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!
Canary - Rita Dove (1989)
Billie Holiday’s burned voice
had as many shadows as lights,
a mournful candelabra against a sleek piano,
the gardenia her signature under that ruined face.
(Now you’re cooking, drummer to bass,
magic spoon, magic needle.
Take all day if you have to
with your mirror and your bracelet of song.)
Fact is, the invention of women under siege
has been to sharpen love in the service of myth.
If you can’t be free, be a mystery.
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.
Assistant Area Director - New Jersey Department of Children and Families (Secaucus, NJ)
Operations and Finance Coordinator - Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (Remote)
Lead Community Organizer - African Communities Together (hybrid: NYC, NY)
Program Coordinator - Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (hybrid: Philadelphia, PA)
PAID Fellowship Opportunities
Advocacy Corps Fellowship - Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) (remote/hybrid: Washington, DC)
Summer Fellow - PA Stands Up (Various: PA)
Fellowship Initiative - Twelve Plus (Camden, NJ)
National Policy News Highlights
Federal Voter ID Bill Attacks Trans Voters — and Anyone Else Who Has Changed Their Name
truthout (op-ed)
“The legislation now heads to the Senate where it will need 60 votes to pass. The SAVE Act is clearly an attack on women’s right to vote — especially women who are low-income, Black and Brown, trans, or houseless. That means this fight is yet another opportunity for solidarity that places trans stories at the center, rather than the margins, of our analysis and strategy.”
The Impact of the L.A. Fires Was Felt Far From the Burn Zone, Poll Shows
The New York Times
“A new survey released on Wednesday found that the Los Angeles wildfires took an extraordinary financial and emotional toll on millions of people in Southern California that extended far beyond the communities that burned. More than 40 percent of the adults surveyed said they knew someone who had been personally affected by the wildfires that began on Jan. 7.”
Closing the racial gap in economic and social power
The Brookings Institution (podcast with transcript)
“Historically, Black Americans’ quest for power has been seen as an attempt to gain equal protection under the law, but power in America requires more than basic democratic freedoms. It’s linked with economic influence and ownership of one’s own self, home, business, and creations. In his new book, Black Power Scorecard: Measuring the Racial Gap and What We Can Do to Close It, published by McMillan, Brookings Senior Fellow Andre Perry quantifies how much power Black Americans really have and calculates how that translates into the longevity of Black communities.”
Judge rules against dads who wore pink wristbands to protest trans high school athletes
The Associated Press
“Two fathers who oppose allowing transgender athletes to play high school sports won’t be allowed to wear pink wristbands marked “XX” to games while their lawsuit against the school district continues, a federal judge ruled Monday.”
Regional Policy News Highlights
NJ’s youngest voters go to the polls in Newark
NJ Spotlight News
“Newark teens voted for the first time in school board elections on Tuesday after the city agreed to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote for members of the board of education. Voter turnout in Newark school elections is historically low, something advocates hope will change by energizing voters at a younger age. More than 1,800 newly eligible teens registered to vote by the March 25 deadline, according to the Department of State.”
A look at the universities with federal funding targeted by the Trump administration
WHYY (NPR)
“The series of threats - and subsequent pauses in funding - to some of the top U.S. universities have become an unprecedented tool for the administration to exert influence on college campuses. Six of the seven universities impacted are Ivy League schools. President Donald Trump vowed to pursue these federal cuts on the campaign trail last year, saying he would focus on schools that push “critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content.” Public school systems are targets for cuts too.”
Bill to end tipped wage credits meets broad opposition
The New Jersey Monitor
“A legislative proposal to eliminate an exemption for tipped workers in the state’s minimum wage law met with broad opposition from business groups, restaurateurs, and workers [last week]. Opponents of the bill, which was presented for a discussion only before an Assembly panel and did not see a vote, said the plan would force business closures, price hikes, and cuts to worker compensation by requiring businesses to pay the full minimum wage to workers even if their tips bring their hourly pay above the wage floor.”
NYC faces one fight over immigrants that's divided Trump's MAGA loyalists
Gothamist
“New York City led all U.S. urban areas in 2024 with more than 21,000 approvals for coveted H-1B work visas for specialty and skilled workers, according to new data by O2I, a New Jersey-based outsourcing firm. New York and New Jersey are among the top-five states for H-1B recipients, with nearly 56,000 H-1B visa holders in 2024, the company said. The authorizations allow employers to temporarily hire foreign workers in areas where there are gaps in the domestic supply, including in mathematics, engineering and medical sciences.”
Upcoming Events
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.
ReEnter, Register, Vote:
An opportunity to register returning citizens!
Facilitated by the League of Women Voters of New Jersey
Thursday April 24th, 2025
11:00am - 12:00pm
NJ Association on Correction
1701 South Broad St. Hamilton, NJ
In December 2019, New Jersey's Governor signed legislation into law that restored voting rights to people on parole and probation. As part of the League's Reenter, Register, Vote initiative League members and volunteers visit parole facilities to educate and register eligible voters. Sign up below to participate. These sessions will be led by LWV Monmouth County member Annette Scott. Annette will meet all volunteers outside of the facility and guide any first-time volunteers through the day.
Please reach out to mmarks@lwvnj.org or alsgrncbsn@aol.com with any questions. You will receive follow up emails after signing up so please keep an eye out. To register for this event, click here.
Highlight of the Week
GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
"GovLove is a podcast about the people, policies and profession of local government. From Mayors and City Managers to interns and everyone in between, we interview the people making a difference in their communities to learn about the great work being done at the local level."
This is a big year for local and State elections, but what does that mean? This podcast has over 600 episodes discussing real local government employees' experiences and why their roles are so important. While most people choose to vote only in presidential elections, your local elections can have a larger and more tangible impact on your daily life! We hope this podcast highlights the importance of local government and inspires you to vote in your local elections, or run in an election yourself!
The podcast can be listened to on any platform where podcasts are available - Apple, Spotify, etc.
