By Donald Gilpin
“On Being More Human” is the theme of this year’s Joint Effort Princeton Witherspoon Jackson Community Safe Streets Program, opening on August 1 and featuring nine days of cultural, educational, historical, social, and athletic events.
“Joint Effort has been a game changer for more than 30 years in the town of Princeton,” said longtime Witherspoon-Jackson resident and former Princeton Councilman Lance Liverman. “The community fellowship with the recognition of the many sincere, loving folks has been icing on the cake. We are lucky and blessed to have Joint Effort again this year.”
Joint Effort founder and organizer John Bailey discussed his vision for the community celebration that includes participation by many local dignitaries, numerous awards for community service, a gospel festival, recognition of Princeton Black churches and Black families, book scholarships, art exhibits, hot topics discussions on DEI and Defend Historic Princeton (Racism, Elitism, or Fundamental Public Policy Disagreement?), along with a candidate forum, reminiscences of the past and visions of the future, a block party, a fish fry, basketball games, awards for the All-time Greatest Joint Effort Witherspoon-Jackson Basketball Players, a celebration of Paul Robeson, and more.
“Right now I’m asking all of us to be more human,” Bailey said. “We need to be not blacker, not whiter, but more human. Robeson was one of those people who, as a world citizen, wanted to encourage all of us to be more human. Don’t just be, be more.”
Bailey and Joint Effort are following that advice. “Every year it gets bigger and bigger,” he said. “Every year there’s more and more that has to happen. That’s how we approach it.”
Princeton Mayor Mark Freda, who will be a featured speaker and participant in several events over the nine days, reflected on the origins of the current program, which is a continuation and extension of the Joint Effort Community Sports program, which was founded in 1974 by Bailey, John Young, John Madden, Dennis Duggar, and Gilbert Fisher as “a vehicle to engage Princeton youth in the Witherspoon-Jackson community.”
“The program has historically celebrated, recognized, honored, and acknowledged the African American community in the Witherspoon-Jackson section of the town,” said Freda. “Along with youth basketball clinics and games, in recent years it also offers programs open to the entire community for discussions related to social issues, candidate forums, and other topics.”
Each day of Joint Effort highlights an important Black personality in Princeton and the Witherspoon-Jackson community: Kathleen Edwards, Eric and Minnie Craig, William Brooks, Barbara Hill, Pat and Becky Patterson, Logan Pemberton, Lloyd and Barbara Banks, and Jim Carter.
“Each day of Joint Effort is named for ordinary people who gave extraordinary effort in their own unique way to make the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood the nurturing village it remains today,” said Princeton Councilman and longtime Witherspoon-Jackson resident Leighton Newlin.
Major sponsors of 2025 Joint Effort include Studio Hillier, Palmer Square, McCaffrey’s Food Markets, Capital Health, First Bank, NJM Insurance Group, and the Arts Council of Princeton.
Bailey commented on the value of remembering and celebrating the history of the community. “The difference between humans and animals is the ability to reflect, to understand where we’ve been through hindsight, where we are now through insight, and where we can go through foresight,” he said. “The whole program is a resonating call to former Black Princetonians to come home for a few days and engage and remember, an opportunity to reflect on the positive things that helped you grow up and shape your lives, also having some of those kids who have received book scholarships and gone off to college tell us what they’ve learned, what roles they can play, and how we can help you find your voice.”
Bailey noted that in addition to everyday life issues, the Joint Effort programming will be confronting a number of controversial issues. “DEI: The National Pushback and the Impact on Local Communities” is on the agenda for the evening of August 4 at the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church, with New Jersey African American Chamber of Commerce CEO John Harmon and the Rev. Charles Boyer, founder and executive director of Salvation and Social Justice, leading a distinguished panel of participants.
“The country is creating angst and venom, along with chaos, confusion, and contradiction,” said Bailey. “Trump is trying to take us backward, back to Jim Crow. We’ll have a conversation about that, what it looks like and what we can do about it, in New Jersey and also in Princeton. This is an opportunity to talk about that with a great panel of folks, who will engage with the discussion.”
An even hotter topic in Princeton recently, “Defend Historic Princeton” advocates’ resistance to a proposed housing project on property formerly owned by Princeton Theological Seminary, will be in the spotlight on Saturday morning, August 9, as part of a “What’s Going On in Princeton” forum at the First Baptist Church of Princeton.
“There’s disagreement here,” said Bailey. “So let’s have a conversation about it. Let’s not hide. Let’s be up front and deal with it. Is it racism? Is it elitism? Or is it a policy disagreement? You have to have those conversations with people who are willing to talk about it. Let’s have a conversation that is in the best interests of the town rather than trying to stir up historic ghosts of segregation and taxation and revaluation and all those things that have had an impact on folks in Princeton.”
Describing the nine-day event as “one of the most important and affirming celebrations of African American life, legacy, and leadership in our community,” Newlin noted, “The week will feature honest discussions on public safety, education, housing, politics, candidates, and the cultural DNA of Princeton’s Black community. It’s about keeping it real. And about doing the hard work shoulder to shoulder, with clarity, conviction, and community at the center.”
An opening reception, including a community recognition and meet-and-greet with the new Princeton Public Schools Superintendent Michael LaSusa, will launch the festivities at Studio Hillier on Witherspoon Street from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, August 1.