James R. Jones is Associate Professor of Africana Studies and Sociology and the inaugural director of the Sheila Y. Oliver Center for Politics and Race in America at Rutgers University, Newark.

In his scholarly work, Jones studies racial representation and inequality in American political institutions and centers the career experiences and perspectives of Black government workers. He is author of The Last Plantation from Princeton University Press, which analyzes how racism shapes the US congressional workplace and in return, how Black staffers resist unequal and racist work conditions. He is a leading expert on congressional staff diversity and authored three groundbreaking policy reports on racial representation among Hill staffers.

His writing has appeared in academic journals including Du Bois Review and Sociological Forum, as well as in public outlets including Teen Vogue, The Daily Beast, Newsworks, and The Hill. In addition, his research has been covered by NPR, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic.