Issues in Newark

School Board Takeovers-Based on Race?

Every city is worried about the quality of education that is offered to their children.  School boards are elected by the community in order to oversee that the educational system in place is running smoothly and is producing excellent students. However, it is the practice of city and state governments all over the nation, including Newark New Jersey, to step in when they believe elected school board officials are not living up to their standards.

 School boards are being taken over by the government, mostly in predominantly minority (Black and Latino) school districts. 23 states, including Newark, have state laws that authorize either stripping power from the school board, or abolishing it all together. 

The communities who are being affected by government takeovers don't cite failing students or mismanagement as the basis for the government intervention, as city and state officials, but the feeling that Black and Latino communities are not competent enough to elect their own officials.

The test will come whether or not the state should have the power to overthrow elected school board members in a Supreme Court case involving the Texas government's right to do so without permission from the Federal government.

Racial Profiling-Driving While Black/Latino on the 
New Jersey Turnpike

Racial profiling is the practice of police singling out "suspected criminals" solely on the basis of race. Police will stop a motorist because they are a minority with a small traffic violation, such as speeding or driving too close to the centerline, in order to search the vehicle for illegal goods. The majority of the motorist who are getting stopped are Black and Latino, is a all too common practice on the New Jersey Turnpike, and is an issue that is plaguing Black and Latino communities.

The issue of racial profiling came to the frontline when two White state troopers pulled over five minority men, four Black and one Latino, on the Turnpike in 1998. While there were no weapons recovered in the minivan driven by the suspects, the state troopers fired 11 bullets into the van, injuring three of the men. Since that time, hundreds of minorities have come forward, claiming that they were also subjects of racial profiling, being pulled over dozens of times without even receiving a citation-or even a warning.

Figures state that between the months of May and October 2000, two of every five vehicles stopped on the Turnpike were minorities, primarily Black and Latino. Another studied concluded that minorities drove 80% of cars pulled over on the Turnpike, while only 30% of those pulled over received any kind of citation.

Because of the growing concerns of racial profiling in Black and Latino communities in Newark, and in other cities of the United States, the New Jersey Police Department agreed to produce bi-annual reports of all traffic stops made by the NJPD to the United States Justice Department. Also, the Attorney General of New Jersey, John Farmer Jr., produced a 91,000 page document concerning police record on racial profiling.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has also launched a campaign in Newark to raise the issues of racial profiling.

Childhood Violence-Stopping it Before it Starts

The Mayor of Newark is concerned with the alarming increase of rates of youth related violence.  Newark New Jersey has one of the highest percentages of under 18 populations, 35% compared to the nation's 25%. This is also the age group with the highest rates of crime, including gang and drug related incidents. The city of Newark, along with the Unified School District want to create after school programs that will encourage education and unity, and discourage early age gang violence. 

Neighborhoods targeted for the program have high populations of single family, female-run households, low income, and majority minority. Activities include arts, crafts, tutoring, and other after school activities.

The Newark city government also wants to continue parent forums that are focused on youth violence.  The forums, first introduced in 1994, was the joint creation between the Newark City Council and the Newark School Board Youth Committee.  The focus of the forum was to get parents, members of the clergy, business leaders, and members of the community involved in the re-creation of their youth to become responsible adults.

 

Created by: Shelly Hahne, Angelica Hambrick, Katie Johnas, and Steve Klimpke 

for Pols 350 Group & Minority Politics at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire 

for Professor Rodd Freitag

last updated: Tuesday November 20, 2001

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