Black In Jersey

🎟️ FREE TICKET GIVEAWAY 🎟️ Want to win FREE tickets to the All About Us festival in New Jersey on June 19th with Musiq Soulchild, Crystal Waters, and DJ Juls? 🙌🏾 We’re selecting 5 winners and giving each a pair of tickets, so you can bring a plus one! To enter: 1️⃣ Follow @blackinjersey and @allaboutusfestival 2️⃣ Tag the person you want to bring with you in the comments below Celebrate Juneteenth with us and honor our past, embrace the present, and shape our future together. Winners will be chosen by the end of three week. Good luck, and see y’all in Jersey City 🎊🎤 #AllAboutUsFestival #TicketGiveaway #CelebrateFreedom #Juneteenth #BlackInJersey

This weekend we popped out to “Black Men & Books” at @idas_bookshop in Collingswood. 📚✨ It was a thought-provoking and introspective conversation about community and the pivotal roles Black authors play in shaping our literary traditions. 🖋️🌍 The event spotlighted Rann Miller (@realrannmiller), MK Asante (@mkasante), and Bobby Morgan (@liberationlab) Check out our recap 🎬 by South Jersey native Ahnyah Pinckney. Who are some of your favorite Black male-identified in Jersey? Sound off in the comments 🗣️📖 #BlackInJersey #LiteraryTraditions #CommunityVoices #BlackAuthors #SouthJerseyStories

Dive into the world of music and media with Flisadam Pointer (@flisadamp), the voice behind Envert Media. From her roots in Newark to covering international stories, discover how she turned a passion for arts reporting into a career with UPROXX and ThisRnB. Watch our full interview to hear her inspiring journey and insights on making an impact in the field. Check it out now on our YouTube channel—link in bio! 📺✨ #FlisadamPointer #EnvertMedia #MusicJournalism

I can’t fake. This made my day 🙏🏾 In journalism, as someone who’s covered deeply personal, political, and sometimes traumatic events, we’re trained to run toward conflict yet fade into the background, to be the fly on the wall—it’s part of the job. Sincere recognition for our effort is rare, and gratitude can be fleeting. For me, it’s sometimes a challenge to balance the emotional demands of this job with the fulfillment it brings. Yet, here I am, pushing 30 and coming up on a decade in this field. Transitioning from the front lines to coaching the next generation to find their voices and ensuring they receive some technical training has been a full circle moment. Moments like these, hearing their appreciation, remind me why I still do this. Through our partnership with the Idea Center For The Arts @ideaartcenter, Black In Jersey’s leadership, including myself and Adrienne Bauldock, serve on the board of advisors for the Camden Community Voices podcast @communityvoices2024. Since January, we’ve coached youth and young adults in journalism and media production, creating a podcast that features positive local stories and gives them a platform to be heard. Tap in as we co-publish their work in hopes of amplifying their voices and reaching a broader audience. It’s the little things—does this sound too cliché? ✨ – ✌🏾Ten (years in the game)

📰🔥 Ever been told your dream job ‘isn’t real’? New Jersey native, Flisadam Pointer, (@flisadamp) faced just that when her college professors dismissed social media reporting as a viable career path. Now a forerunner in entertainment journalism, with bylines in UPROXX and ThisRnB, Flisadam shares how she turned skepticism into groundbreaking success. Watch her discuss overcoming doubts and what it took to break into emergent media. Catch the full interview on our YouTube channel —link in bio! 🌟 🎥 @tennysondonyea Shot at @equalspaceco in Newark, NJ #BlackInJersey #FlisadamPointer #BreakingBarriers #NewJerseyNews #EntertainmentNews #EmergentMedia #Journalism

🌟🎧 Get to know Camden-born hip-hop producer and DJ, dangr. (@wol.fwood) 🎥 On the pilot episode of our new series, “Okay, Jersey,” The South Jersey native opens up his art, his inspirations, and how some of the challenges he’s overcome in his journey as an artist. From his early days chopping samples on a PO-33, he’s dabbled in hip-hop, house, electronic dance music, funk, and more. Dangr. also co-manages a hip-hop based non-profit @cmdmuse. “Okay, Jersey” is a Black In Jersey produced video directory series spotlighting New Jersey natives walking in their purpose. Who should we highlight next? 🎥 @tennysondonyea #OkayJersey #CamdenSounds

We are kicking off #BlackHistoryMonth by introducing our newest reporting fellows, Frank Santos and Ahnyah Pinkney, courtesy of the South Jersey Information Equity Project 🎉📰 As media partners for SJIEP, we’ll mentor, coach, and showcase their work here at Black In Jersey. Over the next 6 months, they’ll be uncovering and reporting on pivotal stories in Camden County, with their work featured on our platforms. Meet Frank, a Camden native and Stockton University grad. He’s a skilled motion graphics designer and multimedia producer, making waves in the tri-state area with his work at REC Philly and One Camden. Now, he’s eager to delve into the world of journalism, adding a new dimension to his already impressive skill set with our team! 🎥🎨 Ahnyah, an SJIEP alum and Rowan University alumna, has grown from an intern to an associate digital producer at WHYY in Philly. She’s committed to elevating the stories of Black communities in South Jersey. 🗣️📝 Tap in as they enhance their journalism skills over the next 6 months. What local stories are you eager to see them cover? Let us know! 🌍 #SJIEP #CamdenNJ #SouthJerseyStories #MediaInnovation #ReporterLife #CitizenJournalism

