New Jersey was known as the "slave state of the North." More than half of New Jerseyeans, however, are unaware that slavery occurred in their home state.
A bill, sponsored by State Senator Angela McKnight and State Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, is out to change what that 56% knows.
"We need to teach our children; we need to teach all children and adults about slavery. We need to teach them about Black history," McKnight said. "It's important that the state of New Jersey take up this slack to teach the unvarnished truth to the people that we serve."
McKnight, who represents much of Jersey City along with Bayonne and Kearny, said in a June 18 virtual press conference organized by the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, said this bill is looking to make more residents aware, both African Americans and those who are not.
Reynolds-Jackson, who represents various towns in Huntington and Mercer counties, said the bill could be transformative in several ways. "I know that truth telling and education can transform people's lives and how they see us around the world," Reynolds-Jackson said.
The bill, "The Truth, Reconciliation, and Repair Act of New Jersey," was introduced on June 15 in both the Assembly and Senate, but is currently languishing in the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee and Assembly Community Development and Women's Affairs Committee.
The state apologizes not only for the institution of slavery existing within New Jersey, but also for the role of the state and the federal government in impeding the economic and social progress of those freed from slavery and their descendants.
Urging educational and other institutions to teach accurately about the harms of slavery, with the state's Amistad Commission, which is responsible for overseeing the incorporation of African American history in school curriculum, including the findings of the New Jersey Reparations Council.
Ensures various actions to remedy economic and social disparities in the African American community.
McKnight said in a recent interview with NorthJersey.com that she will be reaching out to fellow legislators after they return from summer recess in September, as well as Gov. Mikie Sherrill. McKnight said she has gotten "positive feedback" on the bill from community members and plans to reach out for more support.
Come September, she'll submit a request to post the bill on the agendas for the committees, McKnight said in the July 30 interview. Those groups will discuss the bill and listen to public testimony before there's a vote to move it out of the committees. After that, she will submit another request for a full vote by the Legislature.
She hopes the bill will become law by December 2027, before the current legislative session ends.
"It's a formal apology; it's public education; it's an actionable repair," McKnight said. "It's hope. It's accountability. For our state to take accountability ... it's very heartwarming."
There are at least 1.2 million Black people in New Jersey, making up about 15% of the state's population, according to U.S. Census data.
The state was home to more than two-thirds of the entire slave population of the North by 1830. Also, New Jersey was the last Northern state to end the practice in 1866, when the last 16 enslaved residents were freed after the state ratified the 13th Amendment.
The New Jersey Reparations Council, launched by the New Jersey Institute of Social Justice (NJISJ), released a report on Juneteenth in 2025 outlining reparations for Black people impacted by the legacy of slavery in the Garden State, filling a void left by the New Jersey Legislature when it did not pass the bill introduced in 2019 for the formation of a state reparations task force. It was their research that found that 56% of New Jerseyans were unaware that slavery occurred in the state.
The 244-page report, "For Such a Time as This: The Nowness of Reparations for Black People in New Jersey," offers recommendations for reparations such as providing direct payments to the descendants of enslaved Black people in New Jersey for the uncompensated labor extracted from their ancestors, and investing in research related to the legacies of slavery and segregation in New Jersey.
The report cites various disparities and historical harms impacting African Americans in New Jersey, such as the substantial "racial wealth gap" between Blacks and Whites, where the median household net worth (where half of households have more wealth and half have less) for Blacks in New Jersey is approximately $20,000, while for Whites it's $662,500.
Henal Patel, the interim president and chief executive officer of the NJISJ, said the bill by McKnight and Reynolds-Jackson is about understanding the dark history of slavery in New Jersey to achieve a brighter future.
"Truth and repair call us like the Sankofa bird that brands this campaign to look back in order to move forward. Acknowledging the past so that we can take responsibility for shaping a different future," Patel said. "A future where Black people can truly thrive and where everyone can share in New Jersey's prosperity and rich racial diversity."
Ricardo Kaulessar covers Jersey City, including race, immigration, and culture, for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
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This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Legislators aim to have 'slave state of the North' teach its history