Let the Healing Begin. Let Justice be Done.
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Dear Friend,
We are in the midst of revolutionary change. All around our nation and the world, people of different backgrounds, cultures, and skin tones are coming together to take a stand for justice and unity. Strangers have joined hands to fight against racism, prejudice, and hate, and those who were once ignorant about what it means to be a person of color are eager to learn more. I am hopeful for the changes that these protests will engender. Still, Plainfield, these protests don't mark the beginning of the fight for equality. The battle began hundreds of years ago, first to abolish slavery and then to demand equal rights. The civil rights movement is grounded in blood and sacrifice, and it must carry on in the pursuit freedom and justice for all. Let’s not allow our focus to waver. This fight should not be temporary, and as long as there is discrimination based solely on skin color, the conversation should never stop.
I believe that it
is possible
to bring about change, even within a system that is as broken as ours. This past week, we witnessed the arrests of the police officers involved in the killing of George Floyd. We live in a country where we're innocent until proven guilty. While we shouldn't cast judgment on those accused, the probability exists that these arrests would not have been made without the pressure of public scrutiny and outcry. People are angry and hurt. People want to see justice. People want to know that their children won’t grow up to live in a country where skin color is a rationale for persecution.
We are tired and fed up; we don’t want our children to keep fighting the same war that we've fought over and over, raging against the disparities within black and brown communities. Many years ago, black people didn't have the freedom to go to college or to vote. Black schools didn't receive the necessary funding to allow black children to thrive in school like their white counterparts. From the very beginning, people of color weren’t granted the same opportunities as white people, making it harder for us to succeed. Black and brown people work hard to get ahead without the head start afforded most within white communities. Repairing this ingrained, systemic racism and fixing the broken system is long overdue.
Barack Obama recently held a virtual town hall in which he called on all U.S mayors to pursue policing reforms, specifically the use-of-force policies used when restraining a suspect. All local governments need to begin the process of analyzing the current systems and implementing changes where necessary. While the average layperson is not an expert in techniques utilized by our law enforcement officers, there is room for collaboration. We must ensure the civil liberties of citizens are not violated while also not endangering the life of the officer(s).
The hands of racism have violently killed thousands of black and brown men and women. The anger and frustration expressed by the black and brown community are necessary now to disrupt the status quo. We’re asserting our declaration that black and brown lives always have, and will always matter. Enough is enough.
Let’s continue to protest peacefully for a future where the color of our skin ceases to become the basis for discrimination. The fight for racial justice and equality, as well as equity, that we've been waging for hundreds of years can no longer be ignored and must be respected. Let's continue to have conversations about racism and equality even after the protests come to an end. Let’s not allow our focus and passion for this cause, our cause, to waver. The time is right to begin to heal the age-old wounds that have shaped several generations while making us strong and resilient.
We pray for a new beginning and are hopeful that our children will grow up in a different, more just society than the one we were socialized to accept. A society in which
“we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Creating One Plainfield. One Future.
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Que comience la curación. Que se haga justicia
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Querido Plainfield,
Estamos en medio de un cambio revolucionario. En todo nuestro país y en el mundo, personas de diferentes orígenes, culturas y tonos de piel se unen para defender la justicia y la unidad. Los extraños se han unido para luchar contra el racismo, los prejuicios y el odio, y aquellos que alguna vez ignoraron lo que significa ser una persona de color están ansiosos por aprender más. Tengo la esperanza de los cambios que engendrarán estas protestas. Aun así, Plainfield, estas protestas no marcan el comienzo de la lucha por la igualdad. La batalla comenzó hace cientos de años, primero para abolir la esclavitud y luego para exigir la igualdad de derechos. El movimiento de derechos civiles se basa en la sangre y el sacrificio, y debe continuar en la búsqueda de la libertad y la justicia para todos. No permitamos que nuestro enfoque flaquee. Esta pelea no debe ser temporal, y siempre que haya discriminación basada únicamente en el color de la piel, la conversación nunca debe detenerse.
