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE A FEW DIGNITARIES THAT'S WITH US TONIGHT.
FIRST, I'M GONNA START WITH MY COLLEAGUES.
WE HEARD FROM, UH, PRESIDENT CARLOS.
COMMISSIONER MERCADO IS HERE WITH US.
COMMISSIONER MURRAY TO THOMAS IS HERE WITH US.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON IS HERE WITH US.
COMMISSIONER LUCIANO IS WITH US.
COMMISSIONER SERMONS IS WITH US THIS EVENING.
COMMISSIONER GILL IS HERE IN THIS, THE MOST DISTINGUISHED AND CHERISH OF OUR WHOLE GROUP.
COMMISSIONER BOL, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF MORE DIGNITARIES THAT TOOK TIME OUTTA THEIR BUSY STEPS SCHEDULED TO COME HERE TO JOIN US THIS EVENING.
WE WANNA RECOGNIZE YOU AND THANK YOU.
WE HAVE MS. MELANIE HOLMES FROM CONGRESSMAN MIKEY CHERYL'S OFFICE.
IS SHE STILL HERE? WE HAVE MY DIRECTOR, MS. READER BUTTS OR STEVENS.
NOW, IS SHE HERE? LET'S GIVE A WAVE.
AND OUR PROSECUTOR, THEODORE STEVENS FROM ESS COUNTY.
THE FORMER CLERK OF THE BOARD DE DEBRA DAVIS FORD.
LET'S GIVE HER HELLO FOR HER, OUR COUNCILMAN FROM MAPLEWOOD, VICTOR DELUCA.
DESMOND ROBERTS FROM THANK YOU COUNCIL.
AND OUR DIRECTOR OF SENIOR SERVICES, MAURICE BROWN.
NOW, AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO TURN THE PROGRAM OVER TO COMMISSIONER BOL.
I'M A COMMISSIONER AT LARGE AND IT'S REALLY A PRIVILEGE FOR ME TO INTRODUCE OUR FIRST HONOREE FOR THE PROGRAM.
AND BEFORE SHE COMES UP TO THE PODIUM, I MUST TELL YOU THAT I THINK I'VE KNOWN HER FOREVER.
AND IT TOOK ME TWO SECONDS TO DECIDE WHOM TO HONOR FOR THIS PROGRAM TONIGHT.
SO, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE GARNET HALL TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM AND JOIN ME.
AND THEN I WILL TELL YOU SOME FACTS ABOUT HER.
GARNET HALL REPRESENTS THE 28TH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT IN THE NEW JERSEY GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
SHE ATTENDED FAIRLY DICKINSON UNIVERSITY FOR BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND CURRENTLY SERVES AS ESSEX COUNTY DEPUTY CLERK GARNET IS A LICENSED PASSPORT AGENT, NOTARY AND AN ORDAINED MINISTER PERFORMING, PERFORMING WEDDING CEREMONIES WANNA GET MARRIED.
SHE IS THE VICE CHAIR OF THE MAPLEWOOD DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE WHERE SHE HAS LOYALLY SERVED FOR OVER 15 YEARS.
AND A MEMBER OF THE ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE REPRESENTING MAPLE GARNET, HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN CAMPAIGN ORGANIZATION AND STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR DOZENS OF CANDIDATES AT THE LOCAL, COUNTY, STATE, AND NATIONAL LEVEL.
SHE HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY AS A CHALLENGER
[00:15:01]
AT THE POLLS FOR HER DISTRICT IN MAPLEWOOD.AS ESSEX COUNTY DEPUTY CLERK GARNET EXECUTED THE VOTE BY MAIL IN PERSON PILOT PROGRAM IN 2019.
YES, IN 2022, SHE CONTINUES SUPPORTING THIS INITIATIVE, WORKING WITH GOTV TEAMS AND PERSONALLY DELIVERING THOUSANDS OF VBM APPLICATIONS AND BALLOTS TO ESSEX COUNTY VOTERS.
GARNETT'S CONTAGIOUS ENTHUSIASM FOR INSPIRING FUTURE GENERATIONS BEGAN IN HER YOUTH WHEN SHE TOOK HER OATH AS A GIRL SCOUT COMING FULL CIRCLE IN HER ADULT LIFE WHEN SHE BECAME A GIRL SCOUT LEADER.
SHE HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE URBAN LEAGUE OPERATION PUSH AND VARIOUS PTAS.
SHE HAS ALSO CONDUCTED CONSTITUENT OUTREACH PROGRAMS FOR GOVERNOR RICHARD CODY ASSEMBLYMAN JOHN MCKEEN, AND ASSEMBLYWOMAN MILLET.
JC GARNET IS A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF ESSEX COUNTY, BORN AND RAISED IN MONTCLAIR.
SHE AND HER HUSBAND, GEORGE HALL PUR, PURCHASED THEIR HOME IN MAPLEWOOD 35 YEARS AGO, FINDING A COMMUNITY THAT EMBRACED THEIR LOVE FOR TOGETHERNESS AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS.
THE OLDEST IS A REGISTERED NURSE AND THE YOUNGEST A POLICE OFFICER.
THEY ARE ALSO THE PROUD GRANDPARENTS OF TWO WONDERFUL GRANDCHILDREN AND A GRAND DOG
SO NOW YOU KNOW WHY I THINK SO HIGHLY OF GARNET HALL.
SHE IS TRULY AN AMAZING INDIVIDUAL.
SO ASSEMBLYWOMAN, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO, FIGHTING FOR THE NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF THE ESSEX COUNTY COMMUNITY.
IT IS MY PLEASURE TO PRESENT YOU WITH THE BOARD'S, COMMENDATION AND PLAQUE AND CERTIFICATES FROM CONGRESSWOMAN MACGYVER AND CHERYL.
WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE A PIC, WE'LL TAKE A PICTURE AND THEN OUR ASSEMBLY WOMAN WILL SPEAK.
WOW, I'M READY TO SIT DOWN NOW AFTER THAT.
IT'S KIND OF FAMILIAR TO MANY OF YOU OUT HERE.
THIS IS A HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE, UM, ORGANIZATIONS HERE TONIGHT.
UM, I SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT.
UM, THAT'S JUST MY PERSONALITY, SO YOU GUYS ARE GONNA HAVE TO BEAR WITH ME TONIGHT.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THIS HEARTFELT, THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION FOR THIS PRESENTATION AND THIS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD.
ALTHOUGH MANY OF US ARE SUPPORTIVE, I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT PAT SIEBEL, AS SHE HAD MENTIONED TO YOU, HAS BEEN A BIG SUPPORTER OF ME, AND I'VE BEEN A BIG SUPPORTER OF HERS FOR MANY YEARS.
UM, I WANNA SAY, UM, THANK YOU ALSO TO THE PRESIDENT, UM, PREMIERES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND SPECIAL THANKS TO THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, WHICH ARE MY COLLEAGUES.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTOOD THAT.
I WANNA TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TONIGHT.
UM, AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE FLAG MAKING SONGS, DOES ANYBODY KNOW THAT THERE WAS A 13-YEAR-OLD, UM, SLAVE THAT HELPED MAKE THE FLAG? DID ANYBODY IN HERE KNOW THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS APPROPRIATE TONIGHT TO DEDICATE THIS TONIGHT TO THAT YOUNG LADY WHO NEVER REALLY GOT ANY RECOGNITION FOR IT.
AND I WANTED TO SPREAD THE WORD,
[00:20:01]
AND I JUST HAD A LITTLE NOTE THAT I HAD, UH, TO TELL YOU ABOUT HER.BACK IN THE DAY, BLACK PEOPLE WERE SEEN AS SOURCES OF LABOR, REGARDLESS OF THE FREEDOM OF THEIR STATUS.
GRACE WISHER, THAT WAS HER NAME, WAS A FREE BLACK GIRL WHOSE MOTHERS DECIDED TO SEND HER TO MARY PICKER'S GRILL AS AN APPRENTICE OR AN INDENTURED SLAVE FOR SIX YEARS.
AT THAT TIME, FREE BLACK PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE ANY ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, AND ALTHOUGH THEY KEPT THEIR STATUS OF FREEDOM, THEY OFTEN ENDED UP GETTING POORLY PAID JOBS UNDER ABUSIVE CONDITIONS.
INDENTURES THEN WERE JUST CONTRACTS, CONTRACTS CREATED BY THE WHITE PEOPLE AND THE PARENTS OF THE BLACK CHILDREN TO HOUSE THEM AND FEED THEM.
IN RETURN, THESE KIDS WOULD SIMPLY WORK AS SERVANTS.
HOW ABOUT THAT? SO TONIGHT WE ARE RECOGNIZING HER.
