Diversity,
Equity,
Inclusion.
As a representative democracy, our government is stronger when it is truly of the people, by the people, and for the people. The Pledge for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will urge our nation’s leaders to ensure that everyone has a seat at the table.
Pledge
I, __, pledge to the American people that I will make diversity, equity, and inclusion a priority for government personnel at every level—from Cabinet members to interns—because a workforce that represents the rich tapestry of our nation will better serve its people.
Details
As a foundation of my pledge, I commit that I will:
- Appoint a Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer in each Department/Agency and a Standing Government-wide Committee to guide the Office of Personnel Management and the Presidential Personnel Office on matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our government;
- Support transparency in demographic, recruitment, promotion, and retention data on civil servants and political appointees serving in the Executive Branch, including through publication of comprehensive and timely public reports;
- Adopt an inclusion rule (similar to the Mansfield Rule) for hiring and promotion to ensure a diverse pool of candidates for all political appointments, with respect to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s protected classes which include, but are not limited to: gender, gender identity, race, color, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, genetic information, national origin, tribal citizenship, familial obligations, veteran status, and previous civic service, as well as tending to the importance of socioeconomic status, geography and cultural heritage in shaping the perspectives essential to capturing the full diversity and pluralism of the United States; and
- Enforce policies against discrimination, harassment, and retaliation to ensure that all government employees have a safe, respectful, and inclusive space in which to work for the benefit of the American people.
Share the Pledge
Candidates
Candidates with color photos and “Watch the Pledge” buttons have taken the Pledge for Diversity to support diversity, equity and inclusion in our government. Candidates with black-and-white photos and “Urge to Pledge” buttons have not (yet) taken the Pledge for Diversity.
About
It will take a concerted and focused effort to find qualified candidates who are also representative of the American people to serve the public. The Pledge for Diversity was developed by Inclusive America, a nonpartisan 501(c)3 non-profit on a mission to help make the government as diverse as the people of the United States. The Pledge is not, and should not be interpreted as, any kind of endorsement of a particular candidate or party.
By the Numbers
With diversity in government, we can ensure that our leaders will have a variety of policies that take in consideration the needs of all Americans. For far too long, our leaders have failed to represent the rich diversity of our nation. It’s time for a more Inclusive America.
N/A
While 1 in 4 of adult Americans have a disability, the Biden-Harris administration has not released information about any senior appointments including People with Disabilities.
0 People of Color
At the State Department, the most senior leadership is composed of all white people. (Secretary, Deputy Secretaries, Principal Under Secretary, and Chief of Staff Counselor)
0
women have served as a Secretary of Defense or Veterans Affairs, or White House Chief of Staff.
Our endorsers
We asked those in positions of power from the last few administrations if they approve of our idea. Here’s a list of our endorsers:
Bush Administration
Richard Armitage, Dep. Secretary of State
John Bridgeland, Director of Domestic Policy Council
Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
Michael Hayden, Director of the CIA
Mike Leavitt, Secretary of Health & Human Services
Christine Todd Whitman, Administrator of the EPA
Ann Veneman, Secretary of Agriculture
Clinton Administration
Madeleine Albright, Secretary of State*
Charlene Barshefsky, US Trade Representative
Carol Browner, Administrator of the EPA
Henry Cisneros, Secretary of Housing & Urban Development
John Deutch, Dep. Secretary of Defense
Stuart Eizenstat, Dep. Secretary of Treasury
Dan Glickman, Secretary of Agriculture
David J. Hayes, Dep. Secretary of Interior
Alexis Herman, Secretary of Labor
Mickey Kantor, Secretary of Commerce*
Anthony Lake, National Security Advisor
Federico Peña, Secretary of Energy*
John Podesta, White House Chief of Staff*
Richard Riley, Secretary of Education
Linda Stuntz, Dep. Secretary of Energy
Strobe Talbott, Dep. Secretary of State
Veterans
General John Allen, USMC (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Raquel C. Bono, USN (Ret.)
Lt. General Thomas Bostick, USA (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Manson K. Brown, USCG (Ret.)
Vice Admiral James Crawford, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral A.B. Cruz III, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Derwood Curtis, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Marsha Evans, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Bruce Grooms, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Vic Guillory, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Pete Gumataotao, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Don Guter, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Sinclair Harris, USN (Ret.)