Creo que es posible lograr un cambio, incluso dentro de un sistema que está tan roto como el nuestro. La semana pasada, fuimos testigos de los arrestos de los agentes de policía involucrados en el asesinato de George Floyd. Vivimos en un país donde somos inocentes hasta que se demuestre lo contrario. Si bien no debemos emitir un juicio sobre los acusados, existe la probabilidad de que estos arrestos no se hubieran realizado sin la presión del escrutinio público y la protesta. La gente está enojada y herida. La gente quiere ver justicia. La gente quiere saber que sus hijos no crecerán para vivir en un país donde el color de la piel es una razón para la persecución.
Estamos cansados y hartos; no queremos que nuestros hijos sigan peleando la misma guerra que hemos peleado una y otra vez, enfureciendo las disparidades dentro de las comunidades de personas de color. Hace muchos años, los negros no tenían la libertad de ir a la universidad o votar. Las escuelas negras no recibieron los fondos necesarios para permitir que los niños negros prosperen en la escuela como sus homólogos blancos. Desde el principio, a las personas de color no se les concedieron las mismas oportunidades que a las personas blancas, lo que nos dificulta el éxito. Las personas de color trabajan duro para salir adelante sin la ventaja que la mayoría de las comunidades blancas tienen. La reparación de este racismo sistémico arraigado y la reparación del sistema roto están muy atrasados.
Barack Obama recientemente tuvo un ayuntamiento virtual en el que llamó a todos los alcaldes de los Estados Unidos para que emprendieran reformas policiales, específicamente las políticas de uso de la fuerza utilizadas para restringir a un sospechoso. Todos los gobiernos locales deben comenzar el proceso de análisis de los sistemas actuales e implementar cambios cuando sea necesario. Si bien no todos son expertos en técnicas utilizadas por nuestros agentes de la ley, hay espacio para la colaboración. Debemos asegurarnos de que no se violen las libertades civiles de los ciudadanos y no poner en peligro la vida de los oficiales.
Las manos del racismo han matado violentamente a miles de hombres y mujeres de color. La ira y la frustración expresadas por la comunidad negra y marrón son necesarias ahora para interrumpir el statu quo. Estamos afirmando nuestra declaración de que las vidas de personas de color siempre lo han sido, y siempre serán importantes. Suficiente es suficiente.
Sigamos protestando pacíficamente por un futuro en el que el color de nuestra piel deje de ser la base de la discriminación. La lucha por la justicia racial y la igualdad, así como la equidad, que hemos estado librando durante cientos de años, ya no se puede ignorar y debe respetarse. Sigamos teniendo conversaciones sobre racismo e igualdad incluso después de que las protestas lleguen a su fin. No permitamos que nuestro enfoque y pasión por esta causa, nuestra causa, flaqueen. Es el momento adecuado para comenzar a sanar las heridas ancestrales que han dado forma a varias generaciones mientras nos hacen fuertes y resistentes.
Oramos por un nuevo comienzo y esperamos que nuestros hijos crezcan en una sociedad diferente y más justa que la de hoy. Una sociedad en la que "sostenemos que estas verdades son evidentes, que todos los hombres son creados iguales, que su Creador les otorga ciertos derechos inalienables, entre los que se encuentran la vida, la libertad y la búsqueda de la felicidad".
Creando un Plainfield, un Futuro
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Barack Obama recently held a virtual town hall in which he called on all U.S mayors to pursue policing reforms, specifically the use-of-force policies used when restraining a suspect. All local governments need to begin the process of analyzing the current systems and implementing changes where necessary. While the average layperson is not an expert in techniques utilized by our law enforcement officers, there is room for collaboration. We must ensure the civil liberties of citizens are not violated while also not endangering the life of the officer(s).
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From the Mayor’s Office
Two Thousand, One Hundred and Sixty-Six (2166) Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Plainfield. Additional
Three Thousand,
One Hundred and Twelve (3112) In Quarantine.
June 5, 2020
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As of Friday, June 5, 2020, the number of positive COVID-19 cases in Plainfield now stands at
Two Thousand, One Hundred and Sixty-Six (2166)
within the ages of twenty-four (24) days old to ninety-six (96) years old. There are an additional
Three Thousand, One Hundred and Twelve (3112)
individuals quarantined as a result of exposure to the virus. There are no new deaths to report today.
