Newark, New Jersey - The first-of-its-kind New Jersey Reparations Council is gearing up for its fourth online public session.

The New Jersey Reparations Council is holding its fourth virtual session on February 8 at 6:30 PM ET, focused on health equity in the Garden State.

The council was convened by the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice and launched on Juneteenth 2023. It consists of more than 55 experts organized into nine committees, all tasked with examining the state's legacy of enslavement and racial discrimination and developing a slate of policies to address ongoing harms.

The body, chaired by Taja-Nia Henderson of Rutgers Law School and Khalil Gibran Muhammad of the Harvard Kennedy School, held its first session in September. A panel of experts discussed the history of slavery in New Jersey, from its inception as a European colony in the 17th century to its ratification of the 13th Amendment.

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The second session, conducted in December, took on the history of segregation in New Jersey and its continuation to this day, particularly in housing and education.

The third session in January explored the role of faith and Black resistance in combatting white supremacy.

The New Jersey Reparations Council is set to release its final report and recommendations on Juneteenth 2025. An interim report is expected on Juneteenth of this year.

New Jerseyans around the state are invited to make their voices heard by submitting public comments at any time on the council's website or live during the sessions, with pre-registration required.