The Philadelphia Tribune Quoted Joint Center on Congressional Staff Diversity

The Philadelphia Tribune quoted President Dedrick Asante-Muhammad and Senior Researcher Dr. LaShonda Brenson in an article highlighting the Joint Center’s final congressional staff diversity hiring campaign update.

From the article: “A study done by The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies shows that 80% of the chiefs of staff, legislative directors and communications directors in the 119th Congress sworn in earlier this year are white. America’s Black Think Tank noted the 20% representation for people of color, or POC, is less than half the national share of 41.1 [percent]. While Black people account for 13.6 [percent] of Americans, only 5.4 [percent] of the staffers in those roles are Black.”

Also from the article: “This Congress is the most diverse to date with 26 [percent] members of color, yet top staff of color still falls short compared to the diversity of America,” said [Dr.] LaShonda Brenson, who leads the Joint Center’s Hill Diversity work, in a statement regarding the findings. “Since we began studying this issue 10 years ago, Congress has yet to hire a top staff of color that reflects the people of color in the United States. Top staff hold significant power on Capitol Hill and play a crucial role in ensuring the interests of all Americans are adequately considered. We urge members of Congress to prioritize diversity as they staff their offices.”

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