Statement on the Passing of Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver from Assemblywoman Angela McKnight, Chair of the NJ Legislative Black Caucus Foundation and Chair of the Hudson County Legislative Black Caucus

(August 1, 2023—Hudson County, NJ) — The news of Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver passing brings a solemn numbness over me. As the first African American Lt. Governor, she most certainly was a trailblazer who cracked a ceiling for us in the New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus Foundation, and the Hudson County Legislative Black Caucus. She will be profoundly missed and forever respected by all of us.

She made us proud as Black women, Black legislators, and as public servants. One of my proudest days as an assemblywoman was when Lt. Governor Oliver signed into law one of my bills requiring school districts to provide financial literacy education to middle school students. To have an African American woman serving as acting governor was a proud occasion, and she handled her role with dignity and elegance. She made us proud to follow in her footsteps. When she became Lt Governor, we all became Lt. Governor. Now that she has passed on, we must honor her and continue serving to the top.