On June 18, 11:00 am, the NJ Social Justice Remembrance Coalition is unveiling the plaque in Eatontown in memory of Samuel Johnson, a 66 year old black man lynched there in 1886. (Raindate is June 19 at noon.) 

 

To acknowledge and honor Johnson brings dignity to Johnson’s life and your presence on June 18th is a statement that you do not support the suppression of African Americans’ freedom. Over 4,000 lynchings have been recorded as occurring in the United States—public torture and murder of a Black person. This was a tool of white supremacy following the end of Reconstruction to ensure Blacks were not able to exercise their rights. A Black man could be lynched for wearing his military uniform while on leave or for not stepping off the sidewalk when a white person needed to pass. After 100 years of effort, the federal lynching law finally passed Congress on March 29, 2022.

 

You can view the Soil Collection Ceremony held Oct. 24, 2021, one of several steps to educate the public and prepare for the plaque, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf8JTP0CNvU or learn more at the Coalition’s website: https://www.njremembrance.org/

 

The monument placement is the culmination of 3 years of work in NJ, with Tim and Rainy Hartley representing UUCP throughout this process.