New Jersey Mayor Discovers Ancient American Tradition: Racial Exclusion
The Independent reports New Jersey state officials are suing Clark Township Mayor Sal Bonaccorso for allegedly directing police to target Black individuals with minor or false violations to deter them from his town. This isn't a new phenomenon; it echoes 'sundown towns' of the past, where non-white individuals were unwelcome after dark. The playbook is familiar: use law enforcement as a municipal
bouncer, disguised as 'public safety' initiatives, to maintain a specific demographic. One might even call it a rather undemocratic form of urban planning. While mainstream reports highlight the specific allegations, they often gloss over the historical context that makes such behavior both appalling and, depressingly, unsurprising. This is not just a 'rogue mayor'; it's the ghost of redlining and
Jim Crow, dressed up in a police uniform. How many towns operate with these unspoken rules, only for the facade to crack when a whistleblower comes forward? The only thing 'new' here is that someone finally filed a lawsuit.