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Writer's pictureKaren Brittingham-Edmond

The Effects of Gentrification & How Sanctuary Movement Aftereffects Connect To The Increasing Mortality Rates of Black Citizens in N.J. And Why The Last 10 Governors Are To Blame.

October 20, 2024

Social Justice



Black Americans in Monmouth County, N.J., are deeply distressed to witness the disproportionate number of early deaths plus stress-related illnesses among Black citizens, family members, and classmates during and after gentrification processes in formerly historically populated Black towns and cities in New Jersey. Black citizens have witnessed many fellow citizens passing away in their early 50s and 60s unexpectantly within the last two to five years. Black residents who resided in pre-ordained illegally administered Sanctuary City neighborhoods in N.J. (un-announced to them in the 70s,) also saw an increase in gun violence, shootings, crack-epidemic, gang propaganda, missing persons reports, plus economic divestment in Black towns and neighborhoods that had not seen much gun violence or the other before mentioned disruptions in the 1950s, 1960s, or 1970s, following Ronald Reagan's implementation of the "Sanctuary Movement" beginning in the 1980s. https://www.amazon.com/African-Americans-Gentrification-Washington-D-C/dp/1409446123https://www.amazon.com/African-Americans-Gentrification-Washington-D-C/dp/1409446123


Reaganomics made it legal for American children to grow up without a mother or adult supervision at home to prepare meals, protect children, and take care and raise families. This had a detrimental impact on vulnerable Black children plus economically struggling White families in the 1980s and 90s which resulted into a phenomenon called "The Cradle to Prison Pipeline." As a result, many American kids including Black children were left to their own devices to acquire social norms from television, and music that spewed out derugatory references about Black citizens and women as if it was normal. Main stream America also made sure that even children cartoons became more sexualized as the songs on the radio became more heinous and ungodly with pop culture's approval, to assist to lead pre teens and young adults of the 80s and 90s into unhealthy lifestyles and pre-mature deaths.


These unfortunate events have made it evident to modern Black American society that they are no longer in Kansas, with their devoted dog Tow-tow at their side. Structural racism and all of its devices in N.J. has caused a form of subconscious trauma that has developed over many years, including the detrimental effects of the crack epidemic on the Black American family of survivors. That needs to be reckoned with.

Gif of "The Wiz" Lion Statue: Gif Wix Media


In addition Black citizens, while hustling and bustling working numerous jobs because of an outright unfair economy for the past 40 years, have, on the one hand, kept Black citizens in Monmouth County from recognizing the traitorous dangers and treasonous action of both Democratic and Republican governors' administrations that purposely neglected to fulfill their promises to Black New Jerseyans for years such as in the case of fair housing resources, plus reparations for past injustices. The overall lack of Black representation in NJ government who will boldly fight for Black citizens in N.J. these past 40 years have all but diminished because they are to busy seeking crumbs from the new minority majority of insourced Spanish speaking citizens who have no love or respect towards Black Americans historically. Black citizens who although welcomed insourced Black or now referred to as Brown or White Spanish populations to America during their unexpected arrival by the millions since the 70s were not honestly informed about Hispanic and Latino history. Black North Americans were completely unaware of insourced populations caste systems that worship White supremacy. (No one told Black citizens of NJ any thing until census results were reported that Hispanics regularly register themselves as Caucasian and then it was too late.) New Jersey Becomes a Sanctuary State By Order of Its Attorney General Gurbir Grewal https://www.fairus.org/legislation/state-and-local/new-jersey-becomes-sanctuary-state-order-its-attorney-general


These actions by current and past N.J. governing administrations have set up Black citizens' children and their families for failure. All while the state doles out quality jobs in the pharmaceutical industries to primarily insourced non-citizens and flooded N.J. with completely unvetted immigrants who receive mortgages, money, business opportunities, plus acceptance because of the treasonous nature of N.J. leadership that thinks that Black citizen's rights and protection are a thing of the past. Thanks to the negative and anti-Christ behavior of the Christian Coalition and their partnership with the so-called "Sanctuary Movement." Which is a fraud where unvetted immigrants from Mexico and South America whose countries have a history of being paid to poison American citizens with whom the primary target of said illegal drugs focused on the first fruits of the Civil Rights Movement kicking off in the 80s. Mexico, in partnership with other South American territories, successfully killed millions of Americans with crack by providing an abundance of the ingredients to make the deadly concoction that killed American citizens. And America used the crack epidemic to incarcerate millions of citizens for an excuse to provide Sanctuary Movement participants a place to live and work in pre-ordained Sanctuary City sites. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/why-white-supremacist-groups-attract-latinos-their-ranks


