The Dominican-American Center of New Jersey 501(c)(3) , was founded in 2010 by the current president, Santiago Paniagua. It’s original inception was created with the goal of highlighting the talents and qualities of the Dominican community in the city of Newark. He first and longest mission of the organization has been to bring a statue of founding father Juan Pablo Duarte (JPD), to the city of Newark. Through the years, the organization has raised upwards of $150,000 towards this effort. $110,000 of these funds were used to build and transport the statue of JPD from the Dominican Republic to the United States. The organization was also able to obtain legislation from the NJ State Senate, naming the 2nd Saturday of July Dominican Pride Day in the State of New Jersey. Each year the holiday is celebrated with a grand festival that takes place in Branch Brook Park in the city of Newark, and consists of live music, food, cultural enactments, and live entertainment. This festival and other community events that the organization is known for bring our community together several times a year. Currently, the organization is in the final stages of the JPD project, and with community support and more local events, they hope to establish the statue in Newark before the Dominican Pride Day Festival of this year, scheduled to take place on July 12, 2025. Learn more about the JPD Project Below.