The Rev. Tami Weaver Henry delivers the invocation. (Joe Shine | For The Jersey Journal)
Tami Weaver-Henry and colleagues spent two years writing the CEDAW legislation (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women), a bill made to protect women in Jersey City. When they were told it couldn’t pass because they didn’t have “legislative power,” it lit a fire inside Weaver-Henry.
And that fire is the burning reason behind Weaver-Henry’s campaign for a spot at one of Jersey City’s city council at-large seats, which is on the table this coming general election on Tuesday, Nov. 4. The Jersey City native told Slice of Culture that if elected into one of the three openings, she will continue to show up for the community—just now with more strength.
“My entire journey has been rooted in service, not salary. I’ve shown up when there were no cameras, no headlines and no checks being written because this is my home and these are my people…,” Weaver-Henry wrote in an email interview.
“I’m here to bring faith, fairness and a fresh perspective to City Hall. I’m here to continue to be a bridge in this great city. Together, we can build a Jersey City that works for all of us.”
Early voting is going on right now in New Jersey until Sunday, Nov. 2. To plan out voting early, you can visit https://nj.gov/state/elections/vote-early-voting.shtml and navigate to “Hudson County” where it will list early voting locations.
The general election day falls on Nov. 4 where locals will be choosing for mayor, city council representatives, county sheriff, New Jersey state governor and more. For Hudson County election resources, information or to see who’s on your ballot, you can visit: https://vote.hcnj.us/.
Weaver-Henry was born and raised in Jersey City, and has been residing in the Bergen-Lafayette area for the last 24 years.
She said growing up in the Hudson County town taught her “resilience, community and faith.”
“I had to make a difficult decision in high school to drop out and take care of my mother, and that experience taught me the value of hard work, sacrifice and responsibility. It showed me the importance of making sure that everyone around me was safe, loved and heard,” Weaver-Henry wrote.
As she took care of her mother, she also looked out for the elders and children in her neighborhood. The phrase “it takes a village” has stuck with her ever since.
And it’s reflected in the work she does today.
She currently serves as:
- Second Term Chair of the Jersey City Women’s Advisory Board (JWAB)
- Chaplain for the Jersey City Police Department
- Longtime member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women
- CEO of Angels Care Home Health Agency, New Jersey’s first Christian-based home care company
- Co-pastor
- Community chaplain
Previously, she served as an environmental commissioner, a Democrat committeeperson and a board member of the Jersey City Employment and Training Program.
“That spirit of ‘it takes a village’ never left me. It’s why I’ve spent over three decades serving without pay because real change starts with showing up for people,” she added.
The CEDAW legislation—which was passed in September 2024 and made possible with the help of Council President Joyce Watterman, Councilwoman Amy DeGise, former Councilwoman Mira Prinz Arey and Councilwoman Denise Ridley—was just one of the many, vital pieces of the puzzle for Weaver-Henry’s journey.
“That experience showed me why we need women like us inside the room with the power to legislate, not just advocate,” she wrote.
“What inspired me to run is knowing that in order to finish what we started with that legislation, I have to be sitting in that city council at-large seat so that I have the legislative power necessary to get it done. That’s when I understood my next assignment: to step into the arena not just as a voice for change but as a vessel for action.”
Weaver-Henry announced her run for candidacy back in March, joining Watterman, the current council president, who is campaigning to become the next Jersey City mayor.
“I am honored to stand alongside Joyce Watterman and the Joyce for JC team. This is an opportunity to bring my passion for helping others into public service on a larger scale,” Weaver-Henry said in a statement to Hudson County View in March.
Some of the candidate’s priorities include:
- Community safety and community policing
- Women’s rights
- Housing equity
- Empowering women and families
- Public health and wellbeing
- Workforce development
- Combating the Fentanyl and Opioid crisis
You can read more about her specific stances on her website at https://www.tamiforjc.com/s-projects-side-by-side and on Watterman’s website at https://www.joyceforjc.com/tamiweaverhenry.
For more on the candidates you’ll see on the Jersey City ballot, you can read our coverage here.
“People should also vote for me because I’ve been a bridge in this city for a very long time. My phone number has never changed, 551-655-1762, and it never will. Jersey City is my home, and everyone who lives here is my neighbor,” she said in a written response.
“That’s why when I say Tami for the People, I mean it. This is not my first act of service, it’s just the first time my name is showing up on the ballot.”
