Bruce Morgan, president of the New Brunswick Area Branch NAACP along with Deborah Morgan, Secretary of the New Brunswick NAACP (and 2021 Rosa Parks Award recipient), together are deemed one of RAAA’s most valued and influential community partners. RAAA’s influence, reach, and impact continues to expand in part due to the collaborative spirit and generosity routinely displayed and shared by this dynamic and powerful duo.
Bruce worked in the oil industry and was a training/safety coordinator overseeing safe loading/off-loading of petroleum products from/onto tankers (and creating training manuals for the process), as well as overseeing pipeline shipments across the country. However, his life has definitely been shaped by his activism and especially his involvement in the NAACP. Beyond serving as the President of the New Brunswick Area Branch NAACP, he is currently 1st Vice President of the New Jersey State Conference of NAACP as well as the Region II representative to the NAACP National Resolutions Committee. His work on the resolutions committee has a national impact on NAACP policy.
The Morgans moved to New Jersey some thirty-seven years ago. Debora held several senior positions in places such as the National Council for Crime & Delinquency and the University of Medicine and Dentistry before joining Johnson and Johnson. In the community, Bruce served on the Highland Park Police Activities League Board, coached softball and basketball with the Highland Park Recreation Department and was a member of the Parents Advisory Committee on Diversity. He served on the Highland Park Committee on Race Relations Task Force, and organized forums on racial profiling, voter education as well as candidate forums. He was Chairman, of the Middlesex County Human Relations Committee and member of the Highland Park Human Relations Commission. His community involvement encompassed highlighting the contributions of African Americans and led the effort for the naming of several streets in Highland Park to honor African Americans.
Bruce served on the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital’s Independent Review Board Executive Committee. He joined the Mt. Zion AME Church Community Development Corporation that built over 25 affordable homes in New Brunswick. He served as the Chairman of the Highland Park Democratic Committee for 20 years.
Deborah Morgan grew up in New York City, in Harlem (with a brief period in the Bronx), during a turbulent period that shaped her activism. She would meet Bruce while in Harlem. After a number of years in a variety of increasingly senior roles in a number of organizations, she joined Johnson & Johnson and would eventually rise to become a project manager and information systems administrator. She received numerous leadership service awards during her career, including the highly coveted Pinnacle Award. She was the first Black employee to win this award. Even before diversity initiatives were formalized at J&J, she was a member of the first employee resource group called the Cultural Heritage Committee. They received the J&J Equal Opportunity Award for work on fostering diversity & inclusion. She retired from Johnson & Johnson after more than 31 years of service.
The Morgans routinely provide financial and mentoring support for students in the community and more often than not, you will find them an appreciated constant at many of our Rutgers events and initiatives. The RAAA Paul Robeson Plaza campaign was a major initiative for which they readily provided support. The Morgans were instrumental in the RU Chapter of the NAACP securing a paver on the Paul Robeson Plaza.
Deborah has twice received the Secretary of the Year Award from the NAACP State Conference of New Jersey as well as earning awards for her contributions to the Rutgers University Scarlet NAACP Chapter.
Some of Bruce’s awards include the Highland Park Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Community Service, from H.O.N.O.R., an affinity group of Johnson & Johnson, the Paul Harris Award from Rotary International, Vulcan Pioneers of NB Community Service Award and jointly with his wife, the Metuchen-Edison Area Branch NAACP Ozzie Davis & Ruby Dee Award. He has received citations from US Congressman Frank Pallone, the NJ Senate and General Assembly and the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
The Morgans have been married for 44 years and are the proud parents of Bruce Jr. (fiancé Naomi) and daughter Danelle (husband Edouard).