AACCNJ’s John Harmon Calls for Action on Disparity Study at League of Municipalities Conference
Photo of John Harmon courtesy of African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey.
BY CLYDE HUGHES | AC JosepH Media
ATLANTIC CITY – As usually, many who are attending the annual League of Municipalities conference crowded the Brighton Ballroom at the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel for the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey’s annual Party with a Purpose on Tuesday night.
The AACCNJ’s executive director John Harmon said, however, he wanted to make his message that always accompanies the crowded gathering got through to his visitors. The chamber has just completed its Disparity Study, which showed that Blacks received less than 1% of government contracts despite voting overwhelmingly for the party in charge of government.
“There are people here you need to be having conversations with [during the conference],” Harmon told the audience.
Harmon and the chamber have been putting heat to state legislators to address the disparity issues in government contracting, accusing state officials of going on with “business as usual” while trying to ignore the issues the Disparity Report addressed.
He called on attendees Tuesday night to bring up the issues with their elected officials at the League of Municipalities Conference this week, so it is at least discussed.
In September, Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter, chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, Assemblyman Benjie E. Wimberly, speaker pro tempore, and other legislators and community leaders announced a package of legislation designed to address the findings of the New Jersey Disparity Study earlier this year.
Harmon held a news conference the same day those packages were announced saying they were not strong enough and that Black business owners deserved better.
“Having liquidated damages and potential claw back provisions add teeth and enforcement to the A-4586. Without an enforcement mechanism, the bill is aspirational and will not do anything to advance the MWBE under utilization rate in New Jersey,” Harmon said in his September statement.
Harmon repeated the call on Tuesday, urging the crowd to get behind stronger penalties for companies who do not make a strong effort to hire Blacks and other minorities for government contract jobs. He said anything less would amount to lip service.
While the League of Municipalities is marked as a time to learn and network for officials and supporters around the state, Harmon reminded his attendees it is also a time to advocate. He said the Black community deserves such attention after going to the ballot box in such numbers for those in power.
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