Our diversity is our greatest strength

Making New Jersey more inclusive and more representative

New Jersey is among the most diverse states in the nation, and our diversity is what makes us strong and unique. From Camden all the way up to Jersey City, the Garden State stands out as a place where diversity and inclusion is celebrated in every facet of life.

When I was first elected Governor nearly four years ago, I knew we had to create a team that truly reflected our state. By ensuring every voice had a seat at the decision-making table, we could work to finally dismantle inequities and expand opportunities for so many of New Jersey’s underserved communities.

That began with asking Newark’s own Sheila Oliver to be my Lieutenant Governor. As the first Black woman in our state’s history to serve as Assembly Speaker, I knew Sheila would bring valuable insight on how we address the inequities that had plagued our Black and Brown communities for too long.

I am proud that, in addition to her role as Lieutenant Governor, Sheila also serves as Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs within our administration’s Cabinet. There she has led efforts to strengthen and expand initiatives for fair and affordable housing, community revitalization, homelessness prevention, and so much more.

And she is not alone. Our Cabinet is the most diverse in our state’s history — with the most women ever appointed and first majority-female Cabinet, the first Muslim commissioner, the first African American and Asian American adjutant generals, and the nation’s first Sikh attorney general. We have also nominated and sworn in Fabiana Peirre-Louis, the first Black woman to be seated on the New Jersey Supreme Court, because this is what New Jersey looks like.

By working directly with members of marginalized communities to shape policy, we have made significant strides toward greater social equality for women, for Black and Brown communities, for the immigrant community, for members of the LGBTQ+ family, and for countless others who have been either overlooked or purposely excluded from the process for far too long.

We’ve established the “Babs Siperstein Law” to allow New Jerseyans to amend their birth certificates to reflect gender identity, and we are providing access to driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants.

We’ve enacted the most sweeping equal pay protections in the nation. We are pushing for the passage of the Reproductive Freedom Act so that reproductive rights are fully protected under New Jersey state law.

Our team is working tirelessly to strengthen relationships between police officers and the communities that they serve, and we are providing funding for veterans’ housing and support services.

We know that our goal for a more inclusive and vibrant Garden State is, and will continue to remain, a big part of why we are the number one state in the nation to raise a family.

And our work is just beginning.

When we celebrate our diversity, we build a New Jersey where every individual, in every community, has access to the opportunities they need to excel.

Let’s keep moving New Jersey forward — together.