Sheila Y. Oliver

Sheila Yvette Oliver (July 14, 1952 – August 1, 2023) served as New Jersey’s Lieutenant Governor from January 2018 until her passing in August 2023. Raised in an ethnically diverse Newark neighborhood and a politically-engaged family, Oliver was encouraged from an early age to be a critical thinker and to advocate for social justice. An avid reader and historian, she credits two books—“A Tale of Two Cities” and “The Grapes of Wrath”—with further deepening her sensitivity to the effects of inequality.

She graduated cum laude in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Lincoln University, the oldest of the country’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities and stated in a 2021 Black History Month interview with the Governor’s office that prior graduates such as Thurgood Marshall and Langston Hughes, “without question, influenced my thought and my participation in advocacy and progressive social issues that are of benefit of the Black community.”

From Lincoln University, Oliver went on to earn her Master of Social Work from Columbia University in 1976 before launching her long and distinguished career advocating for equality and social justice.

Oliver served on the Board of Education of the East Orange School District (1994 – 2000), including one year as Board President. She served on the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders from District Three (1996 – 1999) and taught college-level courses as an adjunct faculty member at Essex County College and Caldwell University. Oliver then went on to represent the 34th legislative district in the New Jersey General Assembly (2004 – 2018), where she served on the Commerce and Economic Development Committee, the Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee, the Joint Committee on Economic Justice and Equal Employment Opportunity, and the Joint Committee on the Public Schools. In 2010, she became the first Black woman to serve as speaker of the General Assembly—a position she held until 2014.

In 2017, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Phil Murphy chose Oliver as his running mate. With that win, Oliver became the first Black woman to serve as lieutenant governor of New Jersey and the first woman of color elected to statewide office in New Jersey. In addition to her role as Lieutenant Governor, Oliver served as Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, where she led efforts to strengthen and expand initiatives for fair and affordable housing, community revitalization, and homelessness prevention.

Former New Jersey Senator Loretta Weinberg remembers Oliver as a partner in efforts such as marriage equality and pay equity. “She was there as a leader, as a voice, and somebody who helped us get through the first, strongest pay equity law of any state.”

Always a friend to Legal Services, “Sheila Oliver was unwavering in her support for equal justice for all and for the Legal Services in New Jersey statewide system,” says LSNJ President, Dawn K. Miller, Esq.

Says U.S. Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, “She was eloquent and elegant—a brilliant speaker and an example for young women, Black or otherwise.”

Niece Renee and nephew Charles—both heavily influenced by their aunt throughout their lives—have spearheaded the new Sheila Y. Oliver Civic Association since her death in 2023.

The Association strives to keep her memory alive by “empowering underserved communities to achieve both economic and social success, as well as educating and developing young women of color who are interested in government, public policy, and community organizing.” They recall their Aunt Sheila’s ability to treat everyone, regardless of stature or economic status, with dignity and respect. “She used to say to me, ‘The only time you look down on a person is if you’re offering a hand to help them up,’” says Charles. And Renee—“All the awards and all the titles are obviously good and grand, but I think Sheila Oliver was truly, truly about helping those who need it.”

NJ Governor Murphy Remarks about Sheila Y. Oliver