I'M STARTING TO FEEL A LITTLE BIT WOOZY,
I SEE MANY OF MY FRIENDS IN THE AUDIENCE TONIGHT, AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, WHO HAVE SUPPORTED ME AND MY DESIRES TO SERVE THE PUBLIC.
SOME OF YOU FOR OVER 50 YEARS.
BUT MY GIRLFRIENDS JUST RAISED THEIR HANDS.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T SEE THAT OFTEN.
WE STARTED AND WE MET IN KINDERGARTEN, AND WE STILL TALK EVERY OTHER DAY OR SO.
SHE CALLS ME WHEN SHE'S ON HER WAY TO WORK.
I'M STILL TRYING TO GET DRESSED.
SO SOMETIMES I MISS THOSE CALLS.
THEY KNEW THAT WHEN THEY ASK ME WHAT'S GOING ON, HOW YOU'RE DOING, THEY'LL GET IMMEDIATE RESPONSE.
I'D BE TALKING ABOUT THE ISSUES OF THE DAY.
I ALSO SEE MANY WHO I'VE MET OVER THE YEARS SUPPORTING OUR COMMON GOALS, ALLOWING ME TO HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO BE NORMAL.
I SEE MY MAPLEWOOD CONTINGENCY IN THE AUDIENCE, MAYOR VIC DELUCA, VICE MAYOR, OR, UH, KATHY LEVENTHAL, DEBBIE DAVIS FORD, WHO'S NOW SUPPORTING ME IN MAPLEWOOD.
BUT LIKE I SAID, I COULDN'T BE STANDING HERE TODAY IF IT WASN'T FOR THEM, BECAUSE I WORKED ON THEIR CAMPAIGNS AND I LISTENED.
I LEARNED, AND NOW I'M LEADING.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE, MAKING AN IMPACT ON OUR LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL COMMITTEES.
WE HAVE GROWN WITH EXPERIENCE AND WORK TIMELESSLY TO BE HEARD STANDING UP FOR THOSE WHO COULD NOT STAND UP FOR THEMSELVES.
DIFFERENT VIEWS, COLLABORATION AND EXPERIENCE WAS OUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS.
I DO, UM, REPRESENT MAPLEWOOD, SOUTH ORANGE, IRVINGTON HILLSIDE, WEST AND SOUTH WARD OF NEWARK, AND LEARNED RECENTLY.
THERE'S A LITTLE SLIVER OF CENTRAL.
SO WHERE'S MY CENTRAL PEOPLE? THERE WE GO.
SO, I, I A LITTLE LY CENTRALLY THERE, AS YOU SAID, AS HE MENTIONED BEFORE, MY SON IS A NEWARK POLICE OFFICER IN THE WEST WARD.
UM, MY DAUGHTER IS A NURSE AND SHE'S A HOME CARE NURSE.
SO EVERY DAY I HAVE TO TALK THEM DOWN, OR EVERY DAY THEY REMIND ME OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE STREETS.
WE'VE COME A LONG WAY, BUT WE'RE NOT TIRED YET.
SO TO MY NURSES AND POLICE OFFICERS OUT THERE, YOU'VE GOT A LOT TO DO.
I'M THE RIGHT CANDIDATE FOR THIS POSITION.
THIS IS WHAT I WOULD DO, WHETHER ANYBODY PAID ME OR NOT.
MY VOLUNTEERISM IS REALLY WHO I AM.
AND I THINK THAT I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND MAKE AN IMPACT.
SO I'M ASKING YOU TONIGHT FOR MY VOTE.
I'M ASKING YOU TO GO OUT TO YOUR COMMUNITY AND TELL THEM THAT YOU MET ME TONIGHT AND THAT I STILL WANNA GET THE WORK DONE.
SO I'LL BE HAVING A SIGNATURE SHEET IN THE BACK
AND LET ME TELL YOU, MY FIRST YEAR AS AN ASSEMBLYWOMAN, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
IT WAS THE BEST PART OF MY LIFE.
TOMORROW YOU MENTIONED GIRL SCOUTS.
GUESS WHAT? TOMORROW I AM HONORING A, THE CEOA BLACK WOMAN TO THE GIRL SCOUTS.
[00:25:02]
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S COME FULL CIRCLE.SO WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M SAYING TO YOU IS THAT EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE FUTURE.
I HAVE CHILDREN, YOU HAVE CHILDREN, WE HAVE GRANDCHILDREN.
RIGHT NOW, I AM CALLING TO ACTION.
WE'VE GOT, WE HAD A CONVERSATION IN THE BACK BEFORE I CAME.
NOW, YOU KNOW HOW I USED TO SAY IT FOREVER.
SO I WANT EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM.
THIS IS RECOGNITION NIGHT, BUT IT'S REALLY A CALL TO ACTION.
PLEASE JOIN ME, REACH OUT TO CONGRESSMEN, REACH OUT TO YOUR COMMISSIONERS, REACH OUT.
BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS TOGETHER WE CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING.
SO, THANK YOU FOR THIS HONOR TONIGHT, AND I TOTALLY APPRECIATE IT.
BEFORE I CALL UP OUR SECOND HONOREE, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE ROSALYN SMITH FROM SENATOR TIMBERLAKE'S OFFICE.
ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE JIMMY SMALLS, FORMER COUNCILMAN FROM EAST ORANGE.
OUR NEXT HONOREE, I HAVE THE PLEASURE AND HONOR OF CALLING UP IS MY FRIEND, THE SHERIFF AMIR JONES.
YES, I KNOW HE DOESN'T, BUT HE HAS TO STAND HERE TONIGHT SO WE COULD TALK ABOUT HIM.
AMIR JONES IS RESPONSIBLE FOR LEADING AND OPERATING NEW JERSEY'S LARGEST AND MOST ACTIVE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
HE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR SERVING 850,000 RESIDENTS HERE IN ESSEX COUNTY AS A SEASONED POLICE EXECUTIVE.
SHERIFF JONES BEGAN HIS LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN 2012, AND WAS ELECTED AS SHERIFF IN NOVEMBER, 2024.
WITH OVER A DECADE OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN INVESTIGATIONS, GOVERNMENT AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, HIS LEADERSHIP WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR REDUCING CRIME BY 40%.
WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING NEARLY 500 GUNS AND ASSAULT, ASSAULT RIFLES OFF THE STREET AND BRINGING IN OVER $5 MILLION IN ILLEGAL DRUGS.
AFTER SERVING IN ALMOST EVERY SINGLE UNIT AT THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, HE WAS PROMOTED TO UNDERSHERIFF IN 2016.
IN THAT ROLE, HE LET DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF THE FIELD, INCLUDING THE PATROL DIVISION AND MANY OTHER DIVISIONS WITHIN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING THE BUREAU OF NARCOTICS.
HE ALSO LED THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION UNIT, THE TACTICAL RESPONSE TEAM, AND SERVED AS THE DEPUTY OVERSEEING EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
SHERIFF JONES HAS COMPILED A DISTINGUISHED LIST OF WORK SERVING AS THE UNDERSHERIFF, INCLUDING SERVING ON THE BOARD FOR THE ESSEX COUNTY CHIEFS OF POLICE ASSOCIATION AND THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF BLACK LAW ENFORCEMENT EXECUTIVES.
THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, HE HAS DEMONSTRATED A STRONG COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY DRIVEN PROBLEM SOLVING INTELLIGENCE TO BRING DOWN CRIME WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES.
HE RECENTLY WAS THE RECIPIENT OF THE MEDAL OF MERIT AND EXCELLENCE IN POLICE DUTY AWARDS.
A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF ESSEX COUNTY SHERIFF JONES RESIDES IN EAST ORANGE WOO WOO
AND I AM SO HONORED TO RECOGNIZE YOU AND RECOMMEND YOU FOR THIS JOB BECAUSE YOUR POSITION HAS CHANGED SO MUCH.
IT'S GIVEN SO MUCH HOPE TO LITTLE BOYS AND LITTLE GIRLS ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY AND ACROSS OUR STATE TONIGHT.
MY SON CAME WITH ME, NOT BECAUSE HE WANTED TO HANG OUT WITH ME.
HE CAME BECAUSE HE WANTED TO MEET SHERIFF AMIR JONES.
SO, SHERIFF JONES, THANK YOU, HAMMI.
UH, YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT HAMMI JUST MENTIONED, THEY'RE ALL NICE, BUT I, I COULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT WITHOUT THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE ESSEX COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
SO PLEASE GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
[00:30:01]
THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR HONORING ME.UM, AS YOU KNOW, YOU HEARD, I DON'T LIKE HEARING ABOUT MYSELF
I DON'T LIKE TALKING ABOUT MYSELF.
BUT, UH, IT IS, I'M GRATEFUL TO STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY, UH, DURING, UH, THIS BLACK HISTORY MONTH PROGRAM.