On June 4, 2020, Governor Phil Murphy signed an executive order which extends the Public Health Emergency in New Jersey. The declared public health emergency will expire after 30 days unless it is renewed. Let’s continue to practice hygiene and social distancing protocols as the state moves towards reopening.
The Plainfield City Council will meet
on Monday, June 8, 2020 at 7PM
to discuss and vote on the amendments to the 2020 budget. Please join this virtual Zoom meeting here:
https://zoom.us/j/99101955881
Stay safe and may God continue to bless you.
Creating One Plainfield, One Future
Sincerely,
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Oficina del Alcalde
Dos Mil Cientos
Sesenta y Seis (2166) Casos Confirmados de COVID-19 en Plainfield. Tres Mil Cientos Doce (3112) Individuos en Cuarentena.
5 de junio de 2020
Queridos amigos y vecinos,
A partir del viernes, 5 de junio de 2020, el número de casos positivos de COVID-19 en Plainfield ahora es de
dos mil cientos sesenta y seis (2166)
individuos
entre 24 días y 96 años.
Hay otros
tres mil cientos doce (3112)
individuos en cuarentena como resultado de la exposición al virus. No hay muertes nuevas para reportar hoy.
El 4 de junio de 2020, el gobernador Phil Murphy firmó una orden ejecutiva que extiende la emergencia de salud pública en Nueva Jersey. La emergencia de salud pública declarada expirará después de 30 días a menos que se renueve. Sigamos practicando protocolos de higiene y distanciamiento social a medida que el estado avanza hacia la reapertura del estado.
El Concejo de la Ciudad de Plainfield se reunirá el
lunes, 8 de junio de 2020 a las 7 p.m.
para discutir y votar las enmiendas al presupuesto 2020. Únase a esta reunión virtual de Zoom aquí:
https://zoom.us/j/99101955881
Manténgase a salvo y que Dios continúe bendiciéndole.
Creando Un Plainfield, Un Futuro.
Sinceramente,
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Letter from Council President
Steve G. Hockaday
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June 4, 2020
Plainfield Residents,
I reach out to you wishing good health for you and your loved ones. We are in the depths of truly extraordinary times. I urge and encourage all to continue social distancing, wear masks in public, wash your hands frequently, exercise daily and eat plenty of produce to keep your immune system strong. From the disproportionate effect on communities of color like Plainfield is experiencing from the COVID-19 pandemic, to case after case of brutal violence from racist policing throughout America, we are, as Ryan Haygood eloquently and emotionally remarked, “seeing our very foundation erupt into earthquakes from the deeply embedded cracks of structural racism.”
As your Council President whose soul and image reflects that of the historically oppressed, I want you to know that I have spent many days and nights contemplating how we as a governing body can counteract the systemic attacks on our communities and our families. This system has evil roots over 400 years old and it lives today to inhibit the growth and success of our people. But one thing is certain… to progress our people, we must do our part right here in Plainfield to protect our youth and our citizens from the normalization of mistreatment of our fellow brothers, sisters, sons and daughters. The despair of coronavirus continues to grip us and the tension of repeated injustices perpetrated against the black have raised temperature here in the Queen City. We need to get ahead of what is brewing before the unthinkable occurs. This City is fortunate to not have the scenario of a Minneapolis, MN, but Lord knows, we are not immune from those potential problems.
President Obama broke tradition yesterday (former Presidents usually respectfully remain out of the spotlight so that there is only a singular Presidential voice) and participated in a town hall that discussed the coalescence of the pandemics that we now face. One of the main solutions was a call for Mayors and other City Council officials to commit to the following actions:
1.
REVIEW
our police use of force policies.
2.
ENGAGE
our communities by including a diverse range of input, experiences, and stories in your review.
3.
REPORT
the findings of the review to your community and seek feedback.
4.
REFORM
our community’s police use of force policies.
