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Hundreds of attendees packed Second Baptist Church in Long Branch, New Jersey, on Saturday night for the second Statewide Meeting for the Black Agenda.
Organized under the leadership of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, featured speakers included U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver, Terence T. Dunlap Sr., pastor of Second Baptist Church, and Rev. Charles Boyer, founder of Salvation and Social Justice. Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton and Richard T. Smith, president of the NAACP New Jersey State Conference, addressed the gathering via a prerecorded video. There was a heavy police presence outside the event.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss how to build momentum to advance a collective agenda that will benefit the more than 1 million Black residents of New Jersey, who comprise approximately 12.4% of the state’s population.
“Hosting the Black Agenda meeting at Second Baptist Church is both an honor and a responsibility,” said Dunlap Sr. in a statement to WHYY News. “This moment is bigger than a gathering; it’s a movement. Our church has always stood at the intersection of faith and justice, and we are proud to serve as a sacred space where voices are elevated, strategies are birthed, and the future of our communities is shaped.”
Rev. Charles Boyer’s fiery speech received applause and cheers from the audience at Second Baptist Church in Long Branch, New Jersey, July 26, 2025. (Kenneth Miles/WHYY)
Event organizers have been tight-lipped about the meeting details and declined to share future plans. But many advocates say the work is needed. Jane Collins-Coding, chair and co-founder of the Black Empowerment Coalition, said these gatherings help to correct oversight.
“A statewide Black Agenda is essential because it ensures that the specific needs, priorities, and voices of Black communities are recognized and addressed at every level of government. Too often, Black communities have been underrepresented in policymaking and overlooked in the distribution of resources and opportunities,” she said in a written statement to WHYY News.
Tinu Joseph, a youth community activist from Essex County, New Jersey, said she wished more young people were present at the event.
“I don’t know if they are meeting people where they are,” she said of the event organizers. “I feel like it’s two different worlds. If you are not in the know or already affiliated with a church or institute, you’re not going to know about these events.”
Joseph suggested organizers consider tapping into sororities and fraternities and being amongst “the masses” to help reach a younger demographic. “That might mean going out to different parties,” she said.