Is showing your true self in your art a challenge? 🎧💭 Discover how dangr. (@wol.fwood) navigates this in ‘mini dreams’, sharing a piece of his heart through music. Inspired by creative giants like Madlib and Knxwledge, this project is a steps into sincere expression. 🎬 Catch the full interview on our profile! 🎥 @tennysondonyea #MusicLover #CreativeJourney #dangr #MiniDreams #HipHopCulture #ProducerLife #ArtisticExpression #independentartist #MusicCommunity #BlackInJersey

🎥🎧 Who is dangr.? Hear from Camden’s own hip-hop maestro, dangr. (@wol.fwood), in our debut “Okay, Jersey” episode. Discover his unique sound journey, from slicing samples on a PO-33 to mastering genres like hip-hop, house, and funk. 🎥 Watch him share his inspirations, challenges, and successes. 👉 Full episode on our profile! 🎥 @tennysondonyea & @adrianna_lea #HipHopProducer #CamdenMusicScene #OkayJersey #EmergingArtists #MusicInnovation #DJLife #DangrStory

Flashback to the 6th Annual Ball Owt Cancer at Irvington HS! 🏀 Hosted by @pllquedawgs, Divine Nine fraternity members in New Jersey hopped for a good cause. 🎗️ Experience the camaraderie and subscribe to our YouTube channel (link in bio) BallOwtCancer #GreekUnity #HoopsForACause #CommunitySpirit

🎥 Scenes from last week’s ceasefire rally in Jersey City, where residents urged the City Council to pass a resolution for peace in Gaza. For the full video and more insights, visit our YouTube channel. Link in bio. #JerseyCity.

⏰ Deadline Alert! Tonight at 11:59 PM marks your last chance to seize an incredible opportunity to learn from professional journalists. Join the ‘South Jersey Reporters’ citizen journalism fellowship with South Jersey Information Equity Project. Our recent IG Live was packed with insights – don’t miss the 90-second highlight we’ve shared! Apply now to be part of this empowering journey. Application link in our bio. 🌟 #EmpowerYourVoice #SouthJerseyJournalism #DeadlineTonight #NewJerseyNews

📰 Community members and advocates are demanding a non-police response to mental health crises after the release of bodycam footage of the killing of Najee Seabrooks in Paterson. Seabrooks, a violence intervention advocate, was experiencing a mental health emergency and called the police himself. Police drew their guns and pointed them at Seabrooks while attempting to negotiate with him. “Individuals and families of individuals who call 911 for help in their most vulnerable hour should receive support, not violence,” said Black Lives Matter Paterson in a statement. While Seabrooks did have a knife, advocates argue that a trained medical professional response could have deescalated the situation and kept him alive. The incident has prompted protests and calls for reform across New Jersey, with groups like the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice and the ACLU-NJ calling for a comprehensive investigation into the Paterson Police Department. Peep the link in our bio for the full story. • • • • • • • • #BlackLivesMatter #mentalhealthawareness #NajeeSeabrooks #crisisintervention #militarization #useofforce #policereform

Former N.J. State Senator Ron Rice, a Democrat from Newark, passed away yesterday at 77. Rice, the founder and former chair of the New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus, was the longest serving Black lawmaker in state history. He began in the Senate in 1986 while simultaneously holding office as a Newark city councilman. Rice retired from the Legislature last September after more than 35 years of service. He was a staunch and vociferous advocate for racial justice and fought for a task force to study reparations and the passage of bulls that would allow cities to establish civilian review boards with subpoena power. Rice’s colleagues remember him as someone who was a straight shooter — unbossed and unbought. • • • • #Newark #NewarkNJ #NewJersey #newjerseyblackowned

📰 A Paterson Police officer involved in the killing of Najee Seabrooks used force 15 times over the span of 26 months, according to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Use of Force Database (which is publicly available on the Attorney General’s website). Last week the attorney general announced officers Anzore Tsay and Jose Hernandez shot Seabrooks after officers Hector Mendez, Qiad Lin, and Mario Vdovjak deployed non-lethal force. The Use of Force database shows Hernandez used force more than a dozen times between October 2020 and December 2022. Today, a coalition including the New Jersey Institute For Social Justice (@dosocialjustice), Black Lives Matter Paterson (@blm_paterson), and the ACLU-NJ (@aclunj) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice urging the agency to launch a sweeping investigation into the Paterson Police Department, claiming police have engaged in “widespread unlawful and unconstitutional conduct.” The letter compiles a comprehensive list of Paterson police misconduct over the last few years, including shootings and illegal searches and seizures. “Residents of Paterson have lived for years under a police department with a history of excessive force and other abuse, all felt disproportionately by Black and brown residents in one of the most diverse cities in the country,” the letter reads. Community members in Paterson have called for police to suspend Seabrooks’ killers without pay, effective immediately. The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office is required by state law to investigate the case. Full story at the link in our bio 📝: @tennysondonyea (via/WHYY) • • • • #Paterson #PatersonNJ #NajeeSeabrooks

Art and history collide in this piece titled “Monumental Newark.” • New Jersey artist and historian, Noelle Lorraine Williams, took photos of Newark from the 1800s and placed them over pictures taken at the same locations in present-day. • The installation occupies a field next to Brick City’s Broad Street train station. And it’s part of an initiative launched by Audible called the “Newark Artist Collaboration.” The collab aims to amplify the work of homegrown artists. • 🎥: Tennyson Donyea Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos like this one: https://youtu.be/KkmDk-j3VYA