White House Personnel Matters

I am tracking black presidential appointees because “personnel is policy.” Besides other constituent groups are keeping score (here and here).

In this supposed post-racial era, race shouldn’t matter. But as long as there are racial disparities and structural racism, race matters.

Indeed, the Los Angeles Times reports:

About a quarter of black Americans live in poverty — nearly three times the rate for whites — at a time when rising budget deficits and expensive corporate bailouts are going to leave little federal money for anti-poverty programs. The federal budget deficit is likely to hit a record $1 trillion next year.

Black adults are less likely than whites to have college degrees and more likely to be in prison. Blacks are less likely than whites to have health insurance and, on average, they don't live as long as whites. Homicide is the leading cause of death among black males ages 15 to 34 — and it has been for years.

It’s encouraging that a black woman, Melody Barnes, was named to President-elect Barack Obama’s economic team. As director of the Domestic Policy Council, Barnes will coordinate domestic policymaking in the White House and provide advice to the President on a wide range of issues, including education, subprime mortgage crisis, health care, poverty and criminal justice.

It should be noted that Barnes will not be the first African American to hold this position. Claude Allen served as President Bush’s domestic policy adviser until he resigned to, er, spend more time with his family.

President-elect Obama also appointed Desirée Rogers as White House Social Secretary. While I’m the hoodie and leggings type, I still think it’s a big deal a black woman will follow in the footsteps of Letitia Baldrige.