In keeping with its campaign promise about increasing institutional diversity, the Joe Biden administration stood out: the first black and Asian American vice president, a more diverse cabinet than that of his predecessors, and the first black woman on the Supreme Court.

But a new analysis of Biden's senior advisers by an independent think tank concludes that the president has not done enough to secure greater black representation in key White House positions that are less visible to the public but whose incumbents generally have an enormous influence over politics.

The Joint Center for Political and EconomicStudies, which is devoted to issues related to Black equity, examined the White House’s 139 commissioned officer positions — the most senior roles — and found that a total of 15, or roughly 11 percent, were held by Black staffers. In a report released Monday, obtained by The Washington Post before publication, the think tank faulted Biden, noting that Black voters made up 22 percent of his support in 2020, according to The Post publication.

The study credits Biden for a staff and administration that is more diverse than his predecessors’, a powerful symbol in a nation often riven by racial and cultural differences. But that diversity begins to thin when it comes to Biden’s most senior advisers, the study concluded, a dynamic similar to that often found in American corporations and other government agencies.

According to Spencer Overton, a former Obama administration official who is president of the think tank, “pride in the visible strides Biden has taken should not overshadow the need to diversify key decision-making roles”.

A White House spokeswoman stressed that Biden has a historically diverse administration and Cabinet, which includes “a record number of women and leaders of color,” as well as the first Native American Cabinet secretary and openly gay Cabinet secretary. […] Biden’s defenders say the steps he has taken have been historic and have helped elevate a generation of Black leaders, and that he should not be faulted for not making everything perfect, according to The Post.

Of the 24 members of Biden’s Cabinet, seven are Black — from Vice President Harris and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to budget director Shalanda Young. Others are Latino, Native American or Asian American.

But Cabinet officials do not necessarily meet often with Biden, and the Joint Center suggested that such prominent examples do not reflect the senior workforce of the White House itself. The commissioned officers — assistants, deputy assistants and special assistants to the president — “frequently convene with the president, influence his way of thinking, make recommendations and advise him on important personnel decisions”, the study says.

To close the gap, the study said the administration should appoint Black Americans to open commissioned officer positions. It also recommended disclosing data on employees in the agencies that report to the Executive Office of the President, and it urged the gathering of quarterly demographic data on White House employees.

“It is critical that Black Americans have adequate representation in commissioned officer roles because commissioned officers' inquiries are prioritized in the administration. Their status grants them the privilege to secure meetings with the president, other White House commissioned officers, and network with senior leadership within the Executive Office of the President and throughout the federal government. After their tenure as a commissioned officer, appointees gain access to roles with more senior titles and better pay within the private and non-profit sectors”.