CONTACT:                 njydblackcaucus@gmail.com
During a national moment of great uncertainty and upheaval, the New Jersey Young Democrats Black Caucus, has reformed under the direction of a new chair, Keith Jones II.  Keith currently serves as the Chairman of the Middlesex County Young Democrats and was the former Chair of the Middlesex County Young Democrats Black Caucus.  A lifelong resident of New Brunswick, he currently works as the Community Organization Specialist and Liaison to Mayor James Cahill of the City of New Brunswick.

Keith was appointed to be the New Jersey Young Democrats Black Caucus Chair on August 2, 2017 by the New Jersey Young Democrats President Marshall Spevak. While it has only been two weeks since this change, the Caucus is moving quickly in solidarity to mark out the purpose and impact of this group.

Considering the great challenges that face Black New Jerseyans, both stateside and nationally, the New Jersey Young Democrats Black Caucus considers it their duty to address the very real and damaging problems facing our community at multiple levels. On August 15th, a statement was released by the Caucus condemning the violent terrorism driven by white supremacist and neo-nazi forces in Charlottesville. The statement reads in part, “As New Jerseyans, we are fortunate to live in a state that derives its strength from its diversity, and we will fight against any and all forces which seek to sow division. We urge everyone to take action in their communities to defend the tenets and values of our democracy so that our country may realize its promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all. The very real progress of our nation’s forebears is at stake.”

Moving forward, the caucus is ready to enact an agenda that will address the following:

• Engage, educate and empower young Black New Jerseyans to participate in the political process;
• Encourage young Black New Jerseyans to fulfill their civic duties;
• Increase the number of registered voters in our communities;
• Advocate on behalf of policies that directly impact people of color;
• Strengthen coalitions and relationships that will benefit communities of color;
• Increase the level of representation of Black New Jerseyans from the local level to the State House; and,
• Help build Black Caucus chapters in multiple counties throughout the state of New Jersey.

Upon his appointment, Mr. Jones stated, “I’ve always been inspired by what could be if we as a people fully committed on every level to working together to achieve the rights and opportunities our people sacrificed so much for. I truly believe in the power of us and look forward to working with you all.” Such is the unifying mission of the New Jersey Young Democrats Black Caucus.