BLAXIT: Black WH Staffers Are Leaving The ‘Most Diverse’ Administration — Some That Remain Are Frustrated

Will the President tell these Black staffers that if they don’t continue to support him then “they ain’t black”?

Politico reports that at least 21 black staffers have already left the administration last year or are planning on leaving soon.

We know that Vice President Kamala Harris has seen an exodus of her own with an impressive 12 members of her staff leaving their positions. It might have something to do with this:

CO-POTUS KAMALA: Is The Famous ‘Girl-Boss’ Actually A BAD Boss?

The first newsmaking exit was from The VP’s staff — Symone Sanders, former Senior Advisor and Chief Spokesperson for the Vice President and former Biden Campaign strategist left in December for a gig at MSNBC.

After that, Harris lost several more senior aides — Tina Flournoy, Ashley Etienne, and Vincent Evans, as well as public engagement head Cedric Richmond, who was considered a “mentor” by many of the black White House staffers.

In addition, the White House has also seen the departure of:

• Public Engagement aide Carissa Smith
• Gender Policy aide Kalisha Dessources Figures
• National Security Council Senior Director Linda Etim
• Digital Engagement Director Cameron Trimble
• Associate Counsel Funmi Olorunnipa Badejo
• Advisors to President Chief of Staff Ron Klain Elizabeth Wilkins and Niyat Mulugheta
• Press Assistant Natalie Austin
• National Economic Council aides Joelle Gamble and Connor Maxwell
• Presidential Personnel aides Danielle Okai, Reggie Greer, and Rayshawn Dyson

Staffers with one foot out the door are:

• Deputy White House Counsel Danielle Conley
• Council of Economic Advisers aide Saharra Griffin

At least 21 Black staffers have left the White House since late last year or are planning to leave soon. Some of those who remain say it’s no wonder why: They describe a work environment with little support from their superiors and fewer chances for promotion.

The departures have been so pronounced that, according to one current and one former White House official, some Black aides have adopted a term for them: “Blaxit.”...

…The exodus has raised concerns among outside observers who push for the diversification of government ranks.

“I have heard about an exodus of Black staffers from the White House — ‘Blaxit’ — and I am concerned,” said Spencer Overton, president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, which tracks government staff diversity numbers. “Black voters accounted for 22 percent of President Biden’s voters in November 2020. It is essential that Black staffers are not only recruited to serve in senior, mid-level and junior White House positions, but are also included in major policy and personnel decisions and have opportunities for advancement.”

(Emphasis added)

This is a tough pill to swallow for the Democrats who insist that it’s virtuous to employ people based on skin tone and then hold them up like they’re paint swatches.

The White House is trying to downplay the report.

“The president is incredibly proud to have built what continues to be the most diverse White House staff in history, and he is committed to continuing historic representation for Black staff and all communities,” said Karine Jean-Pierre, the newly-minted White House Press Secretary. “This is a normal time for turnover across the board in any administration and Black staff have been promoted at a higher rate than staff who are not diverse.”

But several black staffers are saying that they’re frustrated that there doesn’t seem to be room for advancement and lay the blame in part, at least, on Deputy Chief of Staff, Jen O’Malley Dillon. Karine Jean-Pierre dismisses this out of hand and insists that O’Malley Dillon has “long been a strong advocate for… building diverse teams.”

In interviews, several Black staffers expressed frustration, in part, that deputy chief of staff Jen O’Malley Dillon hadn’t done more to retain and promote some Black employees — though other officials said such concerns are misplaced. While part of her job entails signing off on promotions of White House staffers, actual decisions around promotions are made at lower levels and federal budgeting has restricted a lot of White House flexibility around human resources decisions. Asked for comment, O’Malley Dillon referred questions to the White House press office.

“I have known Jen O’Malley Dillon since 2007 and she has always been a true advocate for diversity and for Black staff, here at the White House and on the four campaigns we worked on together,” said Jean-Pierre. NSC chief of staff Yohannes Abraham, who has also known O’Malley Dillon for 15 years, said she “is and has long been a strong advocate for the importance of building diverse teams.”

The staffers also say that the concerns of black voters that they were brought in to help address have basically been shelved by the administration.

…several staffers said there was a growing sense that some of the major issues important to Black voters and lawmakers have gone either unfulfilled or become less emphasized.

“The issues that are the highest priority for our community are no longer at the forefront of the administration’s priority list,” said the third Black White House official. “When 10 Black people got killed at a grocery store [in Buffalo, N.Y.], it’s business as usual and no one stops to say to you, ‘Are you okay?’”…

…“They gave us a mandate to execute on all the things that we promised and not only are we not delivering on that front, but then we’re not also delivering to the staff that came in on the basis of that promise,” said the first of the current White House officials. “People go home to their families or their communities, and what can they point to specifically? They can’t even point to their own experiences as positive.”
Source: Politico

Biden isn’t one of the handfuls of overt racists, but he does seem to be one of those “soft bigots” that believe that black people can’t seem to make it on their own without the help of some “White Knight” giving them opportunities and handouts. It’s insulting, demeaning, and, yes, racist.

Color me shocked that the administration led by the guy that is a prime example of the “soft bigotry of low expectations” — the realm in which many Democrat politicians live, move, and have their being — isn’t treating black staffers well.

Look at some of his history:

• Joe Biden’s Troubling History — The ‘Soft Bigotry Of Low Expectations’
• ‘Then You Ain’t Black’: Biden On Breakfast Club Disses Anyone Not Voting For Him (Video)
• CORN POP: The Only Thing Funnier Than Joe Biden’s Crazy Story Is THIS Twitter Reaction To It
• WATCH: Biden Repeats RACIST Claim About Black Entrepreneurs At HBCU Grad Ceremony
• WATCH: Biden Says That The Latino Community Is ‘More Diverse’ Than The Black Community–Is That Racist?
• Hey Biden: Can You Explain Why You Called These KKK Supporters ‘Fine People’? (Video)
• Sleepy Joe: The Gaffe Machine Cranks Up To High Gear… With A ‘Racist’ Statement

Check out Doug’s latest book, The Art of Joe: The Political Brilliance of President Biden. If you have left-leaning family members, workmates, or classmates, to buy several copies and place them in common areas. Make sure you have your video camera ready for when they pick it up and thumb through it because they will be triggered which will make for a great viral video to share across social media. Also, buy a couple for the GOP NeverTrumpers that you know. Finally, both the book’s cover and the epilogue, Notable Quotable Joe are worth the price of admission. We’ve included before and after Biden on Afghanistan. Jen Psaki will no likey this book, but you will. BTW, the book is 95% bereft of any content. Just like Biden’s head.