The Sheila Y. Oliver Center for Politics and Race in America (CPRA), established in 2023 at Rutgers-Newark, examines the intersection of race and politics through research, education, and collaboration.

We create public service career pathways for underrepresented groups; promote civic engagement; and support bold and transformative research into race and politics. Renamed in 2024 to honor the late Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, the first Black Woman to hold statewide office in New Jersey, the Center serves as a vital resource for understanding race in America’s political landscape.

The Center aims to become a premier national institution that studies race and American politics and trains the next generation of diverse public servants. To achieve our mission, we offer dynamic and engaging programming that showcases the work of leading scholars, activists, and stakeholders, who are at the forefront of research and commentary on race and American democracy; we support faculty research at the nexus of race and politics; and we support undergraduate education that encourages critical thinking, civic participation on race and politics.

CPRA Public Service Leadership Program 2025 DC Interns

Learn more: The Center for Politics and Race in America