PRESS CONFERENCE: LABOR UNIONS & COMMUNITY GROUPS WILL CALL FOR MAY DAY PROTESTS

A coalition of labor and community organizations will hold a press conference on Wednesday morning to call for protests to draw attention to the plight of working people in New Jersey and the rest of the country.

The press conference to discuss May Day protests in Newark and other parts of the state will take place Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 11:00am at Bethany Baptist Church, 275 West Market Street, Newark, NJ.

“The purpose of the press conference is to announce support for and urge participation in protests that will take place on May 1, 2026 which is also observed as May Day. These protests will demonstrate opposition to President Trump’s domestic and foreign policies that adversely affect working people,” Lawrence Hamm, chairman, People’s Organization For Progress stated. 

The press conference is being hosted by the People’s Organization For Progress, Local 108 Retail Wholesale Department Store Union RWDSU UFCW AFL-CIO, the New Jersey AFL-CIO, Painters Union IUPAT DC 21, New Jersey Education Association, American Federation of Teachers New Jersey, 32BJ SEIU, Laborers’ International Union of North America Eastern Region, 1199J AFSCME, Essex West Hudson Labor Council, I.U.O.E  Local 68, ILA Local 1233, NAACP Newark, Food & Water Watch, Empower NJ, Climate Revolution Action Network, Ironbound Community Corporation and the Martin Luther King People’s Convention for Justice and Resistance Planning Committee.

Speakers at the press conference will include representatives of the hosting organizations including Charles Hall, President, Local 108 Retail Wholesale Department Store Union RWDSU UFCW AFL-CIO, Steve Beatty, President, New Jersey Education Association, John Marino, IUPAT DC 21, Jennifer S. Higgins, President, American Federation of Teachers and Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress. Representatives of other labor and community groups are also expected to speak. 

On Friday, May 1st the coalition will have a May Day rally and march. The rally will start 11:00 am at the Lincoln Statue, 12 Springfield Avenue in Newark. A march to the federal building at 970 Broad Street after the rally is also planned.

“We are having this rally to draw attention to the economic needs of working people, poor people, and the middle class,” Hamm stated.

“May Day is an international observance. It is a day when workers around the world call for unity and raise their demands for a better life. We felt it was important to add our protest to those demanding economic justice for working people at home and abroad,” Hamm said.

“I will stand with my brothers and sisters to show that our Solidarity is stronger then ever on May Day ( International Workers Day ) This day is about Labor’s history, workers rights, safe work places and dignity,” Charles Hall, President, Local 108 Retail Wholesale Department Store Union, stated. 

“Given the difficulties of the world and yes right here in America, Labor must lead.  Working families and the middle class are under attack and the poor not even a part of the conversation. Labor Solidarity and building coalitions with groups that are being marginalized  is the way turn this situation around,” Hall said. 

“The attack on immigrants is wrong and Labor stands with those who are hard working and good  people.  The work of immigrants helps  keep our country moving. This May Day we will send a message of Solidarity and Resistance. 

An injury to one is an Injury to all,” he said

“Our nearly 200,000 members go to work every day determined to help their students learn, grow and thrive. When they also have to worry about whether they can afford food, housing and health care for their own families, it distracts from their critical mission,” NJEA President Steve Beatty stated. 

“We are proud to stand in strong solidarity with other unions and organizations that fight for workers’ rights. I’m a high school social studies teacher and a union president, so I know from both history and personal experience that when labor is strong and united we make America better for everyone,”Beatty said. 

“May Day is a great time to remind everyone what working people have done for this country and we can accomplish together when we truly live up to our motto of Solidarity Forever!” he said. 

“Workers are the backbone of this society.  Without them, America is crippled.  Workers deserve decent wages, medical benefits, vacation time and working conditions” Deborah Smith Gregory, President, NAACP Newark stated. 

