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 Organizes Letter With Over 70 Civil Rights Groups Urging New Members of Congress to Hire Diverse Staff
The Joint Center organized two letters signed by over 70 civil rights groups addressed to new Members of Congress urging them to hire racially diverse people in their personal office top and key mid-level staff positions. In the letters, one addressed to incoming House Members and the other addressed to incoming Senators, we recommended to:…
Joint Center Signs Letter In Support of Re-Establishing the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress
The Joint Center joined nearly 40 organizations and several individuals in signing a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Congressman Rodney Davis (R-IL), Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), and Congressman Tom Cole (R-OK) urging them to encourage the House of Representatives to re-establish the…
The Joint Center Commends Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) for Hiring Nadgey Louis-Charles as Communications Director
The Joint Center Commends Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) for Hiring Nadgey Louis-Charles as Communications Director Louis-Charles is One of Only Two Black Senate Communications Directors WASHINGTON — Today, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies commends U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) for hiring Nadgey Louis-Charles as communications director in her personal office. Louis-Charles is…
New York Times Covers Joint Center’s 2020 Report ‘Racial Diversity Among Top Staff in Senate Personal Offices’
The Joint Center’s report, Racial Diversity Among Top Staff in Senate Personal Offices, was covered in The New York Times. “If there were more diverse staff that could speak to senators about potential blind spots that may occur in the legislation, I think the legislation would be more responsive to the needs of minority communities,”…
Racial Diversity Among Top Staff in Senate Personal Offices
Today, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies released Racial Diversity Among Top Staff in Senate Personal Offices. This report provides evidence regarding the lack of racial diversity among U.S. Senate personal office top staff positions. This report defines personal office top staff as all chiefs of staff, legislative directors, and communications directors in…
Joint Center Senior Fellow of Diversity and Inclusion Discusses Hill Diversity at Women in Government Relations D&I Virtual Summit
On July 14, Joint Center Senior Fellow of Diversity and Inclusion Dr. LaShonda Brenson spoke on a panel at Women in Government Relations’ Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Virtual Summit. At the summit, LaShonda joined prominent thought leaders on a panel to discuss why having diverse congressional staff is critical at this moment. She also provided…
Digging Deeper: 2020 Senate Democratic Caucus Diversity Numbers
On July 8, 2020, the Senate Democratic Caucus released an update of the demographic data (find 2020 numbers here) on the staff of Democratic Senators (find 2019 numbers here). The analysis below ranks the offices on their total diversity in the following categories: Top Three Racially Diverse Staff in Personal Offices Senator Cory Booker…
Joint Center Commends Senate Democrats for Releasing 2020 Staff Diversity Data, Urges More Detailed Disclosure
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 8, 2020 Contact: press@jointcenter.org WASHINGTON — The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies commends Senate Democrats for releasing their fourth annual survey on racial, ethnic, gender, and sexual orientation diversity of their staff. To date, Senate Republican offices have not released staff demographic data. Later today, Joint Center Diversity &…
New LegiStorm Report Shows The Highest Pay Disparity Between Black and White Staffers on the Hill in 20 Years
As Congress and other American institutions reckon with issues of structural racism, discrimination, and anti-Blackness, congressional staff diversity remains at the forefront of issues to be considered, as it has a direct relationship to the ability of Members of Congress to understand the diverse perspectives of their constituencies. This week, Legistorm, a web-based platform that…
The Joint Center Commends House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy for Appointing Jeyben Castro as Deputy Director of the U.S. House Office of Diversity & Inclusion
WASHINGTON — The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies commends U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy for appointing Jeyben Castro as Deputy Director of the U.S. House Office of Diversity & Inclusion. Along with Kemba Kendrix, Castro will lead the office’s development of a House diversity plan to include policies to direct and guide…