Bill Text: NJ SJR144 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Designates February 22 of each year as "Peter Still Day" in New Jersey.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-05-21 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee [SJR144 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-SJR144-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator TROY SINGLETON
District 7 (Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
Designates February 22 of each year as "Peter Still Day" in New Jersey.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Joint Resolution designating February 22 of each year as "Peter Still Day" in New Jersey.
Whereas, Peter Still, whose life story was captured in The Kidnapped and the Ransomed, was born on February 22, 1801, in Caroline County, Maryland, to enslaved parents Levin and Sidney; and
Whereas, Peter's father left shortly after he was manumitted in 1798 and established himself in New Jersey, and his mother Sidney escaped the Eastern Shore of Maryland as a fugitive with her four children before being captured by slave hunters and returned to her enslaver; and
Whereas, Peter's pregnant mother escaped a second time, in 1806, with her daughters, toddlers Mahalah and Kitturah, but made the difficult decision of leaving her two young sons, Levin Jr. and Peter, behind; and
Whereas, In retaliation for Sidney's escape, Levin Jr. and Peter were taken by a slave trader to Kentucky and sold to a man in Lexington; and
Whereas, Enslaved, Peter Still was later taken to Tuscumbia, Alabama, where he married, had children, and was well-respected for his work ethic and character; and
Whereas, With the help of Joseph and Isaac Friedman, two Jewish brothers, Peter was able to purchase his freedom in Alabama, left his enslaved wife and children, and returned to the East Coast in search of his birth family, ending up at the office of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society in Philadelphia where his brother William Still was the clerk; and
Whereas, After over 40 years of being separated and enslaved, Peter was reunited with his mother and siblings living in Burlington County, New Jersey in 1850; and
Whereas, Peter Still chose Burlington, New Jersey as his residence and was hired as a servant for Judge E.E. Boudinot, a member of the prominent Revolutionary War family, who supported Peter Still and described him as an "honest, sober, industrious & capable man, perfectly trustworthy & ever willing to make himself generally [useful]"; and
Whereas, From 1850 to 1854, Peter, through his own efforts travelling across the Northeast and Canada with support from family, friends, and abolitionists, including Harriet Beecher Stowe, collected $5,000 to purchase the freedom of his wife and three children; and
Whereas, The biography of Peter Still was written by Kate E. R. Pickard and published in 1856 as The Kidnapped and the Ransomed: being the personal recollections of Peter Still and his wife "Vina," after forty years of slavery, and the book was used in the abolitionist movement in the United States, obtaining national and international recognition and exposing the darker horrors of American slavery; and
Whereas, In 1863, Peter Still, considered a respected and deep thinker, along with 11 other members of the First Baptist Church in Burlington, New Jersey, founded the Second Baptist Church (a Colored Church) because of racism and discrimination experienced at the First Baptist Church, and Peter became a trustee of the Second Baptist Church; and
Whereas, Peter Still died on January 10, 1868 and was buried in the Old Broad Street Methodist cemetery, which is now the Burlington Methodist and Baptist Cemetery, a historic burial ground, in Burlington, New Jersey; and
Whereas, In 2026, the New Jersey Historical Commission's Black Heritage Trail Program, in commemoration and honor of Peter Still, approved the installation of a historical marker at his gravesite; and
Whereas, Peter Still's dedication to the abolitionist movement, his family, and his successful life should be remembered and celebrated by all New Jersey citizens; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. February 22 of each year is designated as "Peter Still Day" in New Jersey to honor the life of Peter Still and his contributions to the abolition of slavery in America.
2. The Governor is respectfully requested to annually issue a proclamation calling upon public officials, private organizations, and all citizens of the State to observe "Peter Still Day" with appropriate events and activities.
3. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This joint resolution designates February 22 of each year as "Peter Still Day" in New Jersey.
Peter Still was born on February 22, 1801, in Caroline County, Maryland, to enslaved parents Levin and Sidney. Peter's father was freed in 1798 and he left shortly after to established himself in New Jersey, and his mother Sidney escaped Maryland as a fugitive with her four children before being captured by slave hunters and returned to her enslaver. Peter's pregnant mother escaped a second time, in 1806, with her daughters, toddlers Mahalah and Kitturah, but made the difficult decision of leaving her two young sons, Levin Jr. and Peter, behind. In retaliation for Sidney's escape, Levin Jr. and Peter were taken by a slave trader to Kentucky and sold to a man in Lexington.
Enslaved, Peter Still was later taken to Tuscumbia, Alabama, where he married, had children, and was well-respected for his work ethic and character. With the help of Joseph and Isaac Friedman, two Jewish brothers, Peter was able to purchase his freedom in Alabama, left his enslaved wife and children, and returned to the East Coast in search of his birth family, ending up at the office of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society in Philadelphia where his brother William Still was the clerk.
After over 40 years of being separated and enslaved, Peter was reunited with his mother and siblings living in Burlington County, New Jersey in 1850. Peter Still chose Burlington, New Jersey as his residence and was hired as a servant for Judge E.E. Boudinot, a member of the prominent Revolutionary War family, who supported Peter Still and described him as an "honest, sober, industrious & capable man, perfectly trustworthy & ever willing to make himself generally [useful]."
From 1850 to 1854, Peter traveled across the Northeast and Canada with support from family, friends, and abolitionists, including Harriet Beecher Stowe, where he collected $5,000 to purchase the freedom of his wife and three children. The biography of Peter Still was written by Kate E. R. Pickard and published in 1856 as The Kidnapped and the Ransomed: being the personal recollections of Peter Still and his wife "Vina," after forty years of slavery. The book was used in the abolitionist movement in the United States, obtaining national and international recognition and exposing the darker horrors of American slavery.
In 1863, Peter Still, along with 11 other members of the First Baptist Church in Burlington, New Jersey, founded the Second Baptist Church (a Colored Church) because of racism and discrimination experienced at the First Baptist Church, and Peter became a trustee of the Second Baptist Church.
Peter Still died on January 10, 1868 and was buried in the Old Broad Street Methodist cemetery, which is now the Burlington Methodist and Baptist Cemetery, a historic burial ground, in Burlington, New Jersey. In 2026, the New Jersey Historical Commission's Black Heritage Trail Program, in commemoration and honor of Peter Still, approved the installation of a historical marker at his gravesite. Peter Still's dedication to the abolitionist movement, his family, and his successful life should be remembered and celebrated by all New Jersey citizens.
