Liberal Democrats talk a big game. They’re all about inclusion. Everybody wins a trophy. These are the people who voted for Joe Biden and his empty all-for-one promises. Biden easily cinched the deal by riding the coattails of his female Black/Filipino running mate, Kamala Harris, whom he hand-selected for her gender and dark-skinned qualifications. The frustrated Black Biden administration staffers who have abruptly resigned since the election will gladly verify how touting Harris was all for show. All 21 of them.
The Black staffers who have yet to vacate the White House say they aren’t surprised and that they might be next. Many have been passed over for promotions and they all say it’s much more difficult for a Black staffer to climb up the ladder. Their superiors give them little to no support.
The first exit to draw attention was when Harris’ senior advisor, and the face that was seen as her chief advisor and spokesperson, Symone Sanders, quit her White House gig for a job at MSNBC. A position that MSNBC would not have approached a White House executive about filling. She went to them first.
Sanders ignited a spark of bravery in other Black colleagues as they began following suit. She was followed out the door by Harris senior aides Ashley Etienne, Tina Flournoy, and Vincent Edwards, which prompted Cedric Richmond, the head of public engagement to go and do likewise.
Following Richmond was a mass exodus with still more packing up their things. Gender policy aide Kalisha Dessources Figures, digital engagement director Cameron Trimble, National Security Council senior director Linda Etim, public engagement aide Carissa Smith, associate counsel Funmi Olorunnipa Badejo, press assistant Natalie Austin, chief of staff Ron Klain advisers Elizabeth Wilkins and Niyat Mulugheta, presidential personnel aides Danielle Okai, Reggie Greer and Rayshawn Dyson, and National Economic Council aides Joelle Gamble and Connor Maxwell, have already left.
In the coming weeks, Council of Economic Advisers aide Sahara Griffin and Deputy White House counsel Danielle Conley will be making their way out. The term being used amongst the exiting staffers is “blaxit.”
President of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Spence Overton, said, “I have heard about an exodus of Black staffers from the White House — ‘Blaxit’ — and I am concerned.” The center keeps track of diversity within the government.
“Black voters accounted for 22 percent of President Biden’s voters in November 2020. It is essential that Black staffers are not only recruited to serve in senior, mid-level, and junior White House positions but are also included in major policy and personnel decisions and have opportunities for advancement,” he added.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tried to blow the entire matter off by saying, “The president is incredibly proud to have built what continues to be the most diverse White House staff in history, and he is committed to continuing historic representation for Black staff and all communities.”
“This is a normal time for turnover across the board in any administration and Black staff have been promoted at a higher rate than staff who are not diverse.”
Excuse us for pointing out how this doesn’t qualify as equality either.
Biden may have built a highly diverse administration as he rightfully brags about, but the trick is in keeping them on board. Plain and simply put, they were used by Biden to promote a false sense of diversity and they’ve lost their usefulness to his administration.
