By Lawrence Hamm\People’s Organization For Progress
Photos: People’s Organization For Progress
The Martin Luther King People’s Convention for Justice And Resistance will take place Saturday, April 26, 2025, 8:30am to 4:00pm, at Essex County College, Smith Hall, 303 University Avenue in Newark, New Jersey.
The convention is sponsored by the People’s Organization For Progress (POP). It has been Endorsed by 65 organizations representing a cross section of the grassroots community.
“The purpose of the convention is to develop a people’s agenda and action for its implementation,” Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress stated.
“The effort to organize this convention grows out of our determination to resist all efforts, including those of the Trump administration, to erase the gains of the civil rights movement and the social progress of the past century,” Hamm said.
“There is a strong need to have a current blueprint of common issues, goals and solutions for community building. This convention can provide that framework, “ said Deborah Smith Gregory, NAACP Newark President, whose chapter has endorsed the march.
“During the first 100 days of the Trump presidency we have witnessed a direct attack on those who are the most vulnerable in our country. The people’s convention will help us find ways of working together to fight back against this onslaught,” Charles Hall, President, Local 108 Retail Wholesale Department Store Union UFCW stated, whose labor group has also endorsed the march.
The convention is open to the general public. Those who wish to attend are encouraged to register in advance. Registration for the convention is now open. There is no registration fee.
People can register for the convention online at Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-martin-luther-king-peoples-convention-for-justice-and-resistance-tickets-1292184000129?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Those who are unable to register online can call the People’s Organization For Progress at (973)801-0001 or send an email to info@njpop.org.
“The idea to have a convention grew out of our organizing effort for the Martin Luther King March Of Resistance which was held on January 18th and was endorsed by 308 organizations,” Hamm stated.
“Our planning for the march also included discussions about what we would do afterwards. That is when we collectively decided to have a convention,” he said.
“Just as we built a broad coalition for the march that included several hundred endorsing organizations we want to to the same for the convention,” he said.
“We definitely want to increase the number of endorsing groups. We would like to have many more. Organizations that would like to endorse should contact POP right away,” he said.
The 65 endorsing organizations include: Local 108 Retail Wholesale Department Store Union UFCW AFL-CIO, Newark Branch NAACP, Morris County Branch NAACP, New Jersey Black Issues Convention, International Black Women’s Congress, African Diaspora for Justice, New Jersey Poor People’s Campaign, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 21, South Ward Environmental Alliance, 350 NJ-Rockland, Greenfaith International, New Jersey Green Sustainable Group, December 12th Movement, Clinton Hill Seniors In Action, New Jersey Peace Action, Cease Fire Now NJ, Jewish Voice for Peace Northern New Jersey Chapter, SOMA Collective for Palestine, Pax Christi, Jersey City Non-Violence Coalition, Steven Institute Students for Justice in Palestine, Elombe Brath Coalition, Omega Psi Phi-Upsilon Chapter, Corey Lewis Teague, Hudson County Sierra Club, Bread Is Rising, Newark North Jersey Committee Of Black Churchmen, Hafiz Farid/Foremost Productions, Food & Water Watch, Marques-Aquil Lewis Civic Association, Black Lives Matter Elizabeth, National United Youth Council, Irvington NAACP, Make The Road New Jersey, New Brunswick Area Branch NAACP, Seton Hall University Martin Luther King Scholarship Association, Tom Paine Brigade, Jersey City Food Not Bombs, Hackensack Riverkeeper, HPAE Local 5089, Bethany Baptist Church, All Politics Are Local, National Black Political Convention, Man Village Men’s Support Group, Islay Walden Education Alliance, New Jersey Communities for Accountable Policing, New Jersey Chapter of the National Action Network, Jumpstart, Journey To Justice, Greater Newark Chapter of the National Action Network, Committee To Eliminate Media Offensive To African People, NAACP New Jersey State Conference, African- American Commission of Camden, Gregory Thomas Foundation, Grandmaster Khalil’s Generation II Ippon Do School of Martial Arts, The Law And Policy Group, Mt Teman AME Church, MAPSO Freedom School, Good Neighbor Baptist Church, Newark Interfaith Alliance, The Radical Elders, The Muslim League of Voters of New Jersey, Philadelphia Black Radical Congress, and North Jersey Black Caucus for Social Justice.
For more information or to endorse the convention call 973 801-0001.
