Ryan Haygood writes in the Star Ledger:
Without the support of the Black community, it’s unlikely that he would be New Jersey’s governor, given that 53 percent of white voters supported his opponent.
So what does this Black support mean to the governor going forward? Murphy stated that he is conducting a racial disparity study.
That’s the right place to start. Racial disparities in wealth, in access to the ballot box, and in criminal justice illuminate the systemic racism facing New Jersey’s Black community.
For example, the median net worth for New Jersey’s white families is $271,402 — the highest in the nation. But the median net worth for New Jersey’s Latino and Black families is just $7,020 and $5,900, respectively.
Additionally, New Jersey denies the vote to nearly 100,000 people who are in people who are in prison, on parole or probation. Half of those denied the right to vote are Black, though black people comprise just 15 percent of the state’s population.
But nine months into his administration, the governor has not focused on these or the starkest racial disparities affecting New Jersey: its shameful youth incarceration system.