Professional Opportunities
Fellowships & Summer Internships
The Pauli Murray Fellowship - ACLU
Summer Internship - Mathematica (several positions)
Summer Associate - The Rockefeller Foundation (several positions)
Rutgers University Eagleton Institute of Politics - Eagleton Graduate Fellowship Program
Jobs
Policy & Legislation Manager - NASW (North Brunswick, NJ)
Deputy Director, Asylum Reception and Case Management - International Rescue Committee (remote)
Community Organizer, Consultant - Center for Employment Opportunities (New York, NY)
Advocacy Manager - Unchained At Last (hybrid/Northern NJ)
Equity and Outreach Specialist - National Wildlife Federation (Annapolis, MD)
Program Coordinator: NJ Documenters - New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice (Newark, NJ
Associate Director of Economic Justice, Budget and Tax Policy - Demos (remote/New York, NY)
South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA) - Program Coordinator (Philadelphia, PA)
Content Marketing Manager - Planned Parenthood of Greater New York (New York, NY)
New York Policy Manager - African Communities Together (New York, NY)
Public Health Partnerships Coordinator - CeaseFirePA (Philadelphia, PA)
Sr. Student Program Associate - The Roosevelt Institute (Washington DC)
Upcoming Events
Social Justice, Moms for Liberty and LGBTQ+ Activism in New Jersey
Presented by SWAGGER: Social Workers Advocating for GLBT and Gender-nonconforming Equal Rights
TODAY, February 16, 2024
6:00 - 7:30pm
Online
"As you might know, there is a growing movement around the country to ban books, after school groups, and even discussion of LGBT lives in schools, thus invisibilizing LGBTQ+ lives. What you might not know is that this is happening in our own state of New Jersey. TODAY, SWAGGER will host 3 activists (including one of your fellow students) who will discuss their work on this important issue.
"We are fortunate enough to have these three social justice warriors as our guests. Here are their bios:
"Heather Diane runs a popular exclusive Facebook group called Sparta Progressives and has been a leader for civil rights and progressives in Sparta. Heather was instrumental in flipping the historically far-right town council of Sparta blue in one single vote. Heather's work paved the way for further collaborative actions in Sparta, including passing the Flag Ordinance which ensured that the Pride Flag and the Juneteenth Flag flies at the Town Council for years to come. Heather continues to fight for LGBTQIA+ rights at the Sparta Board of Education where the school board was hijacked by a far-right group running under the bigoted dog-whistle campaign tag, Sparta First. Here, Heather, progressives, and groups like PFlag have made great strides but are up against a BOE President who is leading the BOE with an iron "First" mentality.
"Joseph Wade (he/him/they/them) is a student at the Graduate School of Social Work. His clinical work is currently focused on those suffering in the midst of homelessness and housing crisis. His previous work to advance LGBTQIA+ rights was to feature a veteran who happened to be transgender on his first show in his first series at PBS Thirteen which went national with Tom Hanks and Jon Stewart as healing the series. In Sparta, Joseph's role is as a connector of people and organizations in a very small way. His most significant work in relation to advancing LGBTQIA+ rights was to garner letters of support from professional LGBTQIA+ groups around the nation who represent the Nine Line, a term that represents the Far Right's most revered professions including police, firefighters, veterans, and EMS among others. These letters were then requested from the Mayor's office and released on social media by grassroots groups around Sussex County. My best work is behind the scenes, organizing, connecting and writing.
"Kate Salerna is a lifelong resident of the ultra conservative Sussex County and has extensive knowledge regarding it and its various municipalities. She is an activist and outspoken ally for the LGBTQIA+ and other marginalized communities. Kate has taken active roles involving ongoing issues in the area, including a grassroots anti-warehouse movement, campaigns supporting progressive-minded town council candidates, and dealing with far right conservatives and the highly contentious Board of Education elections. She considers her role “boots on the ground”, connecting various people and groups, attending meetings and gathering as much up to date information as possible, helping with events and fundraising efforts, and taking on other various tasks as they arise. Her goal is to bring a more progressive balance to a rapidly diversifying red-rooted New Jersey county."
Click here to join the Zoom!