Nevertheless, Murphy and the last nine governors have successfully assisted with the murder of their fellow citizens. And I dare say they enjoy robbing Black citizens of their citizenship rights and, at the same time, allowing idiot real-estate moguls not just to take all of the money that was set aside to provide American citizens housing plus jobs. Instead of investing in American citizens, they invested in Bloomberg's New American Economy for the last 20 years. While packing prisons with Black Americans with non-criminal charges by means of unethical high fines. To make room for Bloomberg's unvetted immigrants who are allowed to run free. But commit crimes and have access to all the grants and small business loans systematically blocked to Black citizens who are the direct ancestors of those who built this country and are still owed their reparations. https://www.bloombergneweconomy.com/


Governor Murphy and longtime racist White NJ have hit an all-time low with their treasonous alliances of earlier governors and mealy-mouth weak Mayors of New Jersey that assisted in defunding citizens by complying with the wishes of the state that was highly questionable. Mayors persuaded Black leaders to support the state's agenda that unfairly denied resources to deserving Black Americans. The actions of racist White NJ and unethical governors like Murphy and Christie demonstrate explicit hatred towards Black citizens, which is unforgivable. (Gif Source: Wix Gif)

N.J. Reparations Council Report:


Sacred Resistance: The Sanctuary Movement from Reagan to Trump

Lloyd Barba, PhD and Tatyana Castillo-RamosAmherst College

"From the birth of the U.S. Sanctuary Movement in the 1980s to the declaration of the New Sanctuary Movement (NSM) in 2007 and the new wave of NSM activism starting in 2016, sanctuary seekers, workers, and leaders have enacted various kinds of sacred resistance to respond to the shifting contexts of immigration crises. Our study is based on interviews and ethnographic work carried out during the summer of 2018 in the border areas of southern California and Arizona, a synthesis of news coverage, and the growing literature on both the early years of sanctuary and the NSM. It offers a conceptual framework to unpack the history and polyvalent meaning of the term “sanctuary” today. This article begins by tracking the development of the Sanctuary Movement from the 1980s to the NSM organization in 2006 (officially declared in 2007).[3] We argue that since Trump’s election, we are experiencing a second wave of the New Sanctuary Movement. According to Church World Service, within months of Trump’s election, the number of “sanctuary” churches in the U.S. doubled (from 400 to 800) and by 2018 has now nearly tripled (reaching over 1,100).[4] Furthermore, the number of sanctuary coalitions since Trump’s election has also more than tripled. Today there are more individuals “taking sanctuary in congregations than at any time since the 1980s.”[5] To sustain this wave of sanctuary efforts, religious activists have mobilized a sacred resistance and new actors have stepped up. The second wave of the NSM is evidencing an increasing reliance on the 1980s Sanctuary Movement of harboring undocumented immigrants. While the term “sanctuary” has taken on new meanings, the tried-and-true practice of harboring is yet again being tested. Sanctuary today, though largely expanded in practice and in the demographics of its seekers, is still firmly grounded in the acts of sacred resistance that began with Central American sanctuary seekers and North American sanctuary workers. https://perspectivasonline.com/downloads/sacred-resistance-the-sanctuary-movement-from-reagan-to-trump/

 What triggerd this attack on Black citizens in NJ?


The benefits of the Civil Rights Movement of 1940 enforcement that gave Black citizens the right to access and hold government jobs, enforcement of voting rights, and affirmative action in the 60s and 70s should have overtaken Black citizens with blessings, health, and reparations. Instead, thanks to implicit and explicit racist ideology, N.J. policy makers purposely and structurally gave any other minorities the lion's share of benefits while intentionally leaving Black citizens with mass incarceration and the crumbs left over from the bread of prosperity and wealth that rightfully belong to Black citizens with whom many Black citizens family ancestry goes as far back as the 1600s and more because of their East Coast Native American bloodlines here in North America. That racist White America still deny exisit in Black Americans till this day out of jealousy.

And because racist White America in N.J. and her non-Black minority alliances deemed that Black citizens had to share what rightfully belonged to them with other non-Black minorities, Black NJ has found themselves in a very perplexing situation. Which will lead them to no longer go along with the ok-ee-doke of past and current treasonous trespasses administered by their local county government, state, plus Federal Government. An intervention must be administered to set the record straight. Black citizens may have to petition Britain for advocacy. (Picture Source: Wix Unsplash Civil Rights Photo History in HD) (Picture Gif: Prince Harry & President Obama Wix Gif.)


And here's why systematic racism and gentrification is the primary factors that's leadering to the early demise of Black citizens in New Jersey.

The impact of systemic racism on Black citizens communities has undoubtedly contributed to these tragic losses, and it weighs heavily on Black citizens hearts and minds. It's a stark reminder of the ongoing consequences of historical oppression and structural inequalities, and the toll it takes on our collective well-being. Black citizens must say no to racism in N.J. and all of her Confederate allies who come in the form of non-Black minorities who have an history of holding up White supremacy as a norm. Black citizens of North America must seek the necessary resources plus civil actions to address these health disparities plus injustices and work towards a more equitable future for all Black citizens children and not some. Today's report will delve into some of the particulars that have harmed Black citizens of N.J. and why change must happen. But maybe not the way you think.


