In order to attract interns. who look like America, White House will pay them

WHITE HOUSE

As this intern cohort during the Trump White House demonstrates, the program has difficulty attracting women and interns of color.

In an effort to attract interns who reflect America's diversity, the White House Internship Program will be offering a salary to it's interns. Historically, the highly coveted internships were unpaid.

President Biden and Vice President Harris announced the launch of the White House Internship Program and that, for the first time in recent history, White House interns will be paid. The first session will commence in Fall 2022.

Too often, unpaid federal internships have been a barrier to hardworking and talented students and professionals who simply could not afford going unpaid during the intern session resulting in a program predominantly white and upper middle-class and higher. 

"A White House internship is the equivalent of a Rhodes Scholarship, in terms of prestige," said Carlos Mark Vera, the executive director of Pay Our Interns, which has lobbied to make federal internships paid positions. He's also a former unpaid intern at the White House. "You do the White House internship, you're pretty set. Most doors open," he told Insider.

This significant milestone of paying White House interns will help remove barriers to equal opportunity for low-income students and first-generation professionals at the beginnings of their careers and help to ensure that those who receive internships at the White House—and who will be a significant part of the leadership pipeline across the entire federal government—reflect the diversity of America.

Interns will be paid $750 per week,  making the maximum hourly rate $21.42, during the 14-week program. Interns are expected to work a minimum of 35 hours per week in-person, according to NPR. However, living in Washington, D.C., can be expensive. Rent alone will cost anywhere from $350 a week and up, according to NPR.

Congress has been paying its interns for several years. While pay was supposed to increase the diversity of candidates — a goal shared by the White House — a report from Pay Our Interns, a nonprofit founded by two previously unpaid Hill interns, found racial and ethnic representation among paid positions has not increased.

The funds for paying interns come from bipartisan legislation that the President was proud to sign earlier this year.

Interns in the Biden White House have been noticeably absent due to COVID-10 restrictions and most of the staff working at home. That is about to change.

The White House Internship Program is a public service leadership and development program that provides emerging leaders with an opportunity to gain valuable skills while supporting the work of the White House and furthering the priorities of the Biden-Harris Administration.

The slots are highly sought, offering the chance to rub elbows with some powerful men and women at the highest level while contributing to the success of an administration. 

Some noteworthy former White House interns have gone onto prominent roles in national politics and media, including longtime Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin, former secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Casro, Biden senior adviser Anita Dunn, Fox News’ Neil Cavuto, NBC News’ Brian Williams  and former deputy attorney general Lisa Monaco.

Interested candidates can find the Program’s online application at WH.gov/intern. The website also features additional information about the Program, including a “Frequently Asked Questions” section. 

The application for the Fall 2022 session began Monday, June 6 and will close on Friday, June 24.

Each year, leaders from around the country participate in the White House Internship Program to dedicate their time, energy, and experience to serve the country through public service.

The Fall 2022 session will be hosted in-person on the White House campus. Program leadership will continue to monitor the public health landscape related to COVID-19 and will adapt the Program’s approach in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. All interns will be required to attest to their vaccination status and must adhere to any White House COVID-19 protocols.

The Fall 2022 session will be a 14-week program, beginning on Monday, September 12 and ending on Friday, December 16. Selected applicants will be notified the week of August 8.

Program participants must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years or older before the first day of the Program, and meet at least one of the three following criteria:

1. Currently enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate degree program at a college, community college, or university (two- to four-year institution)
2. Graduated from an accredited undergraduate or graduate program at a college, community college, or university (two- to four-year institution) no more than two years prior to the first day of the Program
3. A veteran of the United States Armed Forces who possesses a high school diploma or its equivalent and has served on active duty, for any length of time, no more than two years prior to the first day of the Program

The White House Internship Program application and additional information about the Program can be found at WH.gov/intern.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

Federal government lays out action plans to achieve racial, economic equity

WHITE HOUSE

President Biden's advisor Susan Rice hosted the unveiling of of the government's equity plans..

 

A year after, President Biden signed Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.

That historic Executive Order directed the whole of the federal government to advance an ambitious equity and racial justice agenda.