Hamm noted that the press conference will not only call for participation in the protest that the coalition is having in Newark but will urge people to participate in all the May Day activities being held around the state.

“While the general call for May Day is for no work, no school, and no shopping it must be noted that there will be a wide variety of protests and other activities taking place at different times and places and focusing on different issues,” he said.

Some of the coalition’s May Day demands include increasing the federal minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $15.00 per hour, passage of legislation to facilitate unionization, ending racial discrimination in hiring and promotions, equal pay for equal work.

Other demands include fair contracts, the establishment of a living wage in the U.S., paid sick leave, universal child care, Medicare For All, free college, elimination of student debt, and a national federal jobs program to eliminate unemployment.

In addition the coalition is demanding an end to the war in Iran, cutting military spending, restoration of the cuts in social programs, rehiring federal workers that have lost their jobs, rescinding tax cuts for billionaires, and increased federal funding for public education.

For more information about today’s rally please call People’s Organization for Progress at 973 801-0001.

Statement from Attorney General Jay Jones on Misleading Mailers Targeting Black Voters

Attorney General Jay Jones released the following statement regarding deceptive mailers being sent to Black voters about Virginia’s redistricting referendum.

“As Virginia’s first Black Attorney General, I take very seriously the history that is being invoked in these mailers. Reports indicate that a group opposing the redistricting referendum has sent materials to Black voters that misuse imagery from the Civil Rights Movement and even invoke Jim Crow while falsely suggesting the measure threatens Black representation.

My parents and grandparents lived through the reality of Jim Crow in Virginia. They experienced firsthand what it meant when the law and the political system were used to silence Black voices. That history is not a political prop, and it should never be exploited in a misleading attempt to confuse voters.

Virginians deserve honest information about the choices before them. Invoking the pain and sacrifice of the civil rights movement while spreading misleading claims about this referendum disrespects the very people who fought to secure the right to vote and have their voices heard.”

The Return of EBONY Power 100: Honoring the Icons, Innovators and Leaders of Today and Tomorrow

EBONY proudly announces the return of EBONY Power 100, the iconic annual celebration recognizing the individuals who are redefining what leadership, influence and excellence look like across the global Black community. Building on a legacy that spans more than eight decades, EBONY Power 100 continues to spotlight the trailblazers whose work is transforming culture, business, sports, media, politics, the arts and beyond.

Now entering a new chapter, EBONY Power 100 2026 invites the public to help identify the leaders, creators, executives, advocates and disruptors whose contributions are moving communities forward and shaping tomorrow's possibilities. Nominations are open now and will close on May 8, 2026.

"EBONY Power 100 is more than a celebration of achievement — it is a reflection of the vision, leadership and cultural impact shaping our future in real time," said Eden Bridgeman Sklenar, Chief Executive Officer of EBONY. "As we open nominations for 2026, we are proud to honor the innovators, changemakers and trailblazers whose influence is moving our communities, our culture and our legacy forward."

For generations, EBONY has chronicled the people and moments that define Black America and the broader diaspora. EBONY Power 100 continues that tradition by recognizing a dynamic cross-section of honorees whose leadership resonates across industries and generations. From established icons to emerging visionaries, this year's program will celebrate those whose work embodies innovation, purpose and cultural power.

The call for nominations is open to the public, encouraging communities, colleagues and supporters to submit the names of individuals whose influence deserves recognition on one of culture's most prestigious stages.

The Black Women's Leadership Collective Launches "One Million Black Voters Rising"

The Black Women's Leadership Collective (BWLC), together with its 12 partner organizations and BWLC's North Carolina and Virginia chapters, today announced the launch of One Million Black Voters Rising (1MBVR) www.onemillionblackvotersrising.org a bold, multi-year effort to register one million new Black voters, build collective power and long-term civic engagement. Rooted in the organizing power of Black women—our democracy's most active participants 1MBVR launches with a combined reach of more than 20 million Black women nationwide and their networks.

