Marc Morial Calls for Participation during Statewide Black Agenda Meeting
EDITOR’S NOTE: In the public interest, Front Runner New Jersey.com will run a series of stories that were generated from the series of noteworthy speakers at the State of the Black Agenda Forum held at St. Matthew’s Baptist Church in Williamstown on Saturday, Aug. 30. Today, our feature is on comments made by National Urban League President Marc Morial.
BY CLYDE HUGHES | AC JosepH Media
WILLIAMSTOWN – Marc Morial is one of the country’s leading civil rights figures as the president of the National Urban League and his surprise addition to the Third Statewide Meeting for the Black Agenda raised the level of excitement for attendees on Aug. 30.
Morial, the former mayor of New Orleans and the ex-president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, in turn, challenged his audience to send a message in November by participating in the upcoming gubernatorial election.
Morial was one of the high-profile speakers who addressed a strong crowd at St. Matthew’s Baptist Church during the third “Black Agenda” meeting organized by Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.
“We face the challenge of voter suppression, but we also face the challenge of voter self-suppression,” Morial told the audience on Saturday. “Now what arguments can be made and what cases can be made?
“I’m not so sure, but something is amiss if more than 50% of those who are registered to vote don’t go to the polls or file a mail-in ballot at all. See, we have to look at ourselves in the face as well and ask ourselves, why are we surrendering our power.”
A Front Runner New Jersey.com South Jersey analysis of voter turnout in the 2024 presidential election in November found that cities with high minority populations – Atlantic City, Camden, Penns Grove, Salem and others – had a voter turnout of less than 40%, despite having Kamala Harris, a Black woman, on the ballot for president.
“We can’t let one of two things we disagree with keep us from voting. The power is in our hands. Black New Jersey can send a message that we are not going to stand on the sideline, and we are going to participate,” Morial urged. “That’s our challenge in this particular cycle.”
Speaking to a crowd that was majority Democrat, Morial said the party had a lot of work to do in engaging Black voters, noting the success of Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli to pry away a double-digit portion of the coalition in 2021 to nearly upset Gov. Phil Murphy.
Ciattarelli is running again as a Republican against Democratic candidate, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill.
“In the 2021 primary, the Republican candidate for governor got 20% of the African American vote in New Jersey,” Morial said. “That election was a lot closer than suggested. In 2017, Governor Murphy got 90% of the African American vote. By the time 2021 came, he only got 75% to 80%. In 2013, which was [Former New Jersey Gov. Chris] Christie’s re-election, the African American turnout was down and low.
“The destiny of any Democratic candidate being elected in New Jersey goes right through Black New Jersey. It is important for us to know and understand that. We need to communicate to the power structure on the Democratic side the very same thing.”
Morial praised Baraka, who came in second in the Democratic gubernatorial primary in June, with organizing the Black Agenda meetings to make sure the candidates address issues that affect them.
“In New Jersey, Black people represent 16% of the population, a significant share of the Democratic coalition,” Morial said. “Black people in New Jersey have about $40 billion in spending power.
“It is important to recognize that our power and influences come from, in one hand our political influence, and on the other hand our economic influence. Our challenge is always how do we grow our political voice and how we marshal and mobilize our economic influence.”
Morial said the Democratic Party should take seriously Baraka’s efforts if it truly wants to retain the governorship in November. He said Blacks are “operating in the worst of times” with much of President Donald Trump’s attacks on diversity and government jobs affecting Blacks disproportionately.
“Without our active engagement and involvement, victory is difficult and maybe unachievable,
Morial said. “That is why we, in what Mayor Baraka and Congresswoman [Bonnie Watson] Coleman and all those elected, are doing is important in making sure we have an agenda ahead of the election, not after the election. We want to be clear about what we need and what we want.”
Morial added that South Jersey will be seeing more of the Urban League with its Philadelphia chapter recently expanding into the region.
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