Archive for December 2020
Report Card of Diversity of Top Staff Hires by New Members in the 117th Congress (2021-2022)
The Joint Center’s August report found that people of color account for 40 percent of the U.S. population, but only 11 percent of U.S. Senate office top staff (chiefs of staff, legislative directors, and communications directors). An earlier report found that people of color account for 38 percent of the U.S. population in 2018, but…
Dec. 10 COVID-19 Policy & Black Communities Roundup
Stimulus Talk Sounds Promising While a lack of consensus remains, Members of Congress continue to negotiate for a stimulus package. A bipartisan group of Senators continues to finalize the language of a $908 billion stimulus proposal, while Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) discuss a $916 billion package. Biden Pushes Masks in the First…
Joint Center President Answers Additional Questions from Members of Congress on Disinformation Online
Joint Center President Spencer Overton provided additional written responses to questions from Members of Congress after his testimony at the Subcommittee on Elections of the Committee on House Administration hearing entitled “Voting Rights and Election Administration: Combating Misinformation in the 2020 Election.” Read Spencer’s full written responses to the follow-up questions (8-pages) here. Read Spencer’s…
Joint Center Joins WURD Radio to Discuss The Importance of Black Top Staff in Congress
Joint Center Senior Fellow of Diversity & Inclusion Dr. LaShonda Brenson appeared on WURD Radio’s Reality Check to discuss the importance of congressional staff diversity. “If you think about Congress, a lot of the work that’s being done is usually being handled by top staffers,” said LaShonda referencing chiefs of staff, legislative directors, and communications…
Marketplace Interviews Joint Center Senior Fellow of Diversity & Inclusion on Congressional Staff Diversity
Joint Center Senior Fellow, Diversity and Inclusion Dr. LaShonda Brenson joined NPR’s Marketplace to discuss our efforts to increase congressional staff diversity. During the interview, LaShonda shared that when she interned for a Member of Congress in 2009, she didn’t see many people who looked like her. She also noted that not much has changed…
Obtaining a Presidential Appointment with Reps. Horsford, Underwood, and Allred
Watch Congressman Steven Horsford (D-NV), Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (D-IL), and Congressman Colin Allred (D-TX) discuss obtaining a presidential appointment in the video below. This video is a collaboration of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Joint Center & the Black Talent Initiative.
Dec. 3 COVID-19 Policy & Black Communities Roundup
Harris announces Black Chief of Staff: Vice President-elect Kamala Harris named lawyer Tina Flournoy as her chief of staff. Since 2013, Flournoy has worked as the chief of staff for former President Bill Clinton, and before that she held several leadership positions at the American Federation of Teachers and the DNC. Biden appoints Rouse and Adeyamo: President-elect…