Constitution Day at NJCU

We recently joined the Departments of Political Science, Women & Gender Studies and the newly minted Civic Engagement Leadership Certificate programs at New Jersey City University to talk about the U.S. constitution and our campaign in Jersey City.

The event heard from speakers like Assatta Mann from the NJ Institute for Social Justice, who is leading the VOTE16 campaign in Newark and statewide.

Throughout the event, speakers harped on the need to continue building on the legacy of voting rights, though Votes for All NJ member Isaac Jimenez brought to light just how common noncitizen voting was in the United States from its founding well into 1920. Rhetoric from the recent Harris-Trump debate about Haitian migrants also made its way into the discussion.

Image 1: Left to right; Theo Dassin, co-founder of Students Strengthening American Democracy, Assatta Mann, senior community organizer for the Institute for Social Justice and VOTE16 campaign, Joel Brooks, Anjali Madgula, and Isaac Jimenez with Votes for All NJ. Image 2: Left to right; Assatta Mann, Samantha Jaipersaud, Dr. Jennifer Musial, Jeffrey Dessources, Dr. Louise Stanton, Isaac Jimenez, Theo Dassin.

Votes for All NJ and Central NJ DSA member Richard Guerra shares more on his experience on the campaign and attending the event:

“…I know immigrants pay taxes but I didn't know that back then undocumented immigrants were allowed to vote back in the old ages of America. But it does make sense since immigrants do pay taxes… What happened to no taxation without representation? Undocumented immigrants or otherwise deserve the right to vote too…Also regarding the fear mongering regarding Haitian immigrants. They're also saying the disgusting smears regarding Venezuelan immigrant gangs taking over apartments in Colorado. It saddens me how much anti immigrant rhetoric has become so mainstream. I feel bad for both my Haitian friends growing up and my step mother who's both Venezuelan and Trinidadian. I pray that my baby sister Emily who's Cuban, Venezuelan and Trinidadian doesn't experience the hate and xenophobia from anyone when she gets older… I hope Votes for All passes at the ballot in both New Brunswick and Jersey city so that undocumented immigrants or otherwise get to vote in local elections in the near future.”

Theo Dassin, Isaac Jimenez, Assatta Mann, and Samantha Jaipersaud