After viewing videos displaying uses of force in our own community, it is obvious that President Obama was talking to Plainfield when he spoke yesterday. It hurts me to my core to see these types of events transpire and I will not sit by idly believing that there isn’t more we can do to make this City a place that breeds opportunity rather than discord. Media coverage would have you believe that to advocate for a black life is to be anti-police. We must reject that conclusion. The City has thrived, in large part, because of the work of our Police Department. The common interest is, or should be, protecting the lives of our communities
and
our officers. I will commit to fighting for justice, peace, equality and opportunity for all residents and I urge everyone to make that same commitment in the role you control. For my part, I will lead and pledge to evaluate our policies for a better Plainfield.
Yours in Service
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Steve G. Hockaday
Council President
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City Council's Budget
Deliberation Schedule
Next Session is June 8, 2020
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New Jersey Economic Development Authority COVID-19 Economic
Response Package
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The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) launched its
COVID-19 Economic Response Package. NJEDA Covid response initiatives aimed at stabilizing and revitalizing local small businesses, mid-size businesses, and start-ups or other early stage companies. The Covid-19 Economic Response Package includes phase 2 of the Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant, the Small Business Emergency Loan Assistance Loan Program, and programs that will assist micro-small and medium sized businesses (i.e.
The CDFI First Loan Program
, which provides low to no-interest loans to micro and small businesses).
To ensure equity and increase accessibility, $2 Million will be reserved for businesses in eligible opportunity zones census tracts. Informational literature and guides are also available in nine languages. Technical assistance is also available.
Applications for phase 2 of the Grant Programs open on
Tuesday, June 9, 2020 at
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Mayor Mapp and Representatives from NJEDA Discuss the Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Program
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The World Coming Together in Support
of George Floyd
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"You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless
he has his freedom" - Malcolm X
To protest has been the only voice of African Americans for decades dating back to the 1960s and the Civil Rights Movement. We have used this method to bring awareness and to spot the light on injustice and intolerance.
In May 2020 after the death of George Floyd this country seemed to be at a breaking point and African Americans had had enough so they took to the streets in large numbers amid a COVID-19 crisis to make their voices heard. There were protests from New York to California and then something amazing happened. There was global support for George Floyd, there was global support for change, there was a show of unity from Syria, the U.K, Berlin and as far away as Australia.
We know that in everything there is good and bad, it is time for the good to outweigh the bad. We are all human and we're in this together. Only together can we demand change, only together can we persevere and overcome.
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For Black Americans Using Social Media Means Risking PTSD
By A. T. McWilliams
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I don’t know if my struggle with anxiety began before or after a police officer shouted “Keep your hands where I can see them!” as he pulled alongside my parked car.
I only know that the following months were filled with sleepless nights, including many spent replaying every sound from the incident: the whoop of the siren—shrieking as it spun in red flashes; the slam of the police car door as the officer approached my window; and the bark of his criminalizing question, “What are you doing in this neighborhood?”
Just when I thought my restless routine was done after so many weeks, I’d close my eyes and see four angry furrows etched into the officer’s forehead. Then, I’d feel sweat drip down mine as I recalled the way his fingers trailed his belt—inching closer to his pistol grip as he waited for my trembling reply: “I live here, officer. I live right across the street.”
By the time I watched George Floyd shout “Momma!” as the suffocating knee of a Minneapolis police officer dug into his neck, I was well aware of why some days I couldn’t sleep through the night, or I didn’t want to leave bed, or I’d lost my appetite, or I couldn’t focus at work, or I felt a stabbing pain in my stomach every time I scrolled through Twitter.
To many Americans, news of Floyd’s death simply marked another viral police killing—tragic, but like most trending topics, fleeting and inconsequential. But for me, and black people across the United States, every tweet, headline, and image sharing news of Floyd’s murder builds into a daily deluge of trauma—flooding our psyche, leaving us afraid to drown.
I’ve felt this pain each of the several times I’ve been racially profiled by the police. And more commonly, I’ve felt it with each traumatic post I’ve read about Floyd,
Breonna Taylor
,
Ahmaud Arbery
,
David McAtee
, and other innocent black people who lost their lives at the hands of the police.
