(HACKENSACK, NJ) -- Who were the Black women suffragists and what challenges did they overcome to win women the right to vote?  The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF) plans to identify and recognize their contributions on the co-created community public art, Women's Mural Project: Celebrating Black Suffragists + Achievements of Black Women.  The mural will be created on the Women's Rights Information Center's (WRIC) building in downtown Englewood, New Jersey, one of the most heavily trafficked districts in Bergen County.

The project recognizes Black suffragists' groundbreaking accomplishments. Through participatory workshops, the project will capture and elevate the stories of Black women in Englewood.  Their voices and accomplishments will be celebrated in the content of the mural, a piece of public art to prompt learning, dialogue, and appreciation for the community and greater Bergen County.

Celebrating the Spirit of Black Women

 "The mural will honor the spirit of the Black suffragists of the past, as well as Black women who currently live and have roots in Englewood.  These women will contribute their own stories of perseverance, as content for the mural.  This will ultimately become an important reflection of their identities showcased in the city’s downtown," said Danielle De Laurentis, Associate Director, Northern New Jersey Community Foundation.

An open call to professional muralists will be made to select an artist to paint and design the mural with content input provided by the Black community.  The central location of the WRIC's building will help to generate pride of place and a sense of connection and belonging to the downtown and community-at-large. 

Donations Sought to Implement the Mural Project

In partnership with the WRIC, Metro Community Center, and the Woman’s Club of Englewood, the Foundation seeks the public's support.  Donors can help implement the project by making a tax-deductible donation at https://bit.ly/2OyHWjC.  Contributions may also be sent by check made out to 'The Northern N.J. Community Foundation' with 'Women's Mural Project' entered in the memo line. 
 Send checks to the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, 1 University Plaza, Suite 128, Hackensack, New Jersey 07601   

Founded in 1998, the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF), a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Hackensack, New Jersey, focuses primarily on civic engagement, education, public health, the environment, philanthropy, and the arts.  The NNJCF works with local governments, school districts, businesses, non-profit organizations, and citizen groups in northern New Jersey to improve community life.  The Foundation's partners identify and resolve regional problems and opportunities by talking and learning from each other and sharing ideas, best practices, services, and resources.

ArtsBergen, an initiative of the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, is an arts alliance in Bergen County, New Jersey that supports and encourages creative placemaking, the practice of integrating arts and culture into a neighborhood, town, or region to build community and livability and boost local economy.  The initiative's mission is to energize and unify artists and arts organizations and connect the Bergen County community to the arts.