UH, TIME TO REFLECT ON THE MANY WINS AND LOSSES OF OUR PEOPLE.
AND THIS IS PROBABLY THE, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE 10TH BLACK HISTORY PROGRAM.
BUT, UM, SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE FOUGHT AND DIED FOR ME TO STAND ON THIS STAGE TODAY.
SO I TOLD MY FAMILY, YOU KNOW, IF I'M INVITED TO A HUNDRED THIS MONTH, I'M GONNA GO TO EVERY, EVERY SINGLE LAST ONE OF THEM.
UM, WHILE I, WHILE I SERVE IN THIS POSITION, I WILL NEVER FORGET THE MANY SACRIFICES IT TOOK FOR ME TO BE HERE TODAY.
UH, BUT LET ME BE CLEAR, THIS JOURNEY IS NOT ABOUT ME.
IT'S ABOUT EVERY YOUNG BLACK BOY LIKE ETHAN, WHO HAS BEEN TOLD THAT HIS DREAMS ARE OUTTA REACH.
EVERY MAN WHO HAS BEEN FELT, HAS FELT INVISIBLE BY HIS SOCIETY, WHO OFTEN IGNORES HIS WORTH.
AND EVERY FAMILY THAT HAS PERSEVERED DESPITE THE ODDS STACKED AGAINST HIM.
WHEN I THINK ABOUT BLACK HISTORY, I THINK ABOUT MY GRANDMOTHER, BOTH OF THEM.
ONE HERE IN NEW JERSEY AND ONE IN NORTH CAROLINA.
AND MY GRANDFATHER'S, HIS, HIS BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS.
BLACK PEOPLE, WE ALL COME FROM GENERATIONS OF STRONG PEOPLE.
YOU ARE NOT DEFINED BY YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES.
YOU'RE NOT LIMITED BY WHAT YOUR SOCIETY SAYS ABOUT YOU.
IT'S IN YOUR DNA WHEN YOU WALK INTO THESE ROOMS THAT FOLKS HAVE MAY HAVE, YOU KNOW, MADE YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE TOO BIG TO BE IN.
HERE'S THE SECRET THAT I TAKE WITH ME.
TAKE YOUR ANCESTORS IN THE ROOM WITH YOU.
THAT'S THE STRENGTH AND THE COURAGE WE PULL FROM THEY DREAMED OF DAYS LIKE THIS DAYS WHERE WE COULD STAND BOLDLY IN ROOMS THAT ONCE EXCLUDED US.
WE'RE IN TITLES THAT WE CAN ONLY IMAGINE.
AND NOW THAT I SHARE THIS RESPONSIBILITY OF HONORING THEM BY CONTINUING THIS FIGHT FOR PROGRESS AND EQUALITY.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE OFTEN ASK ME, WHY DID YOU RUN FOR SHERIFF? I TELL YOU WHY.
TRAYVON MARTIN, TAMIR RICE, MICHAEL BROWN, ERIC GARDNER, FREDDIE GRAY, AND GEORGE FLOYD, THEY'VE ALL KEPT ME AWAKE AT NIGHT AS A BLACK MAN RAISING TWO BLACK BOYS.
THERE ARE MORE THAN JUST NAMES.
THERE ARE LIVES THAT WERE CUT SHORT, FAMILIES CHANGE FOREVER, AND COMMUNITIES LEFT GRIEVING.
WHILE I CANNOT CHANGE WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST, I CARRY THESE STORIES WITH ME EVERY SINGLE DAY AS A REMINDER OF A RESPONSIBILITY THAT I HAVE NOW AS A LEADER OF LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THIS COUNTY.
I PROMISE YOU THIS, I WILL DO MY PART.
THIS IS MY COMMITMENT AND THIS IS MY CHARGE.
GONNA WIPE THE SWEAT OFF MY FACE.
LET'S GIVE ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO SHERIFF JONES, WHOSE WORDS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW AND ECHOED IN MY HEART, CONSIDERING ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, ESPECIALLY WITH SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT'S HAPPENING OUT OF WASHINGTON, DC.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LEADER, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT DON'T WANT US TO CELEBRATE THE WAY THAT WE ARE TODAY.
THEY DON'T WANT US TO CELEBRATE ONE ANOTHER.
BUT THE ONE THING I'VE COME TO LEARN IS THE DEVIL IS CHAOS.
SO WE NEED TO GO FORWARD AND BE GATHERED TOGETHER ON ONE ACCORD SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT AND MOVE FORWARD.
AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO INVITE THE OUR WAY GROUP.
RIGHT BACK UP FOR ANOTHER PERFORMANCE.
AS THEY'RE COMING UP, LET ME GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THEM.
THEY ARE A COLLECTION, A NETWORK OF ARTISTS THAT COME TOGETHER TO PURSUE, PRESENT AND HIGHLIGHT THE BLACK AND BROWN EXPERIENCE THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS, AND PUBLIC PERFORMANCES THAT CREATE A SPACE FOR ARTISTS AND VIEWERS TO ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE WHILE PRESSING SOCIAL ISSUES THAT IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU GO TO THEIR WEBSITE, CHECK OUT THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA, AND ENJOY THEIR NEXT PERFORMANCE.
[00:35:36]
WHAT WOULD I DO IF I COULD AND NO ONE THAT WHAT I FEEL IS REAL? I COULD CRY.I COULD SMILE, I MIGHT LAY BACK FOR WHILE.
TELL ME WHAT, WHAT WOULD I DO IF I COULD FEEL I, IF I COULD REACH INSIDE ME AND KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO SAY I LIKE WHAT I SEE, I'D BE GLAD, GLAD TO SHARE THAT I'M INSIDE, INSIDE AND THE SONGS MY HEARTING YOU GLAD TO RING? AND IF THE CAME AND OF THE TELL ME, WHAT, WHAT WOULD I DO IF I, I, I, IF I, WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR OUR NEXT COMMISSIONER TO COME UP, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO MAKE SURE I HIGHLIGHT THAT.
AMIR, YOU ARE GOING TO BE HONORED A WHOLE LOT MORE, A WHOLE LOT MORE WHEN YOU ARE THE FIRST BLACK ELECTED SHERIFF IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, BABY, YOU GOING TO BE HONORED A WHOLE LOT MORE.
AND IF YOU NEED SOME COMPANY TO HELP DRIVE YOU SOMEWHERE, CALL ANY NINE OF US.
WE'LL HAPPILY GO WITH YOU TO SALUTE YOU, TO CELEBRATE YOU, TO PRAISE YOU.
GOD BLESS YOU AND GET USED TO IT.
ANYBODY BUT LENNY, YOU HEAR THAT? ANYBODY BUT LENNY? THANK YOU COMMISSIONER COOPER.
I WAS GONNA SAY CALL EIGHT OF US.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT COMM COMMISSIONER LUCIANO.
I'M NOT GONNA, I CAN'T CO-SIGN ON THAT, BUT ESPECIALLY NOT DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH.
UH, SO, UH, FIRST OF ALL, GOOD EVENING.
UM, UH, MY NAME IS, UH, BRENDAN GILL.
I HAVE THE HONOR AND DISTINCT PLEASURE OF SERVE AS ONE OF OUR BOARD OF, UH, NOW COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE HONOREES, UH, TONIGHT.
IT'S HONOR AND PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU.
UH, OF COURSE, I ALWAYS LOVE A LITTLE BIT OF THE EXTRA MONTCLAIR.
[00:40:01]
I KNOW YOU'RE CLAIMING MAPLEWOOD NOW, BUT WE KNOW REALLY WHERE YOUR HEART IS.ASSEMBLY WOMAN,
DEPUTY MAYOR AND COUNCILMAN, YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN WE KNOW, UM, AND, UH, TO OUR, UM, SHERIFF IN, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, YOUR WORDS ARE HEARD AND, UM, WERE OF COURSE SIGNIFICANT, BUT THEY'RE MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN EVER.
AND I WISH, UM, I WILL NOT SAY HIS NAME, BUT I WISH, UH, OUR CURRENT, UH, LEADER OF OUR COUNTRY, UH, COULD COME IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THIS IS AMERICA.
BUT, UM, WE, UM, ARE HONORED AND, UH, SO EXCITED ABOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP.
UH, PROUD TO CALL YOU A FRIEND.
A SECOND THING THAT I SHOULD BE SAID THAT ISN'T SAID OFTEN ENOUGH IS THAT, UM, YOU WERE MORE THAN QUALIFIED FOR THIS, UM, POSITION AND WOULD NOT BE THE FIRST PERSON IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY.
UH, WHO HAD A DAD WHO HAD DISTINGUISHED IN HIMSELF AND HELPED HIS SON IN HIS OWN CAREER.
AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT
AND WE SHOULD NOT SHY AWAY FROM THAT.
AND IN FACT, I CAN REMEMBER ANOTHER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
SO, UM, THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL EVENT, THIS IS A GOVERNMENT EVENT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF YOUR FAMILY'S, UH, HISTORY WITHIN THIS COUNTY, WITHIN THIS STATE.
AND WE SHOULD NEVER, UH, BE AFRAID TO SAY WHAT THAT IS.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU, UH, TO OUR, TO OUR SHERIFF.
UM, I HAVE THE DISTINCT HONOR AND PLEASURE.
AND, AND FIRST OF ALL, COMMISSIONER, OUR PRESIDENT RIS, UM, WHO I THINK, DID HE ALREADY STEPPED OUT? DID HE STEPPED OUT FOR A MINUTE? I JUST WANT TO THANK, UM, OUR VICE PRESIDENT, COMMISSIONER COOPER, OUR PRESIDENT RIS, UH, FOR ALLOWING US TO CONTINUE, UH, UNDER THEIR LEADERSHIP THIS TRADITION.
AND IT IS HOT
UH, BUT TO CONTINUE THIS TRADITION BECAUSE WE ARE RIGHT NOW AT A TIME, UH, WHERE, UH, THE CALENDAR ON MY PHONE REMOVED, UH, THE, UM, FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, LITERALLY REMOVED IT WHERE IT'S USED TO SAY BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
SO WE SHOULD NOT TAKE FOR GRANTED, IN MY OPINION, THE ABILITY TO BE HERE TONIGHT AND DO THIS EVENT, SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NOT EVEN BE QUESTIONED, UM, IS CURRENTLY BEING QUESTIONED.
WHEN WE JOINED HERE LAST YEAR, AT THIS TIME, THE QUESTION WAS OVER WHY THE BLACK NATIONAL ANTHEM SUNG AT THE SUPER BOWL IN 2023.
WE HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO SOMEONE WHY THAT WAS IMPORTANT.
SO THIS TYPE OF EVENT TO ME IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
THAT'S WHY WE ARE CALLED TO SERVE.
THAT'S WHY WE CONTINUE IN THIS STRUGGLE.
SO, UM, IT IS NOW MY PLEASURE, UH, TO BRING UP OUR THIRD HONOREE TONIGHT.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING TO THE PODIUM DIANE ENGLIN.
SO, SO ALLOW ME TO SHARE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS, UM, ABOUT DIANE FROM THE COMMENDATION.
DIANE ENGLIN IS A PROUD THIRD GENERATION, MONTCLAIR NATIVE WITH DEEP ROOTS AND HER THAT'S RIGHT.
COULD I GET A LITTLE PAUSE ON THAT? THIRD GEN, THIRD GENERATION MONTCLAIR NATIVE.
A GRADUATE OF MONTCLAIR HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, SHE WAS A SPIRITED CHEERLEADER WHO MET AND LATER MARRIED HER HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART WHO WAS HERE TONIGHT.
KYLE LIN KYLE, TAKE A BOW TOGETHER.
THEY HAVE TWO WONDERFUL SONS, DALLAS AND DENVER, ALONG WITH THEIR BELOVED FURRY COMPANION DIESEL
DIANE AND HER FAMILY RESIDE IN HER CHILDHOOD HOME WHERE THEY CONTINUE TO SHARE THEIR CHERISHED MALTI SPIRIT WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
BUT MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT, DIANE EARNED HER BS IN PSYCHOLOGY FROM VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY AND IS CURRENTLY PURSUING A MASTER'S DEGREE IN INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY.
HER PROFESSIONAL CAREER SPANS VARIOUS ROLES DEDICATED TO SERVICE AND ADVOCACY, INCLUDING POSITIONS AS AN ESSEX COUNTY PROBATION OFFICER, A SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELOR, SENIOR
[00:45:01]
DIRECTOR AT KIN TALK, COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS SENATOR AND VICE PRESIDENT OF REAL HOUSE, INCORPORATED IN MONTCLAIR.SHE NOW SERVES AS AN ASSISTANT TO THE CEO AT PROGRAMS FOR PARENTS INCORPORATED HERE IN NEWARK.
BEYOND HER CAREER, DIANE IS PASSIONATE ABOUT MENTORING YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH THE GOOD SUCCESS ACADEMIES PROGRAM.
SHE WORKS AS A CAREER COACH, EQUIPPING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH ENTREPRENEURIAL AND LIFE SKILLS TO HELP SHAPE THEIR FUTURES.
DIANE IS DEEPLY INVOLVED IN THE MONTCLAIR COMMUNITY.
THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
SHE IS A PRESIDENT OF THE MONTCLAIR NAAC BRANCH, A MEMBER OF THE MONTCLAIR SECTION OF THE, THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF NEGRO WOMEN, AND AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE TRINITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
SHE ADDITIONALLY, UH, SHE CONTINUES HER COMMUNITY SERVICE BY PARTICIPATING AND SERVING ON THE MONTCLAIR DEMOCRATIC COUNTY COMMITTEE.
FOR DIANE, SOCIAL JUSTICE IS MORE THAN JUST A CAUSE.
SHE REMAINS COMMITTED TO ADVOCATING FOR EQUITY OPPORTUNITY AND EMPOWERMENT FOR ALL.
SO DIANE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE WORK AND DEDICATION FOR LIFTING UP PEOPLE IN NEED AND FOR ADVANCING RACIAL JUSTICE AT THIS POINT.
UM, ADAM, WHO HELPS, UM, PUT TOGETHER SOME OF THESE THINGS FOR US, AND LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR ADAM.
UM, REMINDED OF TWO, TWO QUICK STORIES BEFORE I, UM, TURN, UH, THE MICROPHONE OVER.
UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, UM, AMIR, THIS STORY KIND OF POPPED UP AS YOU WERE, AS YOU WERE SPEAKING.
UM, I'M ALSO, I'M NOT A THIRD GENERATION, BUT I'M ALSO BORN AND RAISED IN THE COMMUNITY OF MONTCLAIR.
AND WHEN I WAS, UM, A YOUNG MAN, EIGHT OR NINE YEARS OLD, UH, EVERY SATURDAY, UH, MY DAD WAS A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER, RECENTLY RETIRED AFTER 53 YEARS.
AND EVERY SATURDAY WE DID, WE DIDN'T SEE HIM A LOT DURING THE WEEK 'CAUSE HE WAS IN THE SCHOOL AND WORKED TWO JOBS TO KEEP THINGS AFLOAT FOR US AFTER SCHOOL.
AND ON SATURDAYS, HE WOULD PAY THE MORTGAGE, UM, AT COMMUNITY SAVINGS BANK.
ON, ON PARK THERE WAS NEXT TO THE WILD PARK STREET.
IT WAS A COMMUNITY SAVINGS BANK AT THAT TIME ON PARK STREET.
AND WHEN I WAS NINE OR 10 YEARS OLD, I ASKED HIM, DAD, WHY, WHY DO WE PAY THIS MORTGAGE EVERY SATURDAY IN PERSON? AND HE PULLED ME OUTSIDE AND I'M LIKE, I WANT TO TELL YOU WHY WE PAY THIS MORTGAGE IN EVERY SATURDAY IN PERSON.
THE HOUSE THAT, UM, UH, THAT THEY, MY PARENTS STILL LIVE IN SIX RIDDEL PLACE WHERE I GREW UP, UM, WAS THE HOUSE THAT HE BOUGHT AS A YOUNG TEACHER IN MONTCLAIR IN PROBABLY 1970 OR 1971.
AND IN ORDER TO GET A MORTGAGE FOR THAT HOME, HE HAD TO GO TO 14, 14 DIFFERENT BANKS WITH A LETTER FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE MONTCLAIR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
UM, AND A JOB AS A, AS A TEACHER IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THE REASON HE HAD TO GO TO 14 DIFFERENT BANKS IN ORDER TO GET THAT MORTGAGE IS BECAUSE 13 BANKS STOLE THEM.
MR. GILL, YOU DON'T WANNA LIVE THERE BECAUSE THERE WAS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILY ON THE LEFT, AND THERE WAS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILY ON THE RIGHT.
AND THE 14TH BANK AS A, HE WAS A CHILD OF THE SIXTIES.
AND HE SAID, WE'RE GONNA GET A, WE'RE GONNA GET, WE'RE GONNA GET A MORTGAGE FROM THIS BANK.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE SAID.
AND, AND THE GENTLEMAN SAID, WELL, MR. GILL, YOU'RE GONNA REGRET IT.
AND FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS, PROBABLY, PLUS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF RATE HE GOT, BUT
AND, UM, AND, AND I, I TELL THAT STORY BECAUSE, UM, UH, THAT'S WHERE WE WERE.