Medical Journals Report that Gentrification causes early deaths in Black citizen populations.


The stress felt by middle-class Black Americans when they see their community disproportionately impacted by homelessness, incarceration, and displacement due to systemic racism is often known as "vicarious trauma" or "collective trauma." This stress originates from the lasting effects of historical oppression and structural inequalities, especially the idea of "Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS)" developed by Dr. Joy DeGruy. In essence, it refers to the psychological impact of witnessing the ongoing consequences of slavery and systemic racism on their community, even if they are not directly experiencing the most severe forms of hardship. Just learning about a tragic event and watching from a distance while not being able to doing anything to stop the illegal activity instigated against Black citizens for the last 40 years can cause trauma, per medical reports. The Traumatic Impact of Structural Racism on African Americans https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8352535/


Some of the illnesses that can result from experiencing vicarious trauma over time include anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sleep disturbances, chronic pain, substance abuse, and other stress-related physical health problems. It can also lead to emotional exhaustion, a weakened immune system, and difficulties in personal relationships. Seeking support from mental health professionals and engaging in self-care practices can be crucial in managing the impact of vicarious trauma. But more importantly, the need to unite and address the multiple transgressions targeted towards Black citizens and their children for these many years would help to relieve said politically inspired illegal constraints as long as someone takes time to clearly and honestly explain to Black citizens of N.J. how the very state they pay taxes to are despitefully using them and seeks to ruin Black children's future with mass incarceration tactics utilized by the state of N.J.


What is Gentrification?


Gentrification is the process of renovating and upgrading neighborhoods that have a sizeable Black citizen representation that has been systematically divested on purpose by the state where Black citizens reside for at least the last 40 to 50 years. The plan is to treat Black citizens as if they have no rights and to invest citizens' tax dollars into noncitizen populations for years to block the power of the Black vote as these noncitizen populations become citizens. This often leads to increased housing costs, forcing out long-term residents who live in communities that historically had a high Black minority-majority population for the last 40 years but who can no longer afford to live there, causing displacement and contributing to increased mortality rates due to factors like stress, reduced access to healthcare, and disruption of social networks in their new, often less supportive neighborhoods; this displacement can also exacerbate existing health disparities and contribute to poorer overall health outcomes for both displaced Black citizens and Black citizens witnessing discriminatory events.


Deep in the Cane: The Southern Soul of Gil Scott-Heron

University of Virginia Claudrena N. Harold

The Inspiration for the Song "Angola Lousianna"



Gentrification and the History of Power and Oppression of African Americans

in Washington DC


For example, Robert L. Cosby, Ph. D., research in the area of "Gentrification and the History of Power and Oppression of African Americans in Washington DC," shares a scholarly work that delves into the impact of gentrification on the African American community in Washington, DC. The book explores the historical power dynamics and systemic oppression faced by African Americans in the context of urban development and gentrification. The book shares insights that Black NJ citizens can relate to regarding the adverse effects of gentrification's social, economic, and cultural implications on the African American population. in Washington, DC. Gentrification and the History of Power and Oppression of African Americans in Washington DC. https://coascenters.howard.edu/gentrification-and-history-power-and-oppression-african-americans-washington-dc


On a side note:

Black citizens in N.J. must stop believing that every non-profit has Black citizens' best interest at hand despite the numerous complaints issued about non-profits or NGOs' racism against Black citizens throughout the years. Non-profits in N.J. have worked closely with some of The Christian Coalitions Sanctuary Movement purpose-driven plans that were designed by known racists and their Spanish Special Interest Groups from outside countries to displace American citizens. Who on record btw despised the success of Rev Martin Luther King and spoke liberally about their disappointment that the Civil Rights Act provided more Black Americans with the right to vote in the 60s, which said voting rights should have occurred in 1865. Except for the meddling factors of American racist blocking said Civil War enforcements along with owed reparations to Black citizens. Why White Evangelicals Rejected MLK During His Lifetime https://www.cdionline.org/blog/2016/1/19/why-white-evangelicals-rejected-mlk-during-his-lifetime


Back to the story at hand


These outright unethical actions of New Jersey's racist White and Brown allies earnestly coveted the benefits plus reparations owed to Black citizens' whose ancestors pushed through significant citizenship rights for the future of Black citizens in North America. And NJ is guilty of all charges. This is why Jewish minority, for example, can walk into a Social Service building and request a subsidized housing certificate and receive it in 5-7 days. Illegal immigrants can receive a housing certificate within weeks of entering N.J. However, Black citizens are placed on a 5 to 7-year waiting list, which often leads to Black citizen's vulnerable population of children being placed in foster care because Black parents cannot access affordable housing resources that their ancestors' taxes have paid for over 100 years. (By the way, a housing certificate is not reparation. The example that is being shared is the blatant long-term racially motivated behavior of N.J. policymakers, social services, non-profits, plus prison industrial complexes who make it a point to steal and block resources from Black citizen families that then in turn also sets up a portion of vulnerable Black children for failure from birth, which all Black citizens should be mad as hell and upset about.) A better understanding of the historical power dynamics and oppression faced by African Americans in the context of

  • Urban development,

  • Policymakers,

  • Urban planners.


