Hill Diversity
The Joint Center’s Hill diversity work analyzes racial diversity of congressional staff. See below for our research, analysis, and activities.
Joint Center Signs Letter Calling on the Senate to Be More Transparent, Representative, Efficient, and Effective
The Joint Center signed on to a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Committee on Rules & Administration Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar, and Senate Committee on Rules & Administration Ranking Member Roy Blunt calling for the Senate to commit resources and administrative power toward an effort to improve…
Joint Center Joins Congressional Black Associates Panel on the Importance of Congressional Staff Diversity
Joint Center Senior Fellow of Diversity and Inclusion Dr. LaShonda Brenson was a panelist in the Congressional Black Associates’ discussion on the importance of congressional staff diversity and the challenges and solutions of diverse hiring. During the discussion, LaShonda presented data from Joint Center research showing the lack of racial diversity among top staff in…
New LegiStorm Report Shows New House Members Hire More Diverse Staff
New LegiStorm Data Finds Freshmen House Members Hire More Diverse Staff Than Their Senior Colleagues Joint Center Data Confirms Top Staff Hiring Also More Diverse Last week, LegiStorm, a web-based platform that identifies congressional staff and monitors activity on Capitol Hill, published a blog comparing staff hiring by new Members of Congress and their longer-serving…
Joint Center Organizes Letter With Over 35 Civil Rights Groups Urging Majority Leader Schumer to Establish a Bipartisan Senate Diversity and Inclusion Office
The Joint Center organized a letter signed by over 35 civil rights groups addressed to Majority Leader Schumer (D-NY) urging his office to establish a bipartisan Senate Diversity and Inclusion Office. In the letter, we recommend the new bipartisan Senate Diversity and Inclusion Office be staffed by professionals with expertise in diversity who support both…
NNPA Hosts Event on Congressional Staff Diversity with Joint Center and Black Voters Matter
National Newspaper Publishers Association hosted an online event to discuss the issue of a lack of congressional staff diversity and explain how local advocates can make their voices heard to Congress on this issue. Guest speakers included Joint Center President Spencer Overton, Black Voters Matter Fund Co-Founder LaTosha Brown, and NNPA National Correspondent Stacy Brown.…
Joint Center Commends U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) for Hiring Teri Weathers as Deputy Chief of Staff
WASHINGTON — Today, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies commends U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) for hiring Teri Weathers as deputy chief of staff in his personal office. Weathers will be the number two for the Senator’s personal office and will partner with Senator Van Hollen’s chief of staff to oversee and manage all…
Joint Center Commends Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) for Leading on Diversity in Top Staff
The Joint Center Commends Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock for Hiring Joshua Delaney as Legislative Director and Michael J. Brewer as Communications Director Delaney is One of Only Four Black Senate Legislative Directors Brewer is One of Only Two Black Senate Communications Directors Warnock’s Two Hires Increase Black Senate Dem. Top Staff to 29% WASHINGTON —…
Joint Center President Explains How to Increase Top Staff of Color on MSNBC’s PoliticsNation with Rev. Al Sharpton
Joint Center President Spencer Overton appeared on Rev. Al Sharpton’s MSNBC talk show, PoliticsNation, to discuss the lack of congressional staff diversity in Washington, DC personal offices and explain what can be done to fix it. People of color account for 40% of the U.S. population, but less than 14% of top staff in Congress.…
Joint Center Op-Ed: After Georgia, Senators Must Prioritize Staff Diversity
Sources: CNN, NYT, Cook & Joint Center.* After Black voters in Georgia enabled Democrats to control the Senate, Morning Consult published this commentary by Joint Center Senior Fellow of Diversity and Inclusion Dr. LaShonda Brenson and Joint Center President Spencer Overton calling for the Senate to take key steps to prioritize hiring, developing, and promoting…
Biden Black Cabinet Secretary Nominations Trail Behind Clinton’s Nominations and Biden’s Share of Black Voters:
President-elect Joe Biden nominated Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense and Marcia Fudge as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, filling 2 of the 15 available positions with Black Cabinet Secretaries. His nominations fall behind both President Clinton who nominated 4 Black Cabinet Secretaries out of the 14 spots available at the beginning of his first term and…