Diversity, equity, inclusion at center of President Biden's agenda

In the first days of his administration, President Joe Biden began to make good on his campaign promise to "mobilize across the board to advance racial equity across the American economy" and advance a holistic Agenda for Women. Within the first two weeks of his presidency, Biden filled four positions critical to the success of his diversity, equity, and inclusion agenda, signed three Executive Orders (EOs), issued two presidential memoranda, and withdrew the Trump administration's lawsuits against major universities accused of discriminating against whites and Asian Americans.

Key appointments

On January 21, 2021, Biden named Commissioner Charlotte Burrows as chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Commissioner Jocelyn Samuels as vice chair. Burrows has served as an EEOC commissioner since 2014 and was unanimously reconfirmed in 2019 to a term that will end in 2023.

Samuels, like Burrows, came to the EEOC with a strong civil rights background. Before joining the EEOC in October 2020, she served as the executive director of the Williams Institute, a think tank at the UCLA School of Law focused on sexual orientation and gender identity issues.

Jenny Yang was appointed director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) on Inauguration Day. Yang has significant experience in the civil rights arena and served as EEOC commissioner, vice chair, and chair during the Obama administration.

EOs, presidential memoranda