Strong Black Support for Shalanda Young for OMB Director

WASHINGTON — Today, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies submitted a letter signed by nearly 30 Black organizations calling for President Joe Biden to nominate Shalanda Young for Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget.

“As organizations that serve Black communities, we take great pride in strongly encouraging you to nominate Shalanda D. Young to serve as Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget. Ms. Young’s expertise on the federal budget, strategic mind, and ability to work across party lines will be invaluable assets in crafting and implementing budgets designed to meet the challenges of this historic moment,” the organizations wrote.

If nominated and confirmed, Ms. Young, who was the first African American to serve as House Appropriations staff director, would be the first woman of color to serve as OMB Director.

While President Biden is still selecting nominees for positions requiring Senate approval and thus it is unclear what percentage will be Black, historically African Americans have been underrepresented by both parties. For example, African Americans were 9.4% of presidential appointees requiring Senate approval during President Obama’s first year in 2009, and 5.7% during President George W. Bush’s final year in 2008. By comparison, African Americans accounted for 22% of the voters who cast ballots for President Biden, and 54% of the Georgia voters who cast ballots for Senators Ossoff and Warnock and allowed Democrats to control the U.S. Senate.

Signatories of the letter include A. Philip Randolph Institute, African American Mayors Association, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Black44, Black Economic Alliance, Black Girl Magic Network, Black Voters Matter Fund, Black Women for Biden-Harris, Black Women for Positive Change, Community Change, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, MetroMorphosis, NAACP, National Action Network (NAN), National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO), National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), National Black Worker Center (NBWC), National Council of Negro Women, National Organization of Black County Officials, Inc. (NOBCO), National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, National Urban League, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Southern Rural Black Women’s Initiative, The Links, Incorporated, The Power Coalition for Equity & Justice, Washington Government Relations Group, and #WinWithBlackWomen Network.

Read the full 2-page letter below, or click here to download the full PDF.