Roland Martin, race and the White House Press Office

By Jennifer J. Foster

Published: February 4, 2009

I apologize in advance for linking you to anything by CNN contributor Roland Martin. But I think this piece is important in the context of the discussions about race that we’ve been having here over the past three weeks.

In this column that is just the latest example of how race-conscious policy runs directly counter to the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Martin rails against the dearth of black and Hispanic staffers on President Obama’s communications office.

Here are a few excerpts:

But while we hold the media accountable for the need to diversify their ranks, it’s quite telling to see the lack of diversity in the White House’s press office.

Yes, because, you know, Obama’s administration is one of the whitest ever.

I got an e-mail Tuesday listing all of the various press folks and contact information, and it became clear that there were hardly any African-Americans or Hispanics on the staff.

Really? “It became clear”? You mean, you could tell their ethnicity by simply reading their names? No assumptions there.

Various reports have stated that Obama was bothered by the lack of diversity among his campaign team, yet he wasn’t moved to do anything about it.

Hmm. Could that be because Obama was pleased with the work of his campaign team and cared more about their production than—GASP!!—the color of their skin?

I’ve been told that not all hiring has been completed in the White House press office and in other areas. OK, fine. But the A-team has clearly been hired, and that means anyone else coming in the door is on the B-team. And that just won’t cut it.

... even if their abilities and experience don’t measure up to the “A-team,“ right, Roland?

I’ll tell you someone who could have easily measured up to the standards necessary to work in the White House Press Office: Jamal Simmons, a spokesman for the Obama campaign.

I saw him probably four dozen times over 12 months, and every time, Simmons was flawless on set. He delivered a steady message with unwavering focus. Even on nights when Obama didn’t do well (the night of the Texas and Ohio primaries, for example), Simmons exuded an easy calm, even when faced with the sharp and verbose attacks of Clinton apologistas like the ferocious Paul Begala and bagman Lanny Davis. (Here he is holding his own against the industry’s best: The incomparable James Carville.) Simmons’s professionalism and eloquence likely went a long way toward keeping Obama’s primary supporters from panicking as the contentious race with Hillary Clinton dragged on.

But Jamal Simmons, as qualified as he is, probably wouldn’t be interested in a job in the White House. You know why?

He’d take a tremendous pay cut. His outstanding ability is earning him much more in the private sector—working with politicians and corporate clients alike—than he could earn in the administration, where he’d probably work twice as many hours for a third of the pay—or less.

And you know what? Good for Jamal Simmons! He’s a gifted communicator, and he should capitalize on that.

You know, if I was one of the white staffers who had worked my way into a job in the White House Press Office, I’d really resent someone like Roland Martin saying that my hiring was inappropriate—not because of my inability or because there was necessarily someone who was better equipped to succeed, but because my job should have gone to someone who looked different.

You know what won’t cut it? Roland Martin’s attitude of putting race over and above all other hiring considerations—you know, those minor things like education, ability and experience.

Good grief.