FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE

ATTACK ON VOTING RIGHTS FORUM SCHEDULED FOR PLAINFIELD, NJ

“The Attack On Voting Rights And The War On Black People,” will be the subject of a panel discussion that will be held on Saturday, July 18, 2026, 12:00 noon at the Plainfield Public Library, 800 Park Avenue in Plainfield, New Jersey.

The event is sponsored by the People’s Organization For Progress (POP) a grassroots group that works for racial, social, economic justice and peace.

“The purpose of this forum is to discuss the impact of Presidential policy, U.S. Supreme Court decisions, and congressional action on voting rights. It is also to discuss the attack on Black people not only politically but also economically, socially, and culturally,” Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress stated.

“We want to give people an opportunity to have a dialogue not only on the negative impact of the racist and fascist domestic and foreign policies of the Trump administration on Black people but more importantly on strategies for fighting back,” Hamm said.

“The Trump administration is perhaps the most openly racist and certainly the most corrupt in my lifetime. His racist and fascist rhetoric and vitriolic attacks exceed that of his contemporaries,” he said.

“The reactionary policies of the White House, ultra conservative decisions of the Supreme Court, and right wing legislation of Congress and state legislatures makes it feel like there is a war on Black people in this country,” he said.

Invited speakers at the program will include Adrian Mapp, Mayor of Plainfield, Bill Davis, activist and author, Assatta Mann-Colon, New Jersey institute for Social Justice, and Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress.

The forum in Plainfield is the second of a series on this topic. The first one was held in Montclair. Others are scheduled for Newark, Maplewood, Hackensack, and East Orange. The series is expected to continue throughout this year at different cities and towns around the state.

“We decided to have this forum series after the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision in the Louisiana v. Callais case several months ago which gutted and effectively killed the 1965 Voting Rights Act,” Hamm said.

“This may be one of worst Supreme Court decisions on voting rights since the 15th Amendment, which gave black men the right to vote, was signed into law by President Grant after the Civil War in 1870,” Hamm said.

Hamm said the court’s decision enables racist state legislatures to redraw their congressional districts and eliminate those which have large black populations. This could result in the loss of as many as 19 congressional seats now held by African Americans.

Besides political retrenchment Hamm cited other areas where Black people are under attack.

“Black people continue to experience the highest rates of racist violence. Black Americans experience the highest rate of police brutality and fatal shootings by police. Black people are three times more likely to be killed by police than whites.

“Black student enrollment at colleges and universities continues to decline due to the Supreme Court decision to end affirmative action in higher education.

“Since the beginning of Trump’s second term Black unemployment has doubled with more than 600,000 Black people losing their jobs, including 350,000 Black women, due to a sagging economy, federal budget cuts, and the ending of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs,” he said.

Hamm said the racial wealth gap continues to widen between blacks and whites. White families now have six times the wealth of black families. The median net worth of white families is about $285,000 compared to $44,900 for Black families.

In terms of health outcomes life expectancy of Black Americans is shorter than that of whites. The rate of black infant mortality is double the rate for whites. Black maternal mortality is more than three times the rate for whites.

For more information please call People’s Organization for Progress at 973 801-0001.