Many congressional staffers and workers on Capitol Hill have argued that, regardless of the party in power, the institution hasn’t evolved much on diversity in the workplace. And that means African Americans are frequently underrepresented in high-level jobs, and can often be targets of racism and abuse during their work. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Dr. James R. Jones, the author of

The Last Plantation: Racism and Resistance in the Halls of Congress.

James Jones, director of the Sheila Y. Oliver Center for Politics and Race in America at Rutgers University-Newark, said term limits are viewed as a "magic bullet" when issues like campaign finance reform and lobbyists' input are just as vital to address.

There's also a comfort level with candidates like Pascrell, who served in Jones' home state and received over 70 percent of his party's primary vote earlier this year. Challengers often view facing such incumbents as a major uphill battle due to lack of name recognition and general party structures in place—along with dark money and bloated Super PACs.

"This problem of octogenarians and septuagenarians is important, but I think the bigger issue is about money and politics and how do we challenge that," Jones told Newsweek. "I think Nancy Pelosi stays in power and has a lot of influence in part because she's an incredible fundraiser."

Dr. Jones talks The Last Plantation with Sociologist Fabio Rojas

Sociologist Victor Ray reviewed The Last Plantation in the Emancipator.

Dr. Jones comments on a Virginia school board’s decision to change two school names to honor confederates.

Sociologist James R. Jones’ new tome paints a damning portrait of the Capitol as a workplace.

Dr. Jones spoke with Roll Call Reporter Jim Saska about what led him to write The Last Plantation. He discussed how unequal representation among congressional staff is an important issue subverting our democracy and what we can do to fix it.

Dr. James Jones reflects on his congressional internship experience, which inspired him to write The Last Plantation.

Dr. Jones is quoted in this Politico article about the increasing competitiveness of congressional internships .

The GOP-led House has eliminated the office on diversity and inclusion, maintaining a system of racial exclusion in the halls of power.

The Center for Politics and Race in America at Rutgers University-Newark was named in honor of the late-Lt. Gov. Sheila Y. Oliver, the first Black woman in New Jersey to hold statewide office, at a ceremony attended by Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way,

James Jones was appointed as the inaugural director for the Center for Politics and Race in America at Rutgers Newark.

Dr. Jones testifies on how to improve access to congressional internships

Dr. Jones was interviewed by Karen Grigsby Bates, Senior reporter for NPR Codeswitch, about the Capitol attack and racism within the congressional workplace.

The same lawmakers moving to address racism in policing nationwide have shown little interest in fixing their own house.

“We must finally hold Congress accountable for whom they hire. If Congress is to have an important role in helping us achieve an anti-racist future, they can only do so, if they first clean up their own house.”

Dr. Jones contributes an image of a Black worker to the Social Science Research Council’s Covid-19 Time Capsule for Future Researchers.

He spoke with Clare McGranahan, discussing the key role of Black congressional workers in maintaining Capitol Hill’s functioning during the pandemic, and why these workers should be central to our understanding of the relationship between race, power, and inequality in Congress.

Congressional internships matter. These work opportunities are an expression of democratic citizenship that support the day-to-day operations of the federal legislature, train and socialize political novices to lawmaking, and provide a pipeline to paid employment and elective office. Unequal access to these work opportunities means that whites are almost exclusively credentialed to work in Congress.

Dr. James Jones is interviewed on the Sociocast podcast about his research by Drs. Neda Magbouleh, Clayton Childress , and Aliza Luft

We, the many, don’t need a politician to be ‘the one’

What if America took a lesson from the women of “Sex and the City” and abandoned the idea of finding “the one”? What if instead of searching for the one who will complete us, we found fulfillment in each other? What if instead of scouring for a leader who will define a generation, we looked at the next president as a mere accessory to the political organizing that we dedicate ourselves to and what will ultimately transform our governing institutions and culture?