SOMA Living May 2022

SOMA COMMUNITY COALITION ON RACE

The Pursuit of Racial Equity & Integration: A 25-Year Journey in Maplewood and South Orange, New Jersey” kicked off with an address by the Honorable Tahesha Way, Secretary of State of New Jersey and included a moving video history of the founding of the organization. Reflections on being raised in our two towns were shared Maplewood’s own Grammy-winning artist SZA alongside her mother and Coalition Program Director Audrey Rowe. A panel discussion, moderated by WNYC’s Nancy Solomon, explored the two towns’ ups and downs over the past quarter century, measures to advance equity and stop resegregation in the future, and a roadmap for other American communities with similar goals. Panelists included Coalition Founders Fred Profeta, Jr. and Carol Barry-Austin; Executive Director Nancy Gagnier; Trustees Abigail P. Cotler, Kelly Quirk and Erin R. Scherzer; and Committee Member Patricia Canning. Following the increase in Black residents during the late 1990s, the demographics of the towns remained relatively stable for over a decade. While the Black population dropped by 5% in 2020 and is cause for concern, the towns continue to have a higher percent of Black residents than comparable communities and have experienced growth in Hispanic, Asian, and multi-racial residents. Today SOMA is 53.6% white, 26.1% Black, 8.6% Hispanic, 5.6% multi-racial, and 4.9% Asian. Both diversity and integration have increased at the census tract level since 2010. The Coalition’s aim is not only to preserve integration but also to create equity so that people of different races can live among one another, receive the same quality education, visit the same parks and shop in the same stores. “As the Coalition focused on racial steering and issues surrounding white flight, we also addressed equity and excellence in our district schools, in particular the minority achievement gap,” said Barry-Austin, who co chairs the Coalition’s Schools Committee. “How was the tracking system in our schools creating racially imbalanced classes and what could be done about it? We also examined issues such as stereotype anxiety, teacher expectations and race, and the influence of family background and income.” The streaming event is now available for viewing on the organization’s website. The Coalition also announced a new podcast series called “Light The Way,” which will feature candid conversations the community’s journey toward racial equity and integration. The first episode features SZA and Audrey Rowe.

email us at AtlanticConcepts@hotmail.com to schedule a free estimate www.atlantic-concepts.com (386) 344-3894 Atlantic Concepts is a family owned business that has been serving the SOMA community for over 10 years. Its founder, Eddie Cevallos and family are proud residents of Maplewood. Specializing in kitchens, bathrooms, additions, etc, Atlantic Concepts would love to hear your ideas for your projects. Please give us a call for a free estimate.

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