Chigozie Onyema

Chigozie Onyema is a Newark-born attorney, activist, and public servant with a passion for equity and democracy. Raised in affordable housing and later becoming a homeowner just steps from where his parents began theirs, he brings both deep roots and forward-looking leadership to New Jersey. Born to working-class parents, Onyema’s early experiences in the Maplewood–South Orange school system shaped his lifelong commitment to fairness—his first act of civic engagement came at age 18 when he ran for school board to challenge discriminatory tracking policies.

Today, Onyema is the Senior Director for Sustainable Cities at PolicyLink, guiding equitable climate and economic policy in 25 cities nationwide. He previously served as Assistant Commissioner at New Jersey’s Department of Community Affairs, applying his legal and policy expertise to promote economic justice. As a Staff Attorney for the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, he helped remove employment barriers for individuals with criminal records.

In Newark, he co-founded the Maroon Project, an activist incubator focused on political education and leadership development. During the dual crises of the pandemic and racial unrest in 2020, the Maroon Project launched Newark Freedom Summer, mobilizing youth to distribute 60,000 masks and 5,000 hand sanitizer bottles in underserved neighborhoods—an effort that embodied both compassion and community empowerment.

Onyema holds a J.D. from NYU School of Law, a B.A. in Afro-American Studies from Howard University, and an A.A. from Essex County College. His work has been recognized with awards such as “40 Under 40” from the National Bar Association, a Rising Star honor from NYU’s Alumni of Color Association, and a designation as an Emerging Leader by the Congressional Black Caucus.