Defending Democracy: The Fight for a Floor Beneath Which No Person Should Fall
Presented by The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, The Gov. James J. Florio Visiting Scholar in Public Policy Lecture
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
5:00pm
Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ
Featuring: Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman(D-NJ 12th District)
U.S. House of Representatives; House Appropriations Committee
"The first Black woman to represent New Jersey in Congress, Bonnie Watson Coleman’s work in the House centers on her belief that, in the United States, there should exist a floor below which we should never allow any child, any family, any person to fall. Knowing that millions struggle every day just to make ends meet from the first to the last of the month, her legislative work seeks to bridge the gap for these Americans, making sure that the richest nation in the world doesn’t allow millions to live below the poverty line; doesn’t allow vulnerable groups to suffer the fallout of environmental violations; doesn’t allow profit margins to define the standards or the motivations for incarceration; and doesn’t allow bias to push everyday needs like car insurance out of reach for working families."
Click here to register for this free event!
The Growing Burden Of Black Student Debt
Presented by The University of Wisconsin - Madison Institute for Research on Poverty
Wednesday February 21, 2024
2:00pm - 3:00pm
Online
"Student loan debt weighs heavily on many people in the United States, and Black borrowers—in particular Black women—often acquire more debt than their White peers. This is sometimes the result of debt incurred without graduating but can also indicate larger loans to finance one or more degrees. These factors can be compounded by wage discrimination that means that Black college graduates often make less than comparable White workers. This webinar will explore why racial disparities in education debt burdens exist and are growing, the role of student loan debt in the racial wealth gap, and what policies and practices may help to turn the tide for Black borrowers."
Register for the free webinar here.
Black History Month Virtual Festival
Presented by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH®)
"This year’s festival will celebrate the theme of African Americans and the Arts in the past present AND FUTURE STARTING FEBRUARY 1st 2024.
African American art is infused with African, Caribbean, and the Black American lived experiences. In the fields of visual and performing arts, literature, fashion, folklore, language, film, music, architecture, culinary and other forms of cultural expression the African American influence has been paramount.
African American artists have used art to preserve history and community memory as well as for empowerment. Artistic and cultural movements such as the New Negro, Black Arts, Black Reniassance, hip-hop, and Afrofuturism, have been led by people of African descent and set the standard for popular trends around the world. In 2024, we examine the varied history and life of African American arts and artisans.
In celebrating the entire history of African Americans and the arts, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) puts into the national spotlight the richness of the past and present with an eye towards what the rest of the twentieth-first century will bring. ASALH dedicates its 98th Annual Black History Theme to African Americans and the arts."
View the lineup of virtual events here.
National Updates
ICE Considers Slashing Detention Capacity Because of Budget Shortfall - The New York Times
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is considering a plan to reduce its detention capacity significantly after Republicans in Congress blocked a bill that would have provided the agency with more than $7 billion, officials said Wednesday. To stay within its current budget, ICE would need to cut detention levels by more than 10,000 spots within months, according to documents laying out the proposal, which were obtained by The New York Times.”
Democrats unveil new hip hop task force to tackle racial inequity - The Hill
“A coalition of Democrats are looking to use the power of music to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing Black and Brown Americans. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday unveiled the Congressional Hip Hop Power and Justice Task Force outside the Capitol. The taskforce, led by Bowman, will use hip hop’s messaging of building a more equitable society to help spearhead initiatives to address economic equality, affordable housing and racial justice imperatives. In an exclusive with The Hill, Bowman explained that the inspiration behind the task force came from reflecting on how the genre impacted him over the years.
Why Utah’s discrimination against disabled people matters for everyone - PRISM
“During Utah’s legislative session in January, House Bill 205, the proposal to require Utah employers to pay disabled workers more, was struck down. The bill would have gradually phased out employers’ ability to pay less than the minimum wage (currently $7.25 in Utah) to workers with disabilities over two years. Nine employers in Utah currently utilize the exemption to pay subminimum wages to disabled workers. State Rep. Brett Garner, who introduced the bill, says there are roughly 544 employees being paid subminimum wage”
Why the marriage rate is falling faster for some - Vox
“According to Pew Research, back in 1980 about 6 percent of Americans aged 40 and over had never been married. Now that number sits around 25 percent. If you’ve looked at the op-ed pages of any major newspaper, you’ve probably seen the hand-wringing about this falling marriage rate. If you are or know a single person, this probably doesn’t come as too much of a surprise. But as I was looking at the numbers, one thing did surprise me: just how much lower the rate is for Black people. It’s always been lower, but the gap is now huge.”
