EAST ORANGE, NJ — When the Orange-Maplewood NAACP Unit hosts its Justice and Equality Rally on Sunday, Sept. 10, from 2 to 4 p.m. in Soverel Field Park, Springdale Avenue, East Orange, the Irvington chapter of the organization will be offering its support. The rally is being held in response to the recent events in Charlottesville, Va.
“I’m going to participate,” Irvington NAACP President Merrick Harris said Monday, Sept. 4. “I think it’s good that we show support and that we rally in response to what’s going on with the president (Donald Trump) and other things. We want to rally together and promote peace.”
“Freedom isn’t free. The Oranges and Maplewood NAACP is encouraging citizens in our catchment communities of Orange, East Orange, West Orange, South Orange, Maplewood, Millburn, Livingston, Bloomfield, Belleville, Nutley and Verona to attend a ‘Justice and Equality’ rally to demonstrate that Essex County citizens will be ‘Steadfast and Immovable’ against racism, xenophobia, prejudice, hatred and discrimination in our cities, in our county, in our state and in our Nation,” said Tom Puryear, the organization’s president, Saturday, Sept. 2. “The planned rally is designed to strongly support protocols that endorse fairness, equality and equity for all citizens.”
Harris agreed with Puryear that there is a renewed sense of urgency in the wake of the events in Charlottesville. People’s Organization for Progress Chairman Larry Hamm described what occurred there at the “Unite the Right” white supremacist rally on Saturday, Aug. 12, as an act of racist terrorism.
The protest left Heather Heyer, 32, of Charlottesville, dead. Virginia authorities arrested James A. Fields, 20, of Maumee, Ohio, for allegedly driving his car into a crowd of protesters who had come out to rally against the white supremacist groups, killing Heyer. Two Charlottesville police officers were also killed during the incident, when the helicopter they were flying crashed.
Harris said it seems as if the country had taken a step backward to the “bad old days” of Jim Crow racial segregation and bias.
“Especially with what’s going on and what happened in Charlottesville and the opposition to the morals of our country,” said Harris. “We want to try to bring people together. We want to try to combat the other negative elements that seem to have resurfaced in our society. The country doesn’t need that.”
Harris, who is also a member of the Irvington Rotary Club, said the Justice and Equality Rally in East Orange is one of the instances where the national and international values of both the local organizations he participates in share common ground.
“As it stands right now, I’m a member of the Rotary Club, but I’m president-elect for next year, the year of 2018-2019,” said Harris. “I can’t wear both hats at the same time, so I’m going to participate in the Justice and Equality Rally under the NAACP hat.”
“Our annual Freedom Fund Banquet Dinner is going to be on Friday, Oct. 13, at Metropolitan Baptist Church on Springfield Avenue in Newark at 7 p.m.,” said Harris. “Anyone that wants to attend and buy tickets can contact me. When you buy the ticket to the banquet, that pays for your NAACP membership and the dinner that evening.”
According to Puryear, community leaders, elected officials and spiritual leaders have been invited to participate in the rally. The invited speakers will be requesting citizens to register to vote, to vote in all future elections and to stand “steadfast and immoveable” against racism and discrimination.
“The recent blatant racist behavior displayed in Charlottesville, coupled with the continued victimization against people of color that has occurred in recent months in our country, must be challenged,” said Puryear. “Essex County citizens of good will need to promote a message that demands ‘justice and equality’ for all citizens. County residents must raise our collective voices to let all know that there are citizens who are willing to rally against behaviors and activities that are designed to have a negative impact on the positive development and socialization of American citizens.
“Civil Rights organizations, spiritual leaders, community representatives, elected officials and local citizens must always stand firm against those individuals who would threaten the moral right of our communities. Those who believe in freedom must not rest until we have successfully challenged those who would attempt to impede the social and political development of all citizens.”
For more information about the rally, call 973-675-5325 or send an email to OrangesMaplewoodNAACP@gmail.com. Harris can also be reached at 973-634-6513 or merricknlh@aol.com.
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