This familiar pain is a symptom of black people’s shared post-traumatic stress disorder—a uniquely American epidemic, 400 years in the making. And as viral police killings force black Americans to repeatedly endure
secondary trauma
—or the emotional stress that results from witnessing the trauma of others—this country must reckon with not just its policing crisis, but also the hidden cost: the unjust spread of a black American stress disorder that is undiagnosed, untreated, and—in the age of social media—ubiquitously spread.
A.T. McWilliams is the son of the late Mayor Albert McWilliams & Darlene McWilliams.
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COVID-19 Relief | Daily Lunches
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Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) Small Business Emergency Relief Fund
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The goal of the UEZ Small Business Emergency Relief Fund is to provide assistance to small businesses who may be experiencing hardship throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic. Small businesses play a significant role in the success of our Urban Enterprise Zone and our City as a whole.
Businesses may receive between $3,500 up to $10,000 from the City of Plainfield to assist with payroll, administrative overhead costs, and other operational components that may have been impacted as a result of closure during this time.
El objetivo del Fondo de Ayuda de Emergencia para Pequeñas Empresas de UEZ es proporcionar asistencia a las pequeñas empresas que puedan estar experimentando dificultades durante la pandemia COVID19. Las pequeñas empresas juegan un papel importante en el éxito de nuestra Zona Empresarial Urbana y nuestra Ciudad en gen-eral.
Los empresas pueden recibir entre $3,500 y hasta $10,000 de la Ciudad de Plainfield para ayudar con la nómina, los costos administrativos generales y otros componentes operativos de las empresas que podrían haberse visto afectados como resultado del cierre durante este tiempo.
CLICK Here
for applications and additional information.
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Plainfield COVID-19 Testing Procedure
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Community Support for the
City of Plainfield COVID-19 Relief Fund
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The City of Plainfield has established a Covid-19 Relief Fund to assist Plainfield residents who are experiencing financial hardship during this pandemic.
The relief fund is designed to provide assistance to families and individuals who need help in the areas of Rent, Mortgage, Utilities and other necessities related to Covid-19.
Click Here
to view application and requirements. Completed applications should be sent to COVID19fund@plainfieldnj.gov or may be dropped off at the Mayor's Office at City Hall.
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La ciudad de Plainfield ha establecido un Fondo de Ayuda COVID-19 para ayudar a los residentes de Plainfield que experimentan dificultades financieras durante esta pandemia.
El fondo de ayuda está diseñado para brindar asistencia a familias e individuos que necesitan ayuda en las áreas de alquiler, hipoteca, servicios públicos y otras necesidades relacionadas con COVID-19.
Haga clic aquí
para ver la solicitud y los requisitos. Las solicitudes completas deben er enviado a COVID19fund@plainfieldnj.gov o puede ser dejado en la Oficina del Alcalde en el Ayuntamiento.
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City Hall - COVID-19 - Modified Schedule
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Skip the Trip to City Hall - Do Business Online!
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PMUA: Important Updates Beginning
on Monday, June 8th
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The Importance of Wearing a Face Mask During COVID-19 Outbreak
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The CDC is recommending that everyone wear a face mask or cloth covering when they go out in public along with continuing social distancing and other preventive measures.
A cloth face covering is not intended to protect the wearer, but may prevent the spread of virus from the wearer to others. This would be especially important in the event that someone is infected but does not have symptoms. A cloth face covering should be worn whenever people must go into public settings (grocery stores, for example).
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Proper Disposal of Face Masks
and Gloves
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How Does Social Distancing Work?
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Resource Road Map - Navigating
Through COVID-19
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Click HERE to access the links in the above document.
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The situation with the Coronavirus changes rapidly and we want to ensure that you are aware of all resources available to you. Please click on the below button for a COVID-19 resource Guide
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Emergency Food Providers & Resources
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Complete the 2020 Census
It Will Shape Our Future for 10 Years
Plainfield Must be COUNTED!