This should lead to Black community leaders demanding more equitable and inclusive strategies for urban development and Black representation in legal aid and the construction industry. (Not including tokenism of celebrities who are not concerned about the well-being of Black citizens in NJ and their Black children since said Black celebrities are committed to uplifting other minority agendas that are predominately populated by White men and cannot be trusted.)  This is why Black citizens need their reparations now and not later. N.J.'s not saying no to the Jewish population or Mexican population for reparations why not BLACK CITIZENS? Mexicans fought on the side of the Confederate army in hopes of keeping African American ancestors enslaved for life like them. Black citizens are owed reparations that the state of N.J. must pay for her treasonous alliances against her Black citizens, whose ancestors fought and won the Civil War. That which no non-Black minority that crossed rivers, seas, and mountains has not earned such honor and are, in fact, are receiving undeserved priviliedges once successfully cutting in line in front of Black Americans with the help of racist treasonous Americans organizations and non-profits. Who hate Black citizens and love evil. Scholars Ask Why Latinos View Blacks Poorly Christina Asquith July 11, 2006


Once Black citizens take a stand in New Jersey, other marginalized citizens who have experienced economic and physical harm from the preposterous long-term actions of the racist Republican Christian Coalition, Bloomberg's "New American Economy Plans," plus Governor Murphy's and the past 10 governors who assisted with the illegal replacement strategies to replace the American citizen workforce in New Jersey with the so-called "Sanctuary Movement, conjured up by Southerner Evangelicals associated with the KKK and South American and Mexican dictators who are not! And I will repeat: Not in a position to assist with defrauding American citizens just because they bow down to White supremacy and seek to assimilate like cowards of the past and steal from Black citizens. Despite the fact that they have illegally been given plenty of help from the state of New Jersey government plus lower county government leadership, that has done great harm to Black citizens and their children's future. Plus, unaware citizens in general is criminal.


Additionally, the study's findings can inform efforts to preserve the cultural heritage and historical significance of African Americans in the face of gentrification. Overall, Cosby's research can contribute to more informed and thoughtful approaches to addressing the complex challenges associated with gentrification and its impact on African American communities today.


The Economic State of Black America


A study by Va. Congressman Don Beyer, Vice Chair of The Joint Economic Committee, titled "The Economic State of Black America in 2020, shares that "the de jure" end of Jim Crow has opened up opportunities for millions of Black Americans, enabling them to enter the middle class, pursue undergraduate and advanced degrees, earn higher wages, achieve professional success, and raise children who will continue their legacy. While indicators of economic prosperity and overall well-being have generally shown improvement during this time, there are underlying disparities that relegate tens of millions of Black Americans to second-class status, limiting their opportunities to attain good health, political influence, prosperity, and security compared to other Americans AND NON CITIZENS. Per Congressman Don Beyer, "Many Americans need help to grasp the extent of these issues fully." Primarily because of the purposeful mis-education of Americans in general because American history is not truthfully or fully taught in American school systems. Which then leads to citizens being completely unaware of who they are dealing with.


Per Congressman Beyer's Economic Report on the state of Black America 2019 study, over 97% of respondents significantly underestimated the vast wealth disparity between Black families (median of $17,000) and White families (median of $171,000), which is a 10 to 1 ratio. Respondents believed the gap to be significantly smaller than it actually is. The data paint a different picture, revealing that, on average, Black Americans face more challenging circumstances than their White counterparts in terms of social and economic well-being. For instance, Black Americans generally earn lower incomes, are less likely to own homes, and have shorter life expectancies compared to White Americans. Evaluating the economic status of Black America requires acknowledgment that although there has been progress in the United States, substantial disparities persist. It is crucial to recognize both the progress and the challenges to ensure that all Americans, including Black Americans, have a realistic opportunity to achieve success and not a early death due to systematic racism after effects from over crowding per Sanctuary Movement constrainst, gentrification, and blocked reparations.


In conclusion:

Ultimately, to prevent the premature loss of Black citizens in New Jersey, it is imperative that we receive the reparations owed to us, prosecute certain unlawful policy makers under federal law, and encourage Black citizens to actively participate in the political process to effect change and reclaim control of their political destinies.




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