BUT DIANE, BEING A THIRD GENERATION MONT RESIDENTS KNOW WHERE, KNOWS WHERE WE WERE.
BUT SHE ALSO CHALLENGED US TO SAY WHERE WE NEED TO GO.
IT'S NOT JUST ENOUGH TO SAY WHERE WE ARE IN THE MONTCLAIR COMMUNITY, THAT IT'S OKAY WITH WHERE WE ARE.
SOMETIMES
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M NOT AS, UH, ELOQUENT AS MY COMMISSIONER, WHO YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM COMMISSIONER THOMAS, BUT I'M, I'M PARA YOU KNOW, PARAPHRASE JAMES BALDWIN.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF OUR LOVE FOR THE COMMUNITY, SHE MAINTAINS THE RIGHT TO CRITICIZE IT AND CHALLENGE IT TO BE BETTER.
SO I'M HONORED, DIANE, THAT YOU'RE HERE WITH US TONIGHT.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
I'M HONORED TO CALL YOU AND YOUR FAMILY OF FRIENDS.
WE'RE SO LUCKY THAT WE'RE STILL TOGETHER
[00:50:01]
IN THIS COMMUNITY.CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU, YOUR FAMILY, AND ON AN HONOR WELL DESERVED AND WELL EARNED.
SO I DID, I NEED MY GLASSES TOO.
I DIDN'T HAVE SURGERY, BUT IT'S JUST A THING.
UM, I STOOD UP HERE AND THEN I LOOK IN THE AUDIENCE AND SEE MY FIRST BEST FRIEND, MY SISTER.
GET HER TO SIGN YOUR, UH, YES.
UM, AND THE OTHER THING I WAS TALKING ABOUT IS JUST LIKE WHAT BROUGHT ME HERE.
AND IT'S REALLY LISTENING TO, TO GOD'S PLAN FOR ME AND NOT UNDERSTANDING LIKE, WHAT'S NEXT, BUT I'M JUST BEING OBEDIENT.
AND I WISH IT WAS A GIFT OF SONG.
MY SISTER WILL TELL YOU I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A SINGER
I MEAN, OF COURSE YOU GUYS ARE GONNA TELL ME.
IT'S JUST NOT PLEASING TO HEAR ALL THE TIME.
SO I'M DEEPLY HONORED AND HUMBLED TO BE RECOGNIZED BY THE ESSEX COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MY FELLOW MOUNTY COMMISSIONER, BRENDAN GILL.
I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AND ALL THAT YOU DO FOR OUR TOWN.
UM, AS PRESIDENT OF THE MONTCLAIR NAACP, I AM COMMITTED TO CONTINUING THE WORK OF ADVOCACY, JUSTICE AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT THAT SO MANY BEFORE US HAVE PAVED THE WAY.
UM, IT'S NO SMALL TASK, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, RISING OUTTA THE SHADOWS OF MR. AL PELLUM AND ROGER TERRY.
THAT'S WHY HE'S HERE TO KEEP DOING THAT.
YES, I WANNA THANK, UH, THE MONTCLAIR NAACP BRANCH, 2 0 9 1, AND THOSE FROM THE BRANCH THAT ARE HERE TO SUPPORT ME.
I HAVE TO THANK MY HUSBAND KYLE, WHO IS SO SUPPORTIVE.
HE ATTENDS EVENTS, DRIVES ME PLACES SO I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT PARKING.
AND HE SHARES OUR TIME WITH OTHERS.
UM, I ALSO AM HAPPY FOR ESPN, HAVING AN APP, UH,
I THINK THAT MAKES THINGS, UH, NICE AS WELL.
I KNOW YOU LIKE THOSE NAMES, RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S A THING.
UM, OR MY REASON FOR, UM, YOU CAN FILL IN THE BLANK.
I WAS TELLING, UH, SHERIFF JONES THAT HE RUPTURED HIS KNEE PLAYING, UM, IN A STAFF VERSUS STUDENT BASKETBALL GAME.
BUT, UH, I THINK THEY, THEY CUT THE GAME.
IT WAS MR. MR. DALLAS IS HURT.
BUT, UM, IF YOU HEAR ABOUT WHO I AM AND OUR OFFSPRINGS FOR HIM TO HURT HIMSELF, MY HUSBAND AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT, HE'S PLAYED IN COLLEGE AND HE PLAYED OVERSEAS, NEVER GOT INJURED, BUT GOT INJURED WITH.
ONE THING THAT HE LOVES ARE THESE CHILDREN.
UM, BUT OUR SON, DENVER WOULD'VE BEEN HERE, BUT HE'S RIGHT NOW IN THE WARMUP LINES ABOUT TO PLAY MEMPHIS ON ESPN, UH, PLUS AT EIGHT O'CLOCK.
SO WE, I MAY MISS THE RECEPTION.
I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT RIGHT NOW.
UH, I CARRY A GREAT LEGACY IN MY HEART.
UM, COMING TO MONTCLAIR, BEING A THIRD GENERATION.
SO EDNA LEWIS IS MY GRANDMOTHER, AND SHE CAME FROM, UH, CHARLOTTE COURTHOUSE, VIRGINIA TO MONTCLAIR.
MY DAD, CHARLES TYREE FROM EAST ORANGE, AND THAT WAS, UH, EAST ORANGE MONTCLAIR THING.
YOU KNOW, MY DAD WAS FROM EAST ORANGE.
MY MOM'S FROM MONTCLAIR, NOT TO DIVERT TOO MUCH, BUT MY BROTHER PLAYED FOOTBALL FOR MONTCLAIR HIGH SCHOOL.
BUT WHEN WE PLAYED EAST ORANGE, MY DAD WOULD RIGHT? THEY JUST STAND AT THE MIDDLE OF THE FENCE BECAUSE IT, IT'S A THING AND PEOPLE THAT KNOW IT UNDERSTAND, LIKE YOU, MY MOM IS MONTCLAIR MONTCLAIR, BUT MY DAD WAS LIKE, I'M NOT REALLY GONNA GO ON THE EAST STAR SIDE, BUT I'M GONNA JUST STAY IN THE MIDDLE.
UM, BUT MY MOTHER, MYRNA LEWIS TYREE, WENT FROM BEING THE TOWN SWITCHBOARD OPERATOR TO BEING THE FIRST AFRICAN AFRICAN-AMERICAN FEMALE BUILDING INSPECTOR IN MONTCLAIR.
UH, SHE'S MOST FAMOUS FOR PUTTING A RED STICKER ON YOUR HOUSE AND, YOU KNOW, STOPPING THAT.
UM, MY MOTHER'S BROTHER, MY UNCLE AUBREY LEWIS, THAT MANY OF YOU ALL KNOW, UM, ABSOLUTELY YES.
UH, WAS THE FIRST IN THE FIRST CLASS OF AMERICANS TO JOIN THE FBI.
[00:55:01]
DERA, I'M TELLING YOU, IT'S JUST AMAZING THAT SHE'S HERE.IS THAT EVERY BLACK HISTORY MONTH, UH, MY SISTER SENDS A PICTURE OF MY UNCLE LORE AS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF WOOLWORTHS WHEN HE WENT BACK TO, UM, WOOLWORTHS IN NORTH CAROLINA AND BROUGHT THE, UH, FREEDOM FIGHTERS WHO SAT THERE, THE FOUR MEN AND SERVED THEM.
BUT HE SERVED THEM AS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF WOOLWORTHS.
AND IT, UH, DEJA SENDS US THIS PICTURE ALL THE TIME JUST TO REMIND US.
SO SOMETIMES WHEN I FIND BRENDAN THAT IT'S A BLACK HISTORY EVENT, HISTORY SEEMS SO FAR AWAY, BUT FOR US, IT'S NOT THAT FAR AWAY.
UH, MY MOTHER, WE TALK ABOUT ME BEING A CHEERLEADER AT MONTCLAIR HIGH SCHOOL, AND MY MOM WAS A CHEERLEADER.
YOU CAN ONLY HAVE ONE AFRICAN AMERICAN.
AND MY MOM, I MEAN, SHOUT OUT TO MYRNA, SHE WAS THAT ONE CHEERLEADER.
SO HER FRIENDS WANTED TO BECOME CHEERLEADERS.
SO MY MOTHER BECAME THE ONE TWIRLER WHO COULD BE ON THE SQUAD.
UM, WHICH AGAIN, SHOWS GREATNESS.
'CAUSE ONCE WE GET INVOLVED, WE TAKE THAT SPOT.
UM, AND, AND I AM SO HAPPY FOR THAT.
UM, I ALSO WANNA TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE NUGGETS THAT ARE JUST PLANTED IN ME.
