The White House reacted to a report published by Politico suggesting there is an “exodus of Black staffers” from the administration.
Politico’s Daniel Lippman penned an article titled, “Biden sees exodus of Black staffers and some frustration among those who remain.”
According to Lippman, “At least 21 Black staffers have left the White House since late last year or are planning to leave soon.”
Citing one current and former White House official, Lippman added, “Some Black aides have adopted a term for them: ‘Blaxit.'”
Lippman noted a “number of staffers who left, moreover, said it was on good terms. Some departures were for graduate school opportunities. Others went to different cabinet departments. Several said they were leaving because of family matters.”
One former White House official, who is Black, told Politico some “people have not had the best experiences and a lot of that has to do with the dearth of Black leadership.”
They added, “Think about any workplace. Black folks need some person to go to, to strategize and be a mentor, and we just don’t have as many folks who can be mentors to us.”
At least 21 Black staffers have left the White House since late last year or are planning to leave soon. Some who remain say it’s no wonder why: They describe a work environment with little support from their superiors and fewer chances for promotion.https://t.co/X8uYuviRjO
— POLITICO (@politico) May 31, 2022
White House Director of African American Media Erica Loewe issued a statement to Mediaite responding to the report.
“Even though far more current and former staff told Politico about their positive experiences, Politico refused to communicate those findings to readers and instead devoted most of this article to comments that reinforce their narrative and present a disingenuous picture of the most diverse White House in history,” Loewe said.
She continued, “Instead of including their on-the-record sentiments, Politico singled out Black staff who left at a normal time for general turnover and then intentionally kept their own perspectives about their stories in the dark.”
Additionally, the outlet reported the White House provided it with quotes from over half a dozen current and former Black staffers whose remarks, the administration claims, Politico would not include.
A White House official explained as the administration approaches the 18-month mark, “We expect increased staff turnover, which is natural and precedented in any administration around this time,” as Mediaite reported.
The statement continues, “As we look to the future, the Administration is taking concrete actions to ensure we maintain a diverse staff as this point of natural turnover. With the infrastructure of our people operations now in place, we will build on the work to date to further our efforts in three key areas: supporting the retention of current White House staff, strengthening the White House’s recruitment efforts, and launching the White House Internship Program, all of which will help maintain a White House staff that looks like and represents America.”
