NAACP NJ President Richard Smith: Jersey City Council’s Actions Acknowledge LSP Protection Act Is Flawed

JERSEY CITY, NJ – The Liberty State Park For All Coalition released the following statement today on behalf of Richard Smith, President of the NAACP New Jersey State Conference, regarding the Jersey City Council’s recommendations to change the “Liberty State Park Protection Act”:

“The NAACP commends Councilman Jermaine Robinson for putting action behind the words of social justice. We have advocated for changes to the ‘Liberty State Park Protection Act’ because the legislation was flawed, and it discriminated against minority advocates and against minority interests. Councilman Robinson’s advocacy has resulted in an acknowledgment by the Jersey City Council that the Protection Act is in fact flawed and must be changed to include minority representation and active recreation. 

“The devil is now in the details and we will not accept feel good representation while others enjoy greater representation. Let minority communities have equal input and only then should any decisions be made about the Park.

“We call on the Legislative Leadership in Trenton to change this bill and give minority representatives equal access to decision making and to clean up the park and make active recreation a reality. The legislation should not be considered until the social justice issues are resolved to the satisfaction of minority community leaders.”

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