AND, UM, MY MOTHER-IN-LAW, LINDA BROWN IS HERE AND PEOPLE SAY, IS THAT YOUR MOTHER? WE'VE BEEN TIGHT SINCE HELLO.
AND I JUST LOVE MY MOTHER-IN-LAW, BUT SHE'S MARRIED TO THE LATE ROOSEVELT BROWN.
ROSIE BROWN, YOU CALL HIM FROM THE NEW YORK GIANTS.
AND ROSIE WOULD TALK TO US ABOUT, IT WAS FUNNY WHEN HE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, PEOPLE, LIKE, HE'S A GREAT FOOTBALL PLAYER, BUT HE WAS IN THE BAND TOO.
SO HE WOULD PLAY FOOTBALL, HALFTIME, GO IN THERE AND PUT HIS BAND UNIFORM ON, GO OUT THERE AND PLAY IN THE BAND, AND THEN GO BACK AND PLAY FOOTBALL.
UH, HE ENDED UP GOING TO MORGAN STATE AND, UH, HE'S IN THE HALL OF FAME.
UH, AND HE PASSED AWAY FROM US IN 2004.
BUT HE WAS ABLE TO POUR THOSE NUGGETS INTO OUR CHILDREN AS WELL.
BUT NOW WE CELEBRATE HIS LIFE.
UH, HE'S BEEN IN THE CIRCLE OF HONOR GIANT STADIUM, AND JUST RECENTLY HE WAS NAMED, UM, THE ALL FOREVER TEAM AS NUMBER TWO, RIGHT BEHIND LAWRENCE TAYLOR.
SO YOU CAN GIVE THAT A SHOUT OUT BECAUSE MY FATHER-IN-LAW, UH HA HAS, HAS MADE THAT HAPPEN FOR US AS WELL.
UH, BUT I WANNA THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HONORING US.
ME, I SAY US BECAUSE I DO REPRESENT, UM, FOLKS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DIANE ENGLIN PROGRAMS FOR PARENTS.
ONE OF MY COWORKERS, APRIL IS HERE.
AND I THINK THAT WHEN YOU LISTEN TO GOD'S PLAN, YOU END UP IN PLACES TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE.
SO PROGRAMS FOR PARENTS, SERVICES, THOSE SAME NUMBERS THAT YOU HAVE, AMIR, THAT ARE, UM, IN ESSEX COUNTY TO PROVIDE SUBSIDY FOR CHILDCARE.
SO AS YOU HEAR MY VOICE AND WE THINK ABOUT THE CHILDREN, UM, THINK ABOUT PROGRAMS FOR PARENTS AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT THOSE.
BECAUSE WITHOUT THESE GOVERNMENT, THE GOVERNMENT'S HELP, WHO'S GONNA WATCH OUR CHILDREN? WHO'S GONNA SUPPORT THOSE THAT HAVE FAMILY CHILDCARE CENTERS? UM, AND IF YOU TAKE AWAY SNAP BENEFITS, MEDICAID, I MEAN, I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT MY MOTHER-IN-LAW OUT THERE, BUT WHEN YOU RETIRE, IT'S NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY TALKING ABOUT, OH, THOSE PEOPLE ON WELFARE.
SO THE NAACP HAS A TRUE MISSION.
WE ARE THE OLDEST CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION.
UM, AND WE ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN DO TO KEEP CIVIL RIGHTS IN THE FOREFRONT.
AND IN MONTCLAIR, JUST LIKE DIANE, WE WERE TALKING, IT'S ABOUT PARTNERING.
WE HAVE TO COME TOGETHER AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER.
SO WHATEVER WE'RE ABOUT TO DO, LET'S TALK ABOUT IT AND LET'S BE ABOUT IT.
AND YOU ARE WELCOME IN MONTCLAIR, ANYTIME.
AND I CANNOT LEAVE HERE WITHOUT ASKING YOU TO JOIN THE NAACP.
I WOULD LOVE IF YOU LIVE IN MONTCLAIR TO JOIN OUR BRANCH.
BUT WHEREVER YOU ARE, JOIN THAT BRANCH IN YOUR AREA.
YOU BECOME A PART OF THE NATIONAL MOVEMENT.
WE, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT THE NAACP AWARDS THE OTHER NIGHT, WE ARE HONORING OURS.
WE'RE TAKING CARE OF OURS, AND WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN, BRENDAN, THANK YOU FOR THIS NOMINATION.
[01:00:18]
THANK YOU.DO Y'ALL FEEL THE ENERGY IN HERE? YES.
TURN TO A NEIGHBOR, SAY, I'M SITTING NEXT TO GREATNESS.
I'M SITTING NEXT TO GREATNESS.
TURN TO THE OTHER NEIGHBOR AND SAY, YOU ARE SITTING NEXT TO GREATNESS.
NOW, I WANT YOU TO SAY TO SOMEBODY ELSE, THIS GREATNESS WAS NOT BY ACCIDENT, NOT BY, COME ON.
GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR YOURSELVES BECAUSE THE ANCESTORS, THE SPIRIT OF OUR MOTHERS, OUR FATHERS, OUR GRANDPARENTS, ARE IN THE BUILDING, UM, TO DIANE, TO SHERIFF JONES, TO ASSEMBLYWOMAN GARNET, TO ANOTHER FABULOUS DIANE WHO'LL BRING UP IN JUST A MOMENT TO ALL THE HONOREES AND TO THE ENTIRE VILLAGE WHO IS HERE TO SUPPORT THEM.
WE ARE SO HONORED TO CELEBRATE YOU TODAY.
UH, BROTHER AMIR, UH, YOUR WORDS LIKE REALLY SHOOK ME.
AND, AND ACTUALLY FRANKLY, EVERYONE'S DID FROM YOURS ABOUT THE ANCESTORS AND YOUR PARENTS AND HOW THEY ANCHORED YOU IN MONTCLAIR TO YOURS AND YOUR PARENTS AND, AND GIL TO YOUR FATHER.
AND YOU HAD ME THINK A LOT ABOUT SOME OF THE WOMEN WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR THIS LITTLE BLACK GIRL BORN IN THE NUMBER BLOCKS TO BE STANDING BEFORE YOU.
TODAY, I THINK OF MOTHER MILDRED CRUMP, THE LATE MILDRED CRUMP, WHO HAS MENTORED AND POURED INTO EVERY BLACK WOMAN, BROWN WOMAN, WOMAN, PERSON OF COLOR, PERSON WHO WAS UNDERESTIMATED, OFTEN DUPLICATED TO BE IN THIS ROLE.
WE THINK OF THE SHEILA OLIVERS, THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, SHEILA OLIVER.
AND WHO HAS POURED INTO ME AND SO MANY OF US.
AND I, I THINK OF HER LAST WORDS TO ME.
I WAS ACTUALLY AT ANOTHER EVENT THAT SHE WAS GETTING HONORED AT.
'CAUSE WE GIVE PEOPLE THEIR FLOWERS WHILE THEY CAN SMELL THEM.
AND SHE SAID, WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU.
AND AS I THINK OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY, AS WE CELEBRATE THESE FOLKS WHO ARE DOING AMAZING THINGS, I WANT YOU TO BE REMINDED OF THE STORIES THAT WE'RE TOLD ABOUT THE WE.
THAT EVERY SINGLE ME IN HERE STANDS ON.
EVERY PRAYING PARENT, EVERY PRAYING GRANDPARENT, EVERY TEACHER, EVERY MENTOR.
WE STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS.
I SEE, UH, NONE OTHER THAN THE HONORABLE, THE LEGEND, THE TRAILBLAZER.
MR. LARRY HAM, WHO IS ANOTHER GIANT, THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS PUTTING THE PEOPLE FIRST.
I SEE MR. IAN, WHO IS HERE OF THE MAPLEWOOD DIMS, I GET TO SEE YOU, MY BROTHER.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND SERVICE.
AND OF COURSE OUR BOARD CLERK, UH, MEREDITH, MISS DEBRA, WHO WAS SO KIND TO ME AS I JOINED THE BOARD LAST YEAR.
SO GOOD TO HAVE YOU WITH US TODAY AND TO CELEBRATE YOU AND TO ALL THE ESTEEMED GUESTS.
AS I BRING UP THIS NEXT GUEST, I WANNA LIFT UP A VERSE THAT IS, UH, FAIRLY COMMON IN MY FAITH TRADITION OF MATTHEW NINE, VERSE 37, WHICH SAYS THAT THE HARVEST IS PLENTIFUL, BUT THE LABORERS ARE FEW.
MISS DIANE COLSON IS A LABORER IN THE VINEYARD.
SO GIVE HER A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
CONTINUE AS SHE MAKES HER WAY UP HERE FROM THE PEOPLE'S ORGANIZATION FOR PROGRESS.