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Candid Conversations about Census 2020
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Mayor Adrian O. Mapp and former boxer Hector Camacho Jr. sat down have an open discussion on the importance of the 2020 Census, how it affects the immigrant population, and what it means to our community.
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We All Count respond to the 2020 Census today
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Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States.
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UNION COUNTY: New Online Platform Helps
Job Seekers in Union County
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UNION COUNTY -
As of Monday, June 1, job seekers in Union County can use the new “Union County Works” website at
ucajc.org
to find job openings, job training and education opportunities, help creating resumes, and more. It is the first county-based “virtual one-stop” employment service in New Jersey.
Union County Works is a project of Union County’s American Job Center. The launch of the new online platform makes the American Job Center the first local workforce area in the state of New Jersey to offer a virtual one stop to its residents.
It is designed to help all job seekers, including veterans and youth, connect with resources remotely while offices are closed to the public during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“This new one-stop resource give our residents the help they need to re-enter the workplace in a safe, yet effective way,”
said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella
.
Union County Works is also a resource for employers looking for qualified applicants, labor market information, and other business services, Freeholder Mirabella noted.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in 59,146 applications for unemployment in Union County, according to the most recent statistics.
“I have worked closely with our American Job Center and Workforce Development Board to allocate funding and resources for this Virtual One-Stop that will be beneficial to helping residents to better access employment services,”
said Freeholder Sergio Granados, who is the liaison to Workforce Development Board
. “One of our top priorities continues to be the training and employment of our residents, and we will continue to work on ways in putting the needs of our residents first.”
The American Job Center is part of the Union County Department of Human Services. For information about all DHS services, call the Action Line at 888-845-3434 or 908-558-2288, or email
DHSAction@ucnj.org
.
For more information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including guidance for the Test Center, visit
ucnj.org/coronavirus-update
.
For general information about COVID-19 and phone contacts for 24/7 assistance with questions, visit the New Jersey Department of Health at
nj.gov/health.
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FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE:
Governor Murphy Announces Outdoor Dining Protocols and Process to Expand Premises for Liquor License Holders
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TRENTON -- Governor Phil Murphy today signed Executive Order No. 150, permitting outdoor dining starting on Monday, June 15
th
, with an accompanying Executive Directive from the New Jersey Department of Health that lays out health and safety standards that food or beverage establishments are required to follow. In addition, the Governor announced a special ruling by the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control creating a pathway for liquor license holders to expand the premises on which they may serve alcohol.
“Restaurants and bars throughout New Jersey have been immensely cooperative with necessary public health measures that were placed upon them while battling the COVID-19 pandemic,”
said Governor Phil Murphy
. “Allowing outdoor dining and the expansion of alcohol-serving areas will allow restaurants and bars to begin welcoming customers back while continuing to comply with necessary social distancing guidance.”
Executive Order No. 150 allows outdoor dining at food or beverage establishments in New Jersey starting on Monday, June 15
th
. Establishments will be required to follow a number of COVID-19 health and safety protocols issued by the Department of Health, including a limit of eight customers per table, and requirements of at least six feet of distance between parties. In addition, for as long as indoor dining is not permitted, food or beverage establishments are required to prohibit smoking in any outdoor areas designated for the consumption of food and/or beverages.
The Order further notes that municipalities are permitted to use their existing authority to allow food or beverage establishments to expand their footprint to outdoor areas, both within their property and among municipally-governed areas, including but not limited to sidewalks, streets, or parks.
Additionally, a special ruling by the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) will temporarily permit establishments with liquor licenses to expand their licensed premises into outdoor areas that are either contiguous or non-contiguous to their permanently licensed premises. Establishments may apply through the POSSE ABC Online Licensing system, and if approved will be issued a temporary permit effective on June 15
th
that will run until November 14, 2020. ABC will not take action on any application until it receives an endorsement or approval by the appropriate governing body officials, and it is the responsibility of the licensee to comply with local ordinances and site plan requirements.
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Please have family and friends sign up to receive these important weekly updates. They can sign up by calling
908.753.3015
or emailing
communications@plainfieldnj.gov
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One Plainfield. One Future
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