By the Rev. Sidney Williams Jr.
As we enter another election cycle in a season where our Nation has not been this divided since 1861, the gloves will be off.
The political campaigns will be brutal and even the strong may grow weary. It will be especially taxing on the families of the candidates. Long after the debates and all of the ballots have been cast, there will be hurt feelings and broken friendships.
Quite frankly, I applaud anyone who has the courage to run and I pray that they are running for the right motives. Partisan pressure and political promises will be at odds for whoever wins. This is especially true for the 11th Congressional District.
Morris County has definitely had some tough political battles, but few people are aware of our history on the issue of slavery and race relations. I was surprised to learn how many families owned slaves in Morris County and that New Jersey only abolished slavery in 1865, after the Civil War.
Even more surprising are some of the racist attitudes that still prevail in our community among Democrats and Republicans. The Bethel AME Church hopes to facilitate dialogue around this issue and hopefully a path towards healing and wholeness as we celebrate 175 years in this community. We also hope people will consider Morris County’s history as they go to the polls this summer.
Our Congressperson will have to be knowledgeable about Morris County’s history and be able to withstand partisan pressure. This was not easy for Rodney Frelinghuysen.
As he rose in the GOP hierarchy, he faced tremendous partisan pressure from party leadership on several issues, which put him at odds with his constituents.
Anyone who has known Rodney will testify that he goes out of his way to be kind and supportive of the people and the organizations within his district. He was especially committed to the Urban League, the NAACP, Art in the Atrium and every House of Worship. It needs to be said that he has been a tremendous asset to our community.
It also needs to be said that we are losing a great public servant in Washington DC. Since his 1994 election, Rodney has never won less than 58 percent of the vote.
He has been a strong advocate for one of the region’s most important infrastructure projects, a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River. He has also been instrumental in steering about $900 million to replace the Portal Bridge near Newark, a key piece of the Northeast Corridor that is prone to malfunctions.
He is also well known for championing the important work being done at New Jersey’s vital military installations, especially Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County, the Army’s premier research and development facility. Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen is deserving of applause.
Although I have never known Rodney to give long speeches or stay at various community events very long, it was abundantly clear to me that he wanted his work to speak for him and his foreparents.
His family has been around a long time and once owned slaves, which was not uncommon in New Jersey. That is a burden Rodney and his family must live with as they work to fight against racism and the injustices that still exist in our Nation. To honor his many years of service, there is something the residents of Morris County can do.
In the primary elections this year, the 11th Congressional District has an opportunity to elect its first African American Representative to Congress.
Republicans can elect Antony Ghee, an investment banker and Army Reserve major. Ghee is also an author of Fraud, Lies & Greed – how professional athletes become victims of fraud.
Democrats can elect Tamara Harris, a family advocate who helps families heal when facing challenging circumstances. Tamara previously worked for the Prudential Asset Management Group and also had a successful career in international finance in the Hong Kong offices of Citigroup and Deutsche Bank.
Both of these candidates would be great for the 11th Congressional District and would speak volumes about the racial injustice that Rodney desired to fight against.
The Rev. Sidney Williams Jr. is pastor of Bethel A.M.E. Church in Morristown, and a former Republican candidate for town council.
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed above are the author’s, and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication.
Check your facts Truscha. You can also read David Mitros’ book on slavery in Morris County. Further, I have not given an endorsement of any candidate. I am simply making the observation that we have a unique opportunity to elect an African American from either party. This would be a first for the 11th Congressional District in much the same way President Obama was the first Black President. I happen to believe that was a major a milestone for our Nation. I understand if you disagree. Given the racial history of this Country, no political party can claim innocence.
Rodney has many admirable qualities, sadly he followed a fairly well documented racist, who believed that there were good people represented in Charlottesville.
I was shocked and saddened that a man of his lineage could go down that road. Our dignified moderate conservative from a blue state morphed into a rabid Trumpisto.
Rev. Williams, the suggestion that voters should vote for someone just because of the color of their skin is racist. This is not an endorsement of continuing a nonracial policy by Congressman Frelinghuysen. Democrats have fought for years to expand inclusion of race, gender, and religious candidates. Your personal endorsement of Ms. Harris and Mr. Ghee is acceptable but not under the guise of prior racism by Rodney Frelinghuysen or the State of New Jersey history. BTW NJ voted to abolish slavery in 1804.