TO THE NAACP TO BETHANY BAPTIST CHURCH.
I SEE ANY OTHER BETHANY FOLKS IN HERE? ALL RIGHT.
HOW YOU DOING? WE ARE SO HONORED TO CELEBRATE YOU ON TODAY.
MS. COLSON WAS BORN IN NEWARK TO CLARA SAUNDERS, COLSON, AND ROSCOE B COLSON AND RAISED BETWEEN HER PARENTS' HOME IN EAST STARCH AND HER MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS' HOME HERE IN NEWARK AND IN BETHANY BAPTIST CHURCH AT BETHANY.
SHE'S BEEN A MEMBER OF THE NEW VOICES CHOIR, THE BOWLING LEAD SUNDAY SCHOOL, AND SHE'S A MEMBER OF THE BLACK HISTORY, UH, COMMITTEE.
MS. HESTER IS HERE FROM THE BLACK HISTORY COMMITTEE AND SERVES AS THE CHURCH CLERK.
MS. DIANE ATTENDED WASHINGTON ELEMENT, WASHINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, VERNON L DAVY JUNIOR
[01:05:01]
HIGH AND GRADUATED FROM EAST ORANGE HIGH SCHOOL.I'M FROM NEWARK, BUT SHOUT OUT TO Y'ALL TOO THOUGH.
SHE WAS RECRUITED BY DIRECTOR MEL THOMPSON TO BE ONE OF 40 STUDENTS IN THE THIRD COHORT OF THE ENGINEERING OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM AT THE NEWARK COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, NOW KNOWN AS NEW JERSEY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, NJIT.
HISTORY AND HERSTORY IN THE FLESH.
WHAT I LOVE SO MUCH ABOUT MS. COLSON THROUGHOUT HER CAREER, AND FRANKLY JUST HOW I GOT TO KNOW YOU OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, WAS HOW SHE'S ALWAYS SO COMMITTED TO INVESTING IN THE PREPARATION FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.
BECAUSE SOMEONE INVESTED IN HER AND SHE'S INVESTING IN OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE AT NCE, SHE BECAME ACTIVE IN THE BLACK ASSOCIATION FOR STUDENT ENGINEERS AND SHE GRADUATED WITH A BS IN CIVIL ENGINEERING.
AND DECADES LATER, SHE RETURNED TO THE NOW NJIT TO PARTICIPATE IN A PILOT PROGRAM WITH THREE OTHER MEDICAL SCHOOLS GRADUATING WITH A MASTER'S DEGREE IN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ENGINEERING AND INVESTING IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF OUR BLACK ENGINEERS AND GRADUATES.
HER FIRST GOVERNMENT JOB WAS IN THE EAST ORANGE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
SHE DID A HOST OF OTHER THINGS WITHIN LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
SHE'S THE CO-FOUNDER OF THE BLACK ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AND ITS SCHOLARS PROGRAM.
SHE'S A CURRENT MEMBER OF THE PEOPLE'S ORGANIZATION FOR PROGRESS.
IT'S EDUCATIONAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD.
AND A FORMER MEMBER OF THE NEW JERSEY GOSPEL MUSIC WORSHIP MASS CHOIR.
I DIDN'T OH, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
SHE HAS SERVED, OH, AND I CAN'T FORGET, SHE ACTUALLY RETIRED FROM THE WEST CALDWELL CAMPUS OF THE ESSEX COUNTY SCHOOLS OF TECHNOLOGY IN 2022.
BUT YOU WOULDN'T KNOW THAT BECAUSE EVERY TIME YOU SEE MS. COLSON, SHE'S REGISTERING YOUNG PEOPLE AND, AND EVERYDAY FOLKS TO VOTE.
SHE'S ON THE FRONT LINES OF PROTEST.
SHE'S GIVING MY BLAST SUNDAY SCHOOL KIDS CANDY WHEN THEY SHOULD BE IN THE, THE SUNDAY SCHOOLROOM AND JUST BEING OF SERVICE.
SINCE 2011, SHE HAS BEEN AN ESS COUNTY POLL WORKER AND ADVOCATES FOR VOTER AND CIVICS EDUCATION.
MS. COLSON, YOUR HARD WORK AND YOUR HARD WORK, IT'S AN HONOR TO CELEBRATE TODAY.
ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE BOARD OF ESSEX COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, WE CELEBRATE YOU AND WE GIVE YOU YOUR FLOWERS TODAY AND ALWAYS.
WELL, AS A CLEANUP SPEAKER, UM, I'LL PROBABLY REPEAT SOME OF THE SENTIMENTS THAT WE'VE, UH, HEARD EXPRESSED THIS EVENING.
UM, AND THEY HAVE BEEN MOVING.
UH, SO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY A FEW WORDS, WHICH WILL BE A BUNCH OF THANK YOUS.
UH, FIRST, I THANK THE ANCESTORS AND THE ANGELS WHO HAVE KEPT US UNTIL NOW TO BE IN THIS PLACE IN TIME IN HISTORY.
I THANK THIS LADY AIAN, COMMISSIONER ADORING MARY THOMAS FOR WHATEVER INSPIRED HER TO PLACE ME AMONG THIS GROUP OF AUGUST HONOREES.
UH, THANK YOU TO THE COMMISSIONERS, TO THE COUNTY, THE COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES, SCHOOLS, ORGANIZATIONS, HOUSEHOLDS, AND ANYBODY ELSE WHO IS RECOGNIZING AND CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY.
EVEN AS SOME OTHERS ARE TRYING TO BAN BOOKS AND ERASE PEOPLE.
UM, I CANNOT COMMENT ABOUT HISTORY WITHOUT THANKING THE HONORABLE BILL PAYNE AND CRAIG STANLEY FOR THE AMIST GOD ACT AND CONTINUING TO WORK FOR ITS FULL IMPLEMENTATION.
I THANK POP Y'ALL WANNA GIVE US LOOP FOR THEIR ACTIVISM AND INSISTENCE ON CONTINUING TO SHOW UP AND ADVOCATE FOR THE COMMUNITY, THE BELOVED COMMUNITY.
UH, PEOPLE LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHY POP OUT THERE MARCHING TO RAISE AWARENESS, UH, IN A FEW DAYS ON MARCH 1ST, THEY'LL CONTINUE,
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OR THE RESUME, UH, WHAT THEY CALL EMPOWERMENT SATURDAYS, WHICH IS THE VOTER EDUCATION INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION INITIATIVE, UH, ON BROAD MARKET EVERY SATURDAY, WEATHER PERMITTING, UH, USUALLY THREE TO 5:00 PM SO COME ON BY, UH, GET SOME FOLKS INFORMED AND REGISTERED.UM, I WAS GONNA START WITH THIS.
IS THAT RIGHT AR WAY ENSEMBLE? YES.
IT'S A POWERFUL, BEAUTIFUL RENDITION OF THE, UH, NEGRO NATIONAL ANTHEM, AND IT ALWAYS BRINGS TO MIND ANOTHER ANTHEM PEN BY, UM, NINA SIMONE.
UH, I'M NO LONGER YOUNG
FIRST OF ALL, MY ANCESTORS, THE PEOPLE OF POURED INTO ME, UM, MY BLESSED GOOD NEIGHBORS, UH, MY SPECIAL COUSIN, ANGEL, I'M GONNA CALL HER OUT.
UM, CORETTA SCOTT KING SAID, STRUGGLE IS A NEVER ENDING PROGRESS PROCESS.
UH, POP'S MOTTO IS FROM FREDERICK DOUGLAS, IF THERE IS NO STRUGGLE, THERE IS NO PROGRESS.
SO A WORD TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALWAYS PUSHED PROGRESS FORWARD AND ONCE AGAIN WILL MAKE HISTORY.
THIS APRIL, AS 16 YEAR OLDS FOR THE FIRST TIME, WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THE POWER OF THEIR VOTE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF EXERCISING THE FRANCHISE AS 16 YEAR OLDS CAN VOTE IN THE UPCOMING NEWARK SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION.
SO, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME AND GETTING TO THE REFRESHMENTS,
HISTORY IS A CLOCK THAT PEOPLE USE TO TELL THEIR POLITICAL AND CULTURAL TIME OF DAY.
PEOPLE USE TO FIND THEMSELVES ON THE MAP OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY.
HISTORY TELLS THE PEOPLE WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN, WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN, WHERE THEY ARE, AND WHAT THEY ARE.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, HISTORY TELLS PEOPLE WHERE THEY MUST STILL GO AND WHAT THEY MUST STILL BE.
MY JOY OF TODAY IS THAT WE CAN ALL BE PROUD TO SAY, TO BE YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACK IS WHERE IT'S AT.