Lt. General Stayce Harris, USAF (Ret.)
Lt. General Ronnie D. Hawkins, Jr, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral John Hutson, USN (Ret.)
Maj. General Paul Kennedy, USMC (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Ron MacLaren, USN (Ret.)
Brig. General Joseph V. Medina, USMC (Ret.)
Maj. General Barrye Price, USA (Ret.)
General Edward Rice, USAF (Ret.)
General Larry Spencer, USAF (Ret.)
Maj. General Angela Salinas, USMC (Ret.)
Maj. General Clifford Stanley, USMC (Ret.)
Lt. General Vincent Stewart, USMC (Ret.)
Maj. General Tony Taguba, USA (Ret.)
Obama Administration
Bruce Andrews, Dep. Secretary of Commerce
Melody Barnes, Director of Domestic Policy Council
Sarah Bloom Raskin, Dep. Secretary of the Treasury
Charles Bolden, Administrator of NASA
John Brennan, Director of the CIA
William Joseph Burns, Dep. Secretary of State
David Cohen, Dep. Director of the CIA
Nani Coloretti, Dep. Secretary of Housing & Urban Development
Michael Connor, Dep. Secretary of the Interior
Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education
Eric Fanning, Secretary of the Army
Michèle Flournoy, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
W. Scott Gould, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Chuck Hagel, Secretary of Defense
David J. Hayes, Dep. Secretary of Interior
Eric Holder, Attorney General of the United States
Maurice Jones, Dep. Secretary of Housing & Urban Development
John Kerry, Secretary of State
John King, Secretary of Education
Chris Lu, Dep. Secretary of Labor
Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy
Alejandro Mayorkas, Dep. Secretary of Homeland Security
Andrew Mayock, Dep. Director of the OMB
Denis McDonough, White House Chief of Staff
Stan Meiburg, Dep. Administrator of the EPA
Karen Mills, Administrator of the SBA
Michael Morell, Dep. Director of the CIA
Cecilia Muñoz, Director of the Domestic Policy Council
Dava Newman, Dep. Administrator of NASA
Leon Panetta, Secretary of Defense*
Bob Perciasepe, Dep. Administrator of the EPA
Ken Salazar, Secretary of Interior
Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health & Human Services
Wendy Sherman, Dep. Secretary of State
Gayle Smith, Administrator of the USAID
Hilda Solis, Secretary of Labor
Don Steinberg, Dep. Administrator of the USAID
Robert O. Work, Dep. Secretary of Defense
Jeff Zients, Director of the National Economic Council
Biden Administration
Brian McKeon, Dep. Secretary of State
Ambassadors
John Berry (Australia)
Wally Brewster (Dominican Republic)
John B. Emerson (Germany)
S. Fitzgerald Haney (Costa Rica)
Keith Harper (United Nations Human Rights Council)
David Huebner (New Zealand)
Swanee Hunt (Austria)
Edward M. Gabriel (Morocco)
James Franklin Jeffrey (Iraq, Turkey, & Albania)
Michael McKinley (Peru, Colombia, Afghanistan, & Brazil)
Susan Denise Page (South Sudan)
Charles Ray (Cambodia & Zimbabwe)
Thomas Shannon (Brazil)
Dana Shell Smith (Qatar)
M. Osman Siddique (Fiji, Nauru, Tonga, & Tuvalu)
Harry K. Thomas Jr., (Bangladesh, Philippines, & Zimbabwe)
Kurt Tong (Hong Kong)
Congress
Steve Bartlett, US Rep. (R-TX)
Tony Coelho, US Rep. (D-CA)
Tom Daschle, US Sen. (D-SD)
Tom Davis, US Rep. (R-VA)
Tom Harkin, US. Sen. (D-IA)
Lee Hamilton, US Rep. (D-IN)
Glenn Nye, US Rep. (D-VA)
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, US Rep. (R-FL)
* = Served in more than one Cabinet/Cabinet-Level Position
Our partners
There is great work already being done in this space. We are partnering with not-for-profits, think tanks, and activists to ensure that we fill the gaps and coordinate toward the goal of a more inclusive government.
