Black Clergy Amplifies the Black Community’s Voice
BY JEANNINE FRISBY LARUE
The journey on the long and winding road that led to New Jersey’s state capital is one for the record books. While pundits analyze data, minorities and progressives look at what happened in the June 10 primary election.
Mayor Ras Baraka led a fierce coalition of supporters who shaped the conversation around issues resonating with urban voters, Black and Latino communities, and the working class. The mayor’s voice represented a progressive constituency that forced other candidates to respond to his agenda. His strong second‑place showing in the primary election signaled an opening for Black voices to have a role in the general election, ultimately led by the Black church.
The role of Black clergy emerged as a potent force in the campaign of Mikie Sherrill. It is no secret that early in the cycle, Sherrill’s team struggled to gain the trust and formal endorsement of key faith leaders in Black communities.
Immediately after the June primary, Mayor Baraka and Pastor Charles Franklin Boyer of Greater Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church in Trenton organized Black Agenda forums in churches throughout the state, collectively attracting well over 1,000 attendees. A robust number were congressional, state, county, and municipal leaders, along with business, community, educational, and spiritual leaders.
Issues raised at these forums were incrementally presented to then‑candidate Sherrill and her campaign staff to help them better understand the needs and concerns of Black communities across the state. Within this period, Sherrill took the bold step of selecting a Black Methodist pastor, Dr. Dale Caldwell, as her lieutenant governor running mate.
In Sherrill’s addresses before both the New Jersey General Baptist Convention, led by Dr. Semaj Vanzant Sr., and the 1st Episcopal District A.M.E. Church, led by Bishop Samuel L. Green Sr., it became obvious she and her team had made great strides toward grasping issues Black people deal with on a daily basis.
During the final weeks of the campaign, Sherrill secured the backing of over 150 Black faith leaders from across the state. These endorsements helped send a signal that the Black church community believed Sherrill offered the best path for advancing the issues of concern in Black New Jersey.
The result: Exit polling indicated Sherrill won approximately 94 percent of the Black vote, a margin that significantly contributed to her margin of victory.
The Black clergy served not only as endorsers and mobilizers but also as agenda‑setters—defining which issues mattered, holding the campaign accountable, and legitimizing Sherrill’s outreach in communities that often feel overlooked. For instance, a dedicated clergy forum run by Salvation and Social Justice brought together about 100 Black ministers to question gubernatorial candidates directly about affordable housing policy, Black maternal health, policing, segregation, and Black history education.
In effect, these clergy forums helped drive the campaign’s content, paving the way for formal endorsements to be made. Looking ahead, the Black clergy community—having now played a significant role in the outcome—will rightly expect the incoming Sherrill administration to deliver on policy priorities.
Among the key issues they should expect and push for:
- Housing and homeownership equity: Addressing systemic barriers to affordable housing, supporting first‑time buyers in Black communities, and closing the wealth gap tied to homeownership.
- Health equity and maternal health: Prioritizing interventions to reduce Black maternal mortality and improve health outcomes in underserved communities.
