U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman to Speak as CAWP’s 2026 Senator Wynona Lipman Chair
In Conversation with Veteran Political Strategist Donna Brazile on Black Women’s Electoral Power
WHEN: Tuesday, April 13, 2026
Press Arrival: 6:30 PM
Start Time: 7:00 PM
WHERE: New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC)
11 Livingston Ave
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Please RSVP to [email protected] if you plan to attend, and notify if you intend to photograph or record the event.
The 2026 Senator Wynona Lipman Chair in Women’s Political Leadership will feature U.S. Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman for the event, “Bonnie Watson Coleman: Celebrating a Career of Public Service.” In conversation with veteran political strategist Donna Brazile, Watson Coleman will reflect on her six-decade career in public service and her enduring impact on New Jersey and national politics. Now serving her sixth and final term in the U.S. House of Representatives, she will offer a timely perspective on her legacy, the state of American democracy, and what comes next for Black women’s political leadership.
Rep. Watson Coleman’s career has been defined by barrier-breaking leadership and historic firsts: she was the first Black woman elected to Congress from New Jersey and the first and only Black woman to serve as New Jersey Assembly majority leader and chair of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee. In Congress, she co-founded the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls, the first caucus dedicated to advancing policies centered on Black women and girls.
As CAWP’s parent organization, the Eagleton Institute of Politics, marks its 70th anniversary and the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the conversation will also speak to a larger democratic moment: how the unfinished promise of American equality continues to shape the fight for political power and how Senator Wynona Lipman’s enduring example reminds us that democracy is strongest when those long excluded from power are fully represented.
About the Lipman Chair
Established in honor of the late state Senator Wynona Lipman, the Lipman Chair celebrates her legacy as the first Black woman to serve in the New Jersey State Senate. Senator Lipman (b. 1923-d. 1999) served for 27 years, earning the nickname “Steel Magnolia” for her unwavering advocacy for women's rights, education, and civil rights in the Garden State. Through prominent speakers and educational programs, the Lipman Chair aims to inspire women's leadership and honor Senator Lipman's groundbreaking contributions. The Lipman Chair is made possible by the support of the New Jersey Legislature.