Black White House staffers are rapidly fleeing the most diverse White House in history, while those who remain are becoming increasingly frustrated because of work conditions.
According to Politico, 21 black staffers have either left already or are planning to do so soon, while those who remain have complained about “a work environment with little support from their superiors and fewer chances for promotion.”
In fact, the departures of black staff has become so noticeable and frequent that according to a current and former White House official, the phenomenon has been dubbed “Blaxit.”
The outlet reports:
The first big exit came in December, when Kamala Harris’ senior adviser and chief spokesperson Symone Sanders announced she was leaving, ultimately for a gig at MSNBC. Since then, Harris senior aides Tina Flournoy, Ashley Etienne and Vincent Evans, and public engagement head Cedric Richmond have left.
Public engagement aide Carissa Smith, gender policy aide Kalisha Dessources Figures, National Security Council senior director Linda Etim, digital engagement director Cameron Trimble, associate counsel Funmi Olorunnipa Badejo, chief of staff Ron Klain advisers Elizabeth Wilkins and Niyat Mulugheta, press assistant Natalie Austin, National Economic Council aides Joelle Gamble and Connor Maxwell, and presidential personnel aides Danielle Okai, Reggie Greer and Rayshawn Dyson have all departed too. Deputy White House counsel Danielle Conley and Council of Economic Advisers aide Saharra Griffin are among others planning to leave in the coming weeks, according to White House officials.
The exodus has raised concerns among outside observers who push for the diversification of government ranks.
“I have heard about an exodus of Black staffers from the White House — ‘Blaxit’ — and I am concerned,” Spencer Overton, president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, which tracks government staff diversity numbers, told Politico.
“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.
One White House official pushed back on such concerns, noting that around 14 percent of the current White House staff identify as black, which is close to the percentage of black Americans nationally.
The official also told Politico that the number is anticipated to grow as more black staffers are brought in, adding that 15 percent of black staff members have received promotions over the past year.
“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,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
“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,” she went on.
Several black former staff said they left the White House on good terms, with some saying they left to pursue grad school opportunities. Others, meanwhile, left for other Cabinet-level departments, while still others said they left due to family matters.
“I worked for both the President and the Vice President during the campaign cycle, and considered the chance to serve the American people in the Biden-Harris White House nothing short of an honor,” Austin said in an email. “I loved my experience on the press team, and left because I wanted a chance to spend more time with family after nearly three years straight of campaigns and government work.”
Others, however, complained of a tense work environment that has simmered for years, and with little personal time off.
“We’re here and we’re doing a lot of work but we’re not decision-makers and there’s no real path towards becoming decision-makers,” said one of the current Black White House officials. “There is no real feedback and there’s no clear path to any kind of promotions.”
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