OH, AND I, I FORGOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, I MET THIS GUY, UH, YOUR ESTEEMED, UH, DIRECTOR OF SENIOR SERVICES.
SO I SHOULD BE TALKING TO HIM MORE.
BUT I I MET HIM AS AN INCOMING FRESHMAN IN CE AND HE WAS ALREADY, UM, RAISING THAT WORD ON CAMPUS.
COME ON, ONE MORE ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR MS. COLSON, Y'ALL.
IT'S FITTING THAT YOU, UH, INCORPORATE YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACK, BECAUSE THAT'S ACTUALLY THE NAME, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, OF LORRAINE HANSBERRY'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
OF COURSE, THE AUTHOR OF A RAISIN IN THE SUN.
AND WHAT SHE WRITES ABOUT IS A STORY VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT BRENDAN TALKED ABOUT HAPPENING RIGHT IN MONTCLAIR AND HER OWN FAMILY STORY IN CHICAGO.
THE REDLINING, THE RACISM, UH, THAT STOPPED HER FAMILY, BUT DIDN'T STOP DELAYED.
BUT CERTAINLY ALL BLESSINGS ARE NOT DENIED, UM, FROM BEING ABLE TO BUILD AND SELF SUSTAIN AS A BLACK FAMILY IN CHICAGO.
WE STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS.
IT'S AN HONOR TO BRING UP, UH, FOR ONE LAST PERFORMANCE.
OR MAYBE IS IT THE LAST ONE? I NEVER WANTED TO END WHEN YOU GUYS PERFORM.
UH, CAN WE JUST, Y'ALL, THIS IS OUR WAY.
IF Y'ALL DIDN'T KNOW BEFORE NOW YOU KNOW.
AND I DON'T WANT IT TO BE LOST THAT, MARCUS, I KNOW YOU'RE IN LEADERSHIP OF THIS ORGANIZATION WITH A FEW OTHER AMAZING YOUNG BLACK, BROWN LEADERS, BUT ALL FROM NEWARK OR OTHER PARTS OF ESSEX COUNTY, EAST ORANGE, MONT CLEAR, MAPLEWOOD LIKE ESSEX COUNTY, YOUNG
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PEOPLE, RIGHT? EXEMPLIFYING GREATNESS.SO ONE MORE TIME FOR OUR WAY, WHO WILL GIVE US ANOTHER MUSICAL SELECTION.
WE ARE, UH, VERY GRATEFUL, UH, FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UH, SERVINGLY TO THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS.
JUST SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO, UH, CLERK MS. KATHY BROWN FOR THE INVITATION.
UM, AND, UH, AS WAS WAS SAID, ALL, ALL EVENING, I THINK, UH, DURING THESE TIMES, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO RIGHTSIZE OUR PRIORITIES AND FIGURE OUT, UH, THE COLLECTIVE WORK THAT WE HAVE TO DO IN OUR WAY.
UH, THE, THE WORK THAT WE DO EVERY DAY, UH, IN CHALLENGING, UH, IN CREATING, UM, AND INVESTIGATING.
WE CHOOSE TO, UH, USE ART AS OUR WEAPON OF CHOICE.
AND SO WE LEAVE YOU WITH THIS MESSAGE OF HOPE, UH, AND A REMINDER TO CONTINUE, CONTINUE TO DO THE FIGHT.
THANK YOU ALL AGAIN TO THE HONOREES.
UH, WE ARE HONORED TO BE IN THIS SPACE AND TO CONTINUE THIS FIGHT WITH YOU ALL.
LIGHT IS, THERE'S A LIGHT BURNING, BRIGHT SHOWING, BUT I KNOW A VOICE, THE PRICE.
THERE'S A STRUGGLE THAT WE HAVE THERE IN MY HEART BECAUSE I KNOW WHERE AND CHANCE THERE'S A STRUGGLE THAT
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THE, OF THE CHURCH, THE TEMPLE, THE SYNAGOGUE, EVERYTHING IS OPEN.OH MY, OH, Y'ALL KNOW, SUNDAY WAS THREE DAYS AGO.
OKAY? ALL OUR WAY ENSEMBLE, EVERYONE, WOW.
I'M STARTING TO THINK THAT MY PEOPLE DON'T REALLY LIKE ME TO HAVE ME COME OUT AFTER ALL OF THAT.
BUT I WILL SAY, IF YOU CAN'T FEEL THE SPIRIT OF THE ANCESTORS, OF YOU CAN'T FEEL THE SPIRIT OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE CARRYING THE TORCH.
OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE NOT DISCONNECTED.
AND THE POWER OF THOSE WHO'VE COME BEFORE THEM ARE LITERALLY SPEAKING AND SINGING THROUGH THEM FOR THE ROAD AHEAD.
THAT WE WILL WALK TOGETHER TO ALL OF OUR HONOREES, TO ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS, HAVE EACH MADE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU GREAT LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY, SO MUCH BETTER AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF HISTORY AND OUR PRESENT DAY, RACIAL AND SYSTEMIC INJUSTICE.
AND FRANKLY, AS IT HAS BEEN SHARED EARLIER, ACTIVE ATTACKS ON OUR LIVES.
WE JUST CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE YOU AS YOU HELP EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITIES FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS.
HEARING YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS HAS INSPIRED EACH OF US TO DO MORE AND TO BE BETTER, AND TO LOOK TO OUR NEIGHBOR AND SAY, I GOT YOU.
AND TO SOME OF THEM PEOPLE OUT THERE AS KENDRICK WOULD SAY, THEY, THEY NOT LIKE US.
SO ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, WE INVITE EVERYONE TO JOIN US IN THE BLONDIE, WATSON COLEMAN CONFERENCE ROOM TO GREET THE HONOREES, TO NETWORK, TO BUILD.
THERE'S A LOT OF POWER IN THIS ROOM.
EXCHANGE BUSINESS CARDS, INSTAGRAM'S, LINKEDINS.
'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT THAT WE CAN DO WHEN WE ARE CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER.
WE THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING AND WE'RE GRATEFUL.
BUT WE'RE JUST SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU ALL TO BE, FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING AS WE CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY, BLACK HERSTORY, AND BLACK FUTURES.
ACTUALLY, IT WILL BE MY HONOR, FIRST TO, UH, YOU KNOW, BLESS THE FOOD AND CLOSE US OUT IN A FORMAL WAY FROM NONE OTHER THAN THE ILLUSTRIOUS PASTOR PATTERSON TO RENDER A CLOSING PRAYER.
I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO MY SISTER, MY FRIEND, DEPUTY CLERK KATHY, FOR THIS INVITATION.
IT'S MY HONOR AND MY PRIVILEGE TO BE WITH YOU FOR THIS SECOND YEAR, AND IF I DON'T GET INVITED BACK NEXT YEAR TO PRAY, I'M JUST COMING TO COME TO CHURCH.
GRACIOUS GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR EVERY COMMISSIONER, EVERY PERSON WHO HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH ORGANIZING THIS EVENING'S PROGRAM.
WE THANK YOU FOR THE FOOD THAT HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR US, AND WE ASK THAT AS WE ENJOY IT.
WE WOULD FEAST ON THE CELEBRATION OF ONE ANOTHER, THAT WE WOULD TRULY LISTEN TO ONE ANOTHER, THAT TOGETHER WE CAN ACCOMPLISH MUCH, THAT NONE OF US CAN DO IT ALL ALONE, BUT IF WE EACH DO WHAT WE CAN TOGETHER, WE WILL GET IT DONE.
WE ASK ONCE AGAIN THAT YOU WOULD BLESS THESE HONOREES TO KEEP ON KEEPING ON.
REMIND THEM THAT EVERY DAY SOMEBODY IS WATCHING THEIR LIFE IS A WITNESS, AN INVITATION TO TAKE RISK WITH YOU.
HELP US NOT TO BE CAUTIONARY TALES, BUT TO BE EMPOWERERS.
HELP US TO KEEP TELLING THE STORY, TO PASS IT FROM ONE GENERATION TO ANOTHER, AND REMIND US THAT BLACK HISTORY IS AMERICAN HISTORY AND THAT WHETHER ANYBODY DESIGNATES A MONTH OR NOT, DIANE COLSON'S SHIRT IS TRUE 24 7 365.
THIS COUNTRY WOULD NOT BE WHAT IT IS WERE IT NOT FOR US MAKING IT SO,
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SO HELP US TO KEEP ON GOING FORWARD TOGETHER.REMIND US THAT GREATER ARE YOU IN US THAN ANYTHING OR ANYBODY WHO TRIES TO COME AGAINST US.
BLESS US ALL IN WHATEVER NAME WE CALL YOU.
HONOREES, PLEASE STAY IN THE ROOM FOR A GROUP PICTURE WITH THE COMMISSIONERS, EVERYONE ELSE.