Dr. Rachel Levine Is Joe Biden’s Pick For Most Diverse Administration Ever| What Minority-Owned Small Businesses Can Expect From The New Administration

Plus: How It Started, And How It’s Going: Kamala Harris Is Vice President

Yesterday’s Inauguration was filled with record-breaking firsts, as Kamala Harris became the first female, the first Black American, and the first American of South Asian descent to hold the vice presidency. From childhood to Howard University to her role as VPOTUS, here is the path Kamala Harris took to become the highest-ranking woman in U.S. history. 

So, it was fitting that the Inauguration Poem was written and recited by Amanda Gorman, who describes herself as a “skinny Black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother, [who] can dream of becoming president, only to find herself reciting for one.” Gorman also made history as the youngest poet to recite poetry at the Presidential Inauguration. 

Even as Harris hit this historic milestone, there are still no Black female Fortune 500 CEOs. A recent Lean In and McKinsey report, The State of Black Women in Corporate America, found that Black women represent just 1.6% and 1.4% of VP and C-suite positions.

The change in administration is more than a historic moment for those fighting for DEI. Hours after his inauguration, President Biden signed an executive order prohibiting workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. 

Biden also signed an executive order on racial equity and support for underserved communities, directing the Office of Management and Budget to more equitably allocate federal resources to "empower and invest in communities of color and other underserved communities." As such, here’s what minority-owned small businesses can expect from the Biden-Harris Administration.

Quiz Yourself

Before Vice President Harris, how many women have vied to be vice president?

A) 3

B) 5

C) 11

D) 13

(Answer located at the bottom of this newsletter.)

Editor's Pick

ICYMI

Meet Dr. Rachel Levine, Joe Biden’s pick for most diverse administration ever.

Facebook revamped its AI text tools to better describe photos. Here’s why that’s important for Facebook’s blind and low-vision users. 

As Biden focuses on immigration reform, here is the economic case for open borders.

This is your guide to becoming a more racially inclusive organization.

How television star and entrepreneur Faith Stowers is using her platform to help Black-owned businesses.

Meet the 26-year old Black designer behind the Vice President’s Inauguration outfit.

Participate in our 2021 Black and Brown in Corporate survey, which will help inform how workplaces can create more inclusive, equitable environments.

Up Ahead

Quiz Answer: (C) 11 other women have previously vied to be vice president, including more than one Black woman and one Asian-American woman.