Like all Democrats, the Biden administration puts on a big show to demonstrate their commitment to diversity. Yet many black staffers are leaving the Biden administration that some have dubbed the move “Blaxit.”
They claim they’re not being listened to or provided opportunities for advancement.
We mentioned this in a recent post about the many woes of the Biden White House.
Daniel Lippman reports at Politico:
Biden sees exodus of Black staffers and some frustration among those who remainAt least 21 Black staffers have left the White House since late last year or are planning to leave soon. Some of those who remain say it’s no wonder why: They describe a work environment with little support from their superiors and fewer chances for promotion.The departures have been so pronounced that, according to one current and one former White House official, some Black aides have adopted a term for them: “Blaxit.”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…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,” said Spencer Overton, president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, which tracks government staff diversity numbers. “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.”
Naturally, the Biden White House pushed back on this report.
Virginia Chamlee writes at People:
White House Disputes ‘Exodus’ of Black Staffers: ‘Normal Time for General Turnover’On Tuesday, Politico published a report detailing how “at least 21 Black staffers have left the White House since late last year or are planning to leave soon.” The outlet cites three current White House staffers who, speaking anonymously, describe a work environment that they say offers little opportunity for promotion or advancement.The departures even have a nickname, Politico reports, citing the staffers: “Blaxit.”The White House has disputed those claims, however. In response to questions about the article, the White House supplied PEOPLE with statements from 10 current and former staffers (all of which, they said, had been supplied to Politico earlier). In the statements, the staffers described a “great culture,” with some saying they left only due to other professional opportunities or to spend more time with family.In a statement sent to PEOPLE, Erica Loewe, the White House director of African American media, says: “Even though far more current and former staff told Politico about their positive experiences, Politico refused to communicate those findings to readers and instead devoted most of this article to comments that reinforce their narrative and present a disingenuous picture of the most diverse White House in history.”
This must be causing quite a stir.
It’s difficult to think of something that would be more insulting to a Democrat administration than suggesting they lack diversity.
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