President Joe Biden promised that his administration “both in the White House and outside the Cabinet, is going to look like the country.” Not only did Biden and his administration introduce unprecedented diversity into the White House, but they have also brought about high expectations for policies that will lead to large positive changes for communities of color. 

In the past, the Presidential Cabinet has been a place largely dominated by white males. Now, in a society that is hyper aware of the racial injustices that plague our country, diversity in the Presidential Cabinet has become a significant topic of discussion.

In a speech made in December, President Biden stated that “building a diverse team will lead to better outcomes and more effective solutions to address the urgent crises facing our nation,” when announcing some of his cabinet nominees. His administration has made it clear that diversity is a priority for them, and if the Senate confirms all of Biden’s remaining nominations, more than half of his Cabinet will be nonwhite and almost half will be female.

These numbers can be compared to the 45% of President Barack Obama’s Cabinet that was nonwhite and the 19% of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet. To break down the demographics, Biden’s Cabinet is 45% white, 23% African American, 18% Hispanic, 9% Asian, and 5% Native American. Not only is this unparalleled racial diversity, but 45% of his nominees are female, which is 9% more than President Obama’s 36%, and 27% more than President Trump’s.

Within this large pool of diversity, comes some notable picks. This includes Pete Buttigieg, who was confirmed by the Senate as the United States Secretary of Transportation on Feb. 3, 2021. He is the first openly gay Cabinet member in U.S. history. He is also the youngest Cabinet secretary in the Biden administration and historically the youngest Secretary of Transportation. Before becoming the Secretary of Transportation, he was an intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserve and worked as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana. After serving as mayor for two terms, he ran as a presidential candidate in the 2020 Presidential Primaries of the Democratic Party. He was the first openly gay person to launch a major presidential campaign and win a presidential primary or caucus.

Another noteworthy nomination from the Biden Administration is Janet Yellen. Yellen is the first woman to ever be nominated and confirmed as the Secretary of Treasury. Previously, she worked as the vice chair and chair of the Federal Reserve as nominated by President Obama. Yellen focused a lot of her work on the financial crisis and recession of 2008. In a White House press conference, President Biden said he chose her because “she has spent her career focused on unemployment and the dignity of work and she understands what it means to people and their communities when they have good, decent jobs.”

Although there is no shortage of impressive nominations for the Presidential Cabinet, another historic first came in the nomination for the Secretary of the Interior. Deb Haaland is projected to be the first Native American cabinet secretary. Although she has not yet been confirmed, her hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 23.  Haaland’s selection is a historic victory for indigenous leaders who have been campaigning for significant leadership positions that oversee natural resources and public lands.  Previously, Haaland has only served in Congress for a short time, working as the U.S. Representative from the 1st congressional district of New Mexico since 2019. She has already made history as one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress. She has already won the support of many diverse and progressive activists.

Diversity has been a high priority for the Biden Administration, and so far, the nominations for the Presidential Cabinet have reflected their intentions. The U.S. is an extremely diverse nation, and including diverse, talented individuals in the cabinet will hopefully bring about positive changes for minorities. These diverse picks bring hope to those who have been campaigning for leadership that reflects the country, and many look forward to the policies they expect these Cabinet members to enact to improve the lives of U.S. citizens.