Jersey City’s Activist Roots: A History of Resistance

Jersey City has a long and proud history of activism. From the early days of resistance against British rule, to the fight for workers' rights in the early 20th century, to the civil rights movement of the 1960s, Jersey City residents have always been willing to stand up for their beliefs. More specifically, the city’s residents have historically been dealing with racial injustices through rallys, campaigns, and various organizations. Today, the legacies of Jersey City’s historic activists live on through modern day efforts to combat social issues.  

One of the earliest instances of Jersey City activism took place in 1774, when residents staged a protest against the British government's decision to tax tea. The protesters, who came to be known as the "Jersey Tea Party," dumped several crates of tea into the Hudson River. This act of defiance inspired other colonies to follow suit, and is considered one of the first steps leading to the American Revolution. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Jersey City was a hotbed of workers' rights activity. Factory workers, many of them immigrants, fought for better working conditions and wages. One of the most famous labor leaders to come out of Jersey City was Joseph D. Budd, who helped found the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. These early acts of activism within the community set the stage in Jersey City for the years-long fight against racism and other injustices against oppressed groups. 

For instance, in 1873, the Jersey City Board of Trade was established to help the city's African American residents find jobs. Then, in 1874, the African American community in Jersey City formed an organization called the "Jersey City Colored Citizens." The organization held a parade to celebrate their newly found emancipation. Finally, in 1875, they founded a newspaper called "The Afro-American” that served as a means for African Americans in Jersey City to share their stories and ideas for positive changes with each other. 

Later, in 1909, an anti-lynching rally was held in Jersey City. The event was organized by Reverend Dr. W.E.B DuBois and it attracted around 5,000 people who marched from Liberty State Park to Liberty Hall on Grand Street in Jersey City to fight for those who were wrongfully lynched as a result of the extreme racism that still persisted in the community. 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. also had ties to activism in Jersey City. In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr visited the city and delivered a speech at Lincoln High. He spoke in support of developing open housing for African Americans and others in need in the city. His speech occurred just weeks before his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, and helped lay the groundwork for the historic events that followed. 

Later, in March 1968, just one week before his assassination, Dr. King spoke at Metropolitan A.M.E Zion Church in Jersey City to encourage support for his upcoming Poor People’s Campaign. Around 2,000 people heard his efforts to direct the community towards positive, tangible changes for the African American community with the campaign. The main focus of the campaign was to bring together the disfranchised and impoverished masses of the United States through marches, protests, and economic boycotts. Led by Dr. King and other prominent civil rights leaders like Ralph Abernathy and Bayard Rustin after his assassination, it sought to end poverty and racial injustice for all Americans. 

The campaign was carried out under the slogan "America needs a checkup." It demanded full employment or guaranteed income for all adults; decent housing for all; quality education for all children; repeal of all Jim Crow laws; voting rights; and an end to economic inequality and poverty. The campaign lasted six weeks with at least 100,000 people marching each day in groups of about 1,000 across the country. Its effects were prevalent in Jersey City at the time, and continue to reverberate today with the Poor People's Campaign chapter of New Jersey. 

Today, Jersey City remains a place where people are willing to stand up for what they believe in. Whether it's fighting for social justice, workers' rights, or environmental protection, Jersey City activists are still making their voices heard. Thanks to our long history of resistance, Jersey City will always be a place of activism.