HUDSON COUNTY LEADERS CONDEMN RACIST ATTACKS

Hudson County, NJ – Pastor Lanier of the Good News Church in Bayonne, Tina Nalls of Community Treasures in Jersey City, Pastor Mario Moody Sr. of Cotten Temple Church of God in Jersey City, Pastor McReynolds of Mount Olive Baptist Church in Jersey City, Daryn Martin of 1199J, Shirley Fields of Senior on the Move, Pastor Smith of Metropolitan AME Zion Church in Jersey City, long-serving Democratic State Committeeman Ernie Allen, Jersey City Vice-Principal Lissa Santiago, and Hoboken Housing Authority Chairwoman Barbara Reyes released the following statement condemning the racist mailer produced and paid for by the Coalition for Progress PAC that digitally darkened Jerry Walker’s skin and claimed he could be “bought” by rich, white developers.

“Utilizing decades old racist tropes to undermine Jerry Walker, or any person of color, is outrageous and absolutely unacceptable.

In a time when we are each living our lives on high alert every day in anticipation of the next assault on decency from the MAGA movement, the last thing we need is for people to employ racial stereotypes to try and scare our neighbors and even further undermine minorities in this country.  It’s our genuine hope that anyone involved with the creation and distribution of this political mailer is made to understand how harmful and potentially dangerous this is to all of our communities.

Now, more than ever, we need to make sure we are treating each other with dignity and respect. This racist mailer deserves all of our condemnation and everyone associated with it should be made to apologize to Jerry Walker and to every right thinking person impacted by its production.”