National Poetry Month
Each week in April, we will include a poem in our newsletter! If you have a favorite, please email us so we can post it!
Poem - Langston Hughes (1926)
The night is beautiful,
So the faces of my people.
The stars are beautiful,
So the eyes of my people.
Beautiful, also, is the sun
Beautiful, also, are the souls of my people.
Professional Opportunities
WORK FOR THE NEWSLETTER!!!
We are looking for a first-year MAP student to become the editor for the 2025-2026 school year! If you are interested, please email russwswpn@gmail.com
Local Organizer, PA Stands Up (Berks County, Pennsylvania)
Program Specialist Trainee, Office of Climate Resilience – NJ Department of Environmental Protection (Trenton, NJ)
Coordinator of Advocacy Services - Women Aware, Inc. (New Brunswick, NJ)
Manager of Engagement and Community Impact - National Council of Jewish Women, Essex County Section (Livingston, NJ)
PAID Fellowship Opportunities
Advocacy Corps Fellowship - Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) (remote/hybrid: Washington, DC)
Summer Fellow - PA Stands Up (Various: PA)
Leonard Lieberman Philanthropy Fellowship, Program Associate - The Fund for New Jersey (hybrid: Princeton, NJ)
Fellowship Initiative - Twelve Plus (Camden, NJ)
Engagement & Leadership Summer Fellow - National Council of Jewish Women (Washington, DC)
National Policy News Highlights
IRS agrees to share tax information of undocumented immigrants with ICE
The Guardian
“The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will share taxpayer information about undocumented immigrants with homeland security officials, a move that will give unprecedented access to immigration enforcers to aid in deportations.”
The Alien Enemies Act, Explained
The Brennan Center for Justice
“The law permits the president to target these immigrants without a hearing and based only on their country of birth or citizenship. Although the law was enacted to prevent foreign espionage and sabotage in wartime, it can be — and has been — wielded against immigrants who have done nothing wrong, have evinced no signs of disloyalty, and are lawfully present in the United States. It is an overbroad authority that may violate constitutional rights in wartime and is subject to abuse in peacetime.”
DHS revokes parole for hundreds of thousands who entered via the CBP One app
POLITICO
“The Trump administration is revoking parole status for immigrants who entered the U.S. via the Biden-era CBP One app, in a push to get immigrants to voluntarily leave the country. “Under federal law, Secretary [Kristi] Noem — in support of the president — has full authority to revoke parole. Canceling these paroles is a promise kept to the American people to secure our borders and protect national security,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told POLITICO in a statement.”
Michigan court bans mandatory life sentences for 19 and 20-year-olds in murder cases
The Associated Press
“The Supreme Court, in a 5-2 opinion, said mandatory life sentences for people who were 19 and 20 at the time of the crime violate a ban against “cruel or unusual punishment” in the Michigan Constitution. The court made a similar decision for 18-year-olds in 2022.”
Regional Policy News Highlights
Summit is latest NJ city to introduce law that would jail homeless people sleeping in public
Gothamist
“Summit — one of the wealthiest communities in one of the country's wealthiest states — introduced the provision with significant support from council members, despite having only a handful of homeless residents, according to one advocacy group.”
Governor grants clemency to 93, promises more before he leaves office
The New Jersey Monitor
“Gov. Phil Murphy issued pardons to 87 people and shortened the sentences of six more in his second round of clemency actions Tuesday, making history for granting more clemencies than New Jersey governors have in the past three decades combined. With 36 clemencies signed in December, Murphy now has pardoned or commuted the sentences of 129 people since he created a clemency advisory board last June.”
Racial wealth gap widening in New Jersey
NJ Spotlight News
“...The racial wealth gap between white residents and Black and Latino residents has doubled since before the pandemic, from roughly $300,000 to more than $600,000. The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice released the report titled The Two New Jerseys: A Deepening Divide revealing staggering racial disparities in terms of wealth, homeownership, income and health insurance.”
United Way of Hunterdon County launches youth mental health and sports initiative
ROI NJ
“The initiative specifically targets ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households—families who are above the poverty line but still struggle to afford necessities. United in Play aims to remove financial barriers to sports participation by offering scholarships, covering equipment costs and eliminating participation fees. The program also provides families with wellness resources and offers free teletherapy to youth and their caregivers.”
Upcoming Events
Student Workshop: Talking Across Difference
Facilitated by the Rutgers Democracy Lab, the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, and the Rutgers New Brunswick Political Science Department
Thursday April 16th, 2025
6:00pm - 8:00pm
The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)
1 Center Street
Newark, NJ 07102
Join with other Rutgers students in a conversation about American politics today - what’s happening, why does it matter, and how can you get more involved? Open to current Rutgers students. Participants must register in advance. Dinner will be served. This Talking Across Difference conversation will be moderated by Rutgers faculty. To register for this event, click here.
From Citizen to Changemaker: Making your Voice Matter
Facilitated by the Rutgers University Center for American Women and Politics
Tuesday April 22nd, 2025
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Rutgers Academic Building - East Wing, Room 2400
15 Seminary Pl, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
In conversation with her sister, Marla Blunt-Carter, Associate Professor of Professional Practice, Rutgers School of Social Work, U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) will serve as this year's Senator Wynona Lipman Chair in Women’s Political Leadership.
Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester represents Delaware in the U.S. Senate. She was elected in 2024 after serving four terms as Delaware’s sole representative in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the House, she served on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which oversees health care, the environment, commerce and trade, energy policy, telecommunications, manufacturing, and consumer protection.
The Senator Wynona Lipman Chair in Women’s Political Leadership was created to honor the legacy of the late state Senator Wynona Lipman, the first Black woman to serve in the New Jersey State Senate. The Lipman Chair is intended to celebrate Senator Lipman, remind people of her achievements, and encourage others to follow in the footsteps of this path-breaking Black woman leader.
To register for this event, click here.
