President-elect Joe Biden stated during his campaign that he would assemble a diverse staff in his administration. After picking a Black woman as his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, and winning the election, he then included two more Black women in his administration: Linda Thomas-Greenfield as the US ambassador to the United Nations and Cecilia Rouse to lead the Council of Economic Advisors. As he is filling roles, he is keeping his word by having an already diverse staff before he takes office. However, some people say the next president must do more.
According to CNN, more than 1,000 influential Black women signed an open letter to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to make even more substantial additions by including more Black women to Biden’s cabinet.
#WinWithBlackWomen
An excerpt of the letter:
“Again, Black voters, and notably Black women were key to your victory in November. As we know, 91% of Black women voted for your historic ticket and Black women were on the frontlines of this election. Black women continue to lead the charge in advancing voter turnout for the Georgia Senate runoff election which will impact this administration’s ability to advance its agenda and pivotal confirmations. We have put our faith and trust in your vision to move America into a bold future; as we put the last four years of division, racism and hate behind us.
We applaud and celebrate the selection of Linda Greenfield to be U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Cecilia Rouse to lead the Council of Economic Advisors. Both women are extremely qualified leaders who will bring integrity, wisdom and a deep commitment to serving the American people to their roles. Similarly, we are also pleased to see the talented Black women who have been named to various key roles in the White House.”
#WinWithBlackWomen is a network with more than 1,200 Black women. It was initially formed back in August 2020, in an effort to speak out against the sexist language that was circulating about several of the Black women who were being considered by Biden to be his vice president. They had written a letter to Biden to urge him to choose a Black woman as his running mate.
