What you describe sets out a "prima facie," or seemingly on its face, case for discrimination: an experienced African American male passed over several times, especially for a less experienced white male. It is still possible that this was not discrimination; for example, if despite your experience, the persons promoted instead of you had better credentials or some particular qualification you lacked. However, you have clearly stated a case worth exploring. You should contact the NJ Division on Civil Rights (DCR) or the federal EEOC to file a complaint--the agency will investigate. If your employer has some nondiscriminatory reason for what they did, they can present it; if they can't show a nondiscriminatory reason, you may be entitled to compensation.