BOLD THOUGHTS

The hard sell of organizations' equity commitments: Can the same leaders right the course?

Finally awakened to the lived reality of racism and white supremacy in this country, organizational leadership everywhere is scrambling to figure out how to chart a new course on equity and inclusion. In response to the (very) many corporate statements, Black staff and consumers have been skeptical about the sudden conscience and "wokeness" of their employers ...

Nonprofits' Commitment to Equity is More Important than Ever

Coronavirus has laid bare the fault lines of inequality that have propped up our society. Nonprofits and mission-driven organizations have never been immune to the influence of racism and white supremacy within organizational culture, and staff have long lived through inequities within organizations even while fighting to rid them from the world.

To Address Their 'Diversity' Problem, Organizations Should Stop Prioritizing Hiring and Focus on...

We are in a political moment where organizations are looking to increase their investments in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Predictably, these initiatives often involve looking at hiring practices, particularly recruitment and retention of staff of color. And while it is important to examine practices at all stages, many organizations get caught up in hiring and recruitment and drop the ball on retention and promotion.

This is a moment of reckoning for (historically white) social justice nonprofits. Will they listen?

With police rioting in cities across the United States in response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and more, we are in a moment that the United States has not seen in over a generation. Black people across the country are currently fighting a battle on two fronts: against a virus that is...

Preventing Microaggressions in the Virtual Workplace

Many companies have moved online and, unfortunately, so have the microaggressions, bias, and flagrant displays of privilege. And as organizations are awakening to their own internal racism, it is even more important that leaders be proactive in the prevention of bias and microaggressions in the virtual workplace.

America's Pretrial System Is Broken. Here's Our Vision to Fix It.

Every year, millions of people are arrested, required to pay money bail they cannot afford, separated from their families and loved ones, or subjected to long periods of incarceration based on the mere accusation of a crime. This all occurs while people are presumed innocent under the law.

The Lakeith Smith Case Demonstrates the System's Brokenness

One night in 2015, several teenagers got together and burglarized two homes in Millbrook, Alabama. After being confronted by police, one of the teenagers, A'Donte Washington, engaged in a shootout with an officer and was killed during the gunfire. Lakeith Smith, another one of the teenagers, participated in the burglary.

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A New Vision for Pretrial Justice in the United States

Every year, millions of people are arrested, required to pay money bail they cannot afford, separated from their families and loved ones, or absent from their jobs--subjected to long periods of incarceration based on the mere accusation of a crime. This all occurs while people are presumed innocent under the law.

Diversion Keeps Kids Out of the Criminal Justice System, but Too Many Police in New Jersey Fail to Use It

We've all seen something like this on TV or in an old movie: A parent arrives at a police station to pick up their child, who, instead of being arrested and charged with a crime, has just been given a stern warning and an opportunity to make amends.

ACLU to Christie: Where are people with criminal records supposed to do work? | Opinion

In a recent conversation with a driver for a ride-sharing service, the driver talked about how grateful he was to be working. He explained: it was one of the only ways he could move on from a low-level conviction to rebuild his life. Unfortunately, the New Jersey Legislature and Gov.

LETTER: Deaths at hands of police not just 'unfortunate'

By asking ordinary people to shoulder blame for police shootings, Assemblyman Dave Rible in his Oct. 4 oped dismisses victims of lethal police violence. In New Jersey, more than 60 people have been killed by police since 2013. Ordinary community members shouldn't bear the burden of ensuring that police don't kill them.

With Vote-By-Mail on the Rise, Automated Signature Matching is Not a Panacea for Election Officials

With the ongoing public health threat of COVID-19, officials are scrambling to figure out how to administer a general election during a pandemic. With expected increases in the use of absentee ballots (also referred to as vote-by-mail), election officials and vendors alike are preparing to scale up. And if recent elections...

County Election Officials Can Get a Headstart on November by Taking Action Now

Elections matter. And since the onset of COVID-19 people have been rightly concerned about how best to hold elections during a pandemic. The conundrum - and framing - has revolved around the choice voters must make between their health and their constitutional right to vote.

Missing: 39,527 New Jersey Voters

It's election season in New Jersey. With so many candidates from both parties vying for a place on the ballot for the June 6 gubernatorial primary, each vote matters more than ever. New Jersey's laws on felony disenfranchisement raise the stakes in elections because they deprive people with criminal convictions of their right to vote if they're incarcerated or under state supervision.

Why Candidates and Elected Officials Should Pledge Not To Take Money from Law Enforcement

People are awakening to the truth that police in the United States hold too much power. Law enforcement unions have long been in staunch opposition of meaningful criminal legal reform. Their political influence, especially at the state and local levels, is a well-known impediment to even the most mundane progress.

Political Leadership Lessons from Black Elected Officials' COVID-19 Responses

In case we didn't realize just how much elections matter, coronavirus has made that clearer than ever. This election-year pandemic has put political leadership, or the lack thereof, on full display as people look to elected officials for guidance during the nation's coronavirus response.

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