Sheila Oliver
by Stacy Jackson

August 3, 2023

Sheila Oliver, First Black Woman Speaker of New Jersey Assembly, Dies At 71

New Jersey’s first Black woman to lead the state Assembly has died.

On Aug. 1, 2023, the family of 71-year-old Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver announced her death, NBC News reported. According to the Associated Press, the family shared that Oliver died after being hospitalized on July 31, 2023. 

NBC News reported the family did not reveal specific information about why the Black political leader had been in the hospital. When the news broke, New Jersey’s Gov. Phil Murphy was on vacation in Italy. The news outlet reported that Oliver, who was serving as acting governor while Murphy was on vacation, will be sorely missed by her political incumbents. Murphy said on Twitter that Oliver’s death saddened him and his family. “Tammy and I, and our children, are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of our dear friend, colleague, and partner in government, @LtGovOliver,” the tweet read. Murphy also said that the five and a half years he served with Oliver was “the best decision I ever made.”

 

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Oliver’s passing was a loss for the state. NBC News reported Christie’s statement, “The passing of Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver is a loss for our state.” “I will miss Sheila. She served as Speaker in my first term, and we treated each other with kindness and respect. We got things done. She was a great person and partner,” the former governor tweeted.

The deceased political leader was different. The Associated Press reported Oliver showed up for Murphy’s bill signings—something that the political incumbents before her did not do. According to the outlet, Oliver was also praised for her public speaking skills.

Oliver was described as a trailblazer by many. In 2010 she became the second Black woman to lead a house of a state legislature in the United States.


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