Thursday, April 15, more than 90 federal agencies, including all Cabinet-level agencies, unveiled the first-ever Equity Action Plans that lay out more than 300 concrete strategies and commitments to address the systemic barriers in our nation’s policies and programs that hold too many underserved communities back from prosperity, dignity, and equality.

Those communities include poor communities, Asian Americans, Blacks, Latinos, tribal, rural and LGBTQ communities; and people with disabilities and women and girls and addresses disaggregating data and fighting the anti-Asian hate acts plaguing the AANHPI communities.

In a meeting with leaders from the AANHPI communities, Biden said that the hate acts are "often met with silence. That’s been true throughout our history, but that has to change — because our silence is complicity. We cannot be complicit. We have to speak out. We have to act."

The action includes developing and implementing the equity plans which were discussed at the Thursday White House event hosted by domestic policy adviser Susan Rice, budget director Shalanda Young and members of the Cabinet.

“Improving access to Justice Department programs and services is critical to ensuring equal justice under law and promoting public safety,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Department’s Equity Action Plan is designed to increase equity, opportunity, and resources to our most vulnerable communities.”

Since Jan. 20, 2021, the Department has taken many steps to advance equity for marginalized communities, including by combating hate crimes and hate incidents, revitalizing the Community Relations Service, re-establishing the Office for Access to Justice, ensuring non-discrimination in federal grants, expanding language access, and reforming law enforcement practices. The Department’s Equity Action Plan will build on these ongoing efforts.

"Education has the power to bring the American Dream within reach of every individual, lift communities, draw people together, drive our economy, and meet our nation's vast potential," said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. "We need to keep the focus on transforming our education system so it truly expands opportunity for all students, no matter their race, background, zip code, age, or family's income.Together, we must take bold action to ensure our nation's schools are defined not by disparities, but by equity and excellence, especially as we recover from the pandemic and reemerge stronger than before."

Advancing equity is not a one-year project—it is a generational commitment. These plans are an important step forward, reflecting the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to make the promise of America real for every American, but especially for those communities that historically did not have access to the opportunities provided by the multitude of government programs, services and job openings.

The plans put forth Thursday included implementing the first-ever national strategy on gender equity and equality; working to ensure the federal government is a model for diversity equity, inclusion and accessibility; working to deliver environmental justice through the Justice40 Initiative; and working to prevent and combat discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.

For more details on the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to advance equity and justice for underserved communities, visit www.whitehouse.gov/equity.

'Hawaii Five-0' still sensitive over departure of AAPI stars

Hawaii Five-0's promo posters treated the four leads equally, but not when negotiating salaries.

'HAWAII FIVE-0' executive producer Peter Lenkob said that he was shocked that the show was accused of being anti-diversity because of the departure of its two Asian/American stars.

“People misinterpreted how it went down, and that’s a little bit of a shame because I don’t think people had all the information,” Lenkob told The Wrap. “You can’t watch the show and say that we’re not a diversity-forward show at all. I mean, you just look at the poster for the core four that started the show, you’d see it right there.”

In the interview, he kept using the term "diversity-forward" describing the show's commitment to reflect the population of Hawaii, which is majority AAPI.

Lenkob said that Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park were already planning to leave the show even before contract talks began.

CBS issued a statement during the summer that Kim and Park were leaving despite being offered “large and significant salary increases.” But Kim's Facebook post gave the impression that it was more than just money when he wrote in his farewell message, “The path to equality is rarely easy.”

In the interview, he said it was decided not to "kill off" the characters of Kim and Park to leave open the possibility of their return. 

"It’s up to them," he said. "All they have to do is pick up a phone."

In an interview with NBC promoting The Good Doctor for which he is executive producer, Kim said:

"('Hawaii Five-0') was a really important part of my life for seven years," Kim said. "I'm really grateful to CBS and everyone involved in the show for the opportunity. ... That said, it's possible to be grateful for the opportunity and have respect for your colleagues and still maintain a steadfast sense of your self-worth. And all good things come to an end. I closed that chapter on 'Hawaii Five-0' and I begin this new chapter on 'The Good Doctor.'"

The thing about Lenkob's statement is that it is a typical response of someone who just doesn't get it.

People of color are not props who are included just to demonstrate diversity. Without equity and respect, talking about diversity rings hollow.

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