“Two years ago,after asettlement was reached in the suit against Lakeland Bank for redlining – a historical weapon for racist discrimination,outlawed, yet still practiced today – I joined NJCAto demand that the Provident/Lakeland merger be contingent upon a CommunityReinvestment Act (CRA) agreement. Requirements included not only monetaryreparation, but also specific community outreach that included opening bankbranches in Newark neighborhoods where age or income pose transportationbarriers.

“It wassatisfying to see the Consent Decree restitution in progress until theDepartment of Justice recently moved to terminate it. I condemn this act as a betrayalof the people who were harmed, and of decency itself. I call on the Departmentof Justice to halt this termination.

“Consent decreeor no consent decree, noble acts of justice and equity stand on their ownweight. As such, Provident must stay the course to fully repair the damageto our community caused by its redlining practices and, in the process, verifyits integrity.”