Local & Regional Updates
N.J. wants to change how kids learn to read. Here’s one lawmaker’s plan. - MSN (via NJ.com)
“New Jersey would update how it teaches students struggling with reading and appoint a “Learning Loss Czar” to help students who fell behind during the coronavirus pandemic under a series of proposed laws introduced last week in Trenton. State Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex, introduced a package of four bills designed to help students in all grades. The legislation follows Gov. Phil Murphy’s State of the State address last month in which he stressed the importance of improving literacy rates.”
Public defender’s office urges legislators to reform ‘draconian’ parole system - New Jersey Monitor
“New Jersey lawmakers should give parole-eligible incarcerated people a fairer chance of release by ensuring everyone gets a lawyer at parole hearings and access to confidential documents that shape parole decisions, the state Office of the Public Defender urges in a new report. The report is the office’s third since 2020, when it began scrutinizing the parole system’s routine denials even to parole applicants with exemplary institutional records. The office found through records requests that the state parole board granted parole in just half the cases it heard in 2020, 40% of cases in 2019, and 42% of cases in 2018. The parole board’s latest annual report shows it granted parole to 47% of 2,343 applicants in the 2022 fiscal year”
NJ lawmakers pass bill to get more affordable housing near transit, grocery stores - Gothamist
“The state Assembly voted 51-28 on Monday to pass the latest version of a bill that makes sweeping changes to how New Jersey assigns and enforces towns’ requirements to build affordable housing. It includes a number of incentives to put lower-priced dwellings near key resources like grocery stores and transit centers. “This is the first affordable housing legislation that would really incentivize communities to build housing where people are,” said Zoe Baldwin, New Jersey director for the Regional Plan Association, a non-profit civic organization for the Tri-state area.”
HUD’s ‘largest ever’ grant expands homelessness programming across U.S.: Pennsylvania and New Jersey receive millions - NPR
“HUD awarded $3.16 billion to support more than 7,000 projects and community efforts focused on curbing homelessness in the U.S. In a release, officials said bolstering programs is important as homelessness rates have continued to increase since 2017. The total is HUD’s largest-ever expansion of program funding through its Continuum of Care Program competition, ‘designed to promote a community-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness.’”
Highlight of the Week:
America Reframed: The Cost of Inheritance
(Documentary)
"The Cost of Inheritance, an America ReFramed special, explores the complex issue of reparations in the U.S. using a thoughtful approach to history, historical injustices, systemic inequities, and critical dialogue on racial conciliation. Through personal narratives, community inquiries, and scholarly insights, it aims to inspire understanding of the scope and rationale of the reparations debate.
"America ReFramed brings to life compelling stories, personal voices and experiences that illuminate the contours of our ever-changing country. Since 2012, the series has premiered 170 films - more than half helmed by female makers and a third credited to BIPOC makers - centering stories of the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities, the formerly incarcerated, veterans, immigrants and more."
2024 NASW-NJ Annual Conference
"Life in a Traumatic World: Implications for Social Work Practice"
Sunday, April 14 - Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, NJ
"As Social Workers know, trauma can take many forms, from interpersonal violence, sexual assault and medical trauma to natural disasters, institutionalized oppression, war-related trauma and the sudden loss of a family member. According to the National Council for Behavioral Health, 70% of adults have experienced a traumatic event in their lifetimes. This means more than 223 million people are living with the effects of trauma in the U.S. Over three days, we will examine how trauma affects our clients and ourselves, and also learn about cutting edge modalities to treat this pervasive and challenging subject."
The conference will include:
KEYNOTES – The opening keynote presentation on Sunday sets the tone for the conference. The closing keynote brings us back together to reflect upon all we have learned during the event.
PLENARIES – We have added plenary sessions to the schedule so we can come together to learn and examine key issues collectively.
CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS – You’ll have the opportunity to choose a workshop on a topic of interest to you from a selection of concurrent sessions. You’ll attend one concurrent workshop session a day.
ON-DEMAND WORKSHOPS – To help keep your conference schedule manageable, while still providing the opportunity to earn up to 23 CE credits, they are offering two pre-recorded workshops that you will complete on-demand any time between April 17-May 17. If you are a member and have registered for all three days of the conference, you will also receive a third pre-recorded webinar for on-demand credit. That’s 2 bonus CE credits, at no extra charge, just for members!
Registration closes on Friday, April 5th.