Using a combination of digital tools, on-the-ground organizing, and culturally competent outreach, 1MBVR invites participants to register new voters and sustain engagement through 2026, 2028, and beyond. Equipped and supported to activate their own networks—in neighborhoods, campuses, workplaces, and congregations—and to have direct, honest conversations. By focusing on person-to-person activation, 1MBVR aims to convert untapped eligibility into real outcomes: more resources for schools, deeper investment in communities, greater opportunity for families, and leadership that is accountable to Black voters.

This effort is grounded in a simple truth: Black political power has not peaked—it has been undercounted, underestimated, and undervalued. At a time of unprecedented threats to our lives, our opportunities, and our communities, anti-Blackness and racism are having a real impact on our present and our future—issues that are not always addressed in traditional voter registration efforts. This is a critical moment to demonstrate what's possible when we move together—across organizations, sectors, and states. That's why 1MBVR is designed to meet people where they are, building the movement through trust, conversation, and connection.

The One Million Black Voters Rising Movement launches with an urgent call to Join the Movement to One Million Stronger. We are rising to use our power—because we have the numbers to create real change, and because there is more to do: more to protect, more to fight for, and more to build for the next generation.

About the Black Women's Leadership Collective
The Black Women's Leadership Collective (BWLC) is an intergenerational, intersectional organizing hub of national Black women-centered organizations, leaders, and advocates from across the country. Rooted in the power of collective action, BWLC is building, growing, and activating a national network to ensure Black women's voices are heard—in the halls of power, at the ballot box, and in our communities. https://www.blackwomensleadershipcollective.org

American Council of Learned Societies Awards 2026 ACLS HBCU Faculty Fellowships and Grants

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is pleased to announce the 2026 awardees of the ACLS HBCU Faculty Fellowship and Grant Program, which supports exceptional research by faculty in the humanities and interpretive social sciences at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Eight fellows will receive up to $50,000 each to support long-term engagement with a research project. Twelve grantees will receive up to $10,000 each to support project development and smaller scale research projects.

"This year's 20 awards support faculty at 18 different HBCUs—large and small, private and public," said Nike Nivar Ortiz, ACLS Program Officer in US Programs. "The breadth of institutions, scholarly fields, and research methods represented in this year's awardees shows the depth of the scholarship found across the HBCU system. ACLS is proud to continue our support for faculty at HBCUs, which play a pivotal role in American higher education and history."

This year's awarded projects take up local HBCU and community histories, pressing national issues, key literary figures, and complex transnational movements. Funded projects include a history of the African American Union soldiers who founded Lincoln University of Missouri; an examination of women's political participation in the Democratic Republic of Congo from 1930-1965; an exploration of the moral, economic, and legal case for Black reparations; and a study of marginalized perspectives in African diasporic opera. The research spans a wide range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, including African American studies, linguistics, philosophy, religious studies, and theater and performance studies.

Learn more about the 2026 ACLS HBCU Faculty Fellows and ACLS HBCU Faculty Grantees and their projects.

Now in its third year, the program was developed in consultation with HBCU faculty and administrators to attend to the unique teaching and service commitments of faculty at HBCUs. The awards include networking and professional development opportunities, as well as an additional grant of $2,500 to the awardee's home institution to support humanities programming or infrastructure.

The ACLS HBCU Faculty Fellowship and Grant Program is funded primarily by the ACLS endowment, which has benefited from the generous support of esteemed funders, institutional members, and individual donors since our founding in 1919.

Formed a century ago, the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is a nonprofit federation of 81 scholarly organizations. As the leading representative of American scholarship in the humanities and social sciences, ACLS upholds the core principle that knowledge is a public good. In supporting its member organizations, ACLS expands the forms, content, and flow of scholarly knowledge, reflecting our commitment to diversity of identity and experience. ACLS collaborates with institutions, associations, and individuals to strengthen the evolving infrastructure for scholarship.