President Joe Biden has shown a greater commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in a few short weeks than perhaps any president before him. It may seem like a provocative or exaggerated statement, but the fact is, no president has ever centered so much of their Day One agenda, in policy and practice, at every level on addressing the deepest inequities in our society. Indeed, if Biden continues on this trajectory, his could be one of the most consequential presidencies in American history.
Even before taking office, Biden centered gender and racial equity in his most consequential decisions, nominating Kamala Harris as the first Black, Indian female vice president and selecting the most diverse group of nominees for the presidential cabinet in American history. That alone might secure his place among the most important presidencies. But with virtually all of his first confirmed nominees history was also made – Avril Haines as the first woman Director of National Intelligence, Lloyd Austin as the first black Secretary of Defense, and Janet Yellen as the first woman to lead the Treasury. Many more designees will similarly break extraordinary ground once confirmed: Deb Haaland, the first Native person to serve in a cabinet, Pete Buttigieg as the first openly gay cabinet secretary, just to name a few. And it’s not just at the cabinet level. Throughout his administration more women and underrepresented minorities are getting appointed, surpassing previous administrations in sheer representation. Biden is transforming the leadership of the entire federal government and sending a clear message to America and the world that under his leadership, all Americans will be finally be represented.
In his appointments, Biden tackles some of our longest-standing injustices. Native communities have never had a real voice in the federal government, women have been vastly underrepresented, people of color have never held many of our nation’s most important leadership roles, and LGBT people do not have the full and equal rights other Americans enjoy. Biden understands how important representation is to the Americans who elected him, but also to accomplishing his exceptionally difficult and complex agenda. The diverse voices in the cabinet and federal leadership bring critical perspectives that have been excluded from public policy for too long. With this diverse team, the president will hear perspectives on American life that have never been central to considerations of policy and practice. He also, importantly, shows White male leaders everywhere how to use their positions of power and privilege to benefit others. It’s a master class on breaking White supremacy led by a White man. Let’s hope CEOs, world leaders, and White men everywhere follow that example.
As consequential as this all is, in just two weeks the president has…
Read More: The Biden Administration Already is the Most Inclusive in American History