Maplewood Officials: Trump ‘Validated’ Racism, But Local Challenges Exist Too

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The Maplewood Township Committee issued a joint statement on Friday that criticized President Donald Trump’s “unwillingness to denounce white supremacy.”

The committee’s statement also acknowledged that the town has had its own challenges on a local level such as “racial profiling by our police and disparate treatment of students of color in our schools,” as well as “anti-Semitic and racist graffiti in our community and school buildings.”

Earlier this week, a 16-year-old and his family announced their plans to launch a federal lawsuit against the Maplewood Police Department in connection with officers’ controversial confrontation with large group of teens during last year’s annual Independence Day fireworks event.

• See related article: NJ Teen’s Family Plans To Sue Maplewood Cops For Alleged Brutality (VIDEO)

In March, an explosion of anti-Semitic graffiti near South Mountain Reservation led community members to declare the incident a “disgusting” and “senseless” act that has no place in their community.

• See related article: ‘Disgusting’ Swastika Graffiti Appears At South Mountain Reservation

In 2015, a report – done as part of the district’s settlement with the ACLU after allegations of racial issues – alleged that black students in South Orange and Maplewood encounter racial disparities including higher suspension rates, placement differences and defacto segregation.

• See related article: Maplewood and South Orange's Black Students Face Racial Disparities, Report Says

The committee’s full statement follows below. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Maplewood Facebook page here.

"We vehemently oppose Neo-Nazis, Klansmen and white supremacists not just in Charlottesville but across the United States. President Trump’s unwillingness to denounce white supremacy has only encouraged and empowered white nationalists and has further divided our nation.

"When the nation needed moral leadership to heal and unite Americans after the horrible acts of violence and hate in Charlottesville, President Trump failed us. His lack of leadership and validation of racism and racists groups is terrifying.

"As local-elected leaders, we will not remain silent. As the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King said, 'In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.'

"We will continue to speak out against racism, whether it be in Virginia, in New Jersey or in Maplewood.

"Locally, we’ve had our own challenges with racial profiling by our police and disparate treatment of students of color in our schools. And we’ve experienced anti-Semitic and racist graffiti in our community and school buildings.

"The Maplewood Township Committee and the South Orange/Maplewood School Board must act to directly and firmly address issues of racism and discrimination in our community and our schools.

"We call on Donald Trump to lead our nation, to act like a President of all people by taking a stand against white supremacy and anti-Semitism. Anything less is unacceptable and demonstrates his complicity in allowing racism and white nationalism to continue to flourish and grow.

"The Maplewood Township Committee stands with our fellow citizens in their outrage over the President’s words and deeds. We pledge to continue to work with and throughout our own community so that all people feel safe and welcomed in our town."

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