One of Joe Biden’s campaign promises upon entering the White House was to assemble a Cabinet that “looked like America.” He promised to reflect the nation’s reputation of inclusivity, which is in jeopardy because of the Trump administration. It is clear that it may be years, even beyond the Biden administration, until America can learn to stand united again. However, Biden’s Cabinet appointments provide the necessary tools to get the nation off the ground.

Biden’s Cabinet consists of 45% women as compared to Obama’s 36% and Trump’s 18%. Additionally, Biden touts a 55% non-white Cabinet in comparison to Obama’s 45% and Trump’s 18%. According to these statistics, Biden has kept his campaign promise to assemble a Cabinet that looks like America more so than both of his predecessors.

However, some have raised doubts regarding the merits of these diverse appointments. Some claim that Biden sought to appease the Democratic masses and “diversity police” rather than appointing qualified members to serve the American people. These allegations are incorrect. In reality,  the contrary is true as President Biden’s administration is one of the most governmentally experienced Cabinets in the country’s history, towering at 95%, standing over Obama’s 86% and dwarfing Trump’s 68%. Not only has Biden delivered on his promise to foster diversity in his Cabinet, but he provided governmental skill and competency in the White House. 

President Biden’s Cabinet picks are appropriate and necessary, especially in the wake of the racial injustices witnessed this summer. President Biden’s administration seeks to calm the flames that Trump’s administration fanned for so long.

He picked meticulously, as each member has a pivotal role to play. For example, the appointment of Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior is a wise choice because she is renowned for her protests against building a pipeline beneath a key water source of the Standing Rock Reservation. She would also be the first female Native American Cabinet secretary. President Biden accomplished two fundamental feats here. He enlisted a Native American woman as a member of his Cabinet, which is especially significant because Indigenous people have struggled to gain fair representation in government. Additionally, Haaland’s staunch opposition to the pipeline is a testament to her devotion to tackling environmental issues.

Cabinet appointee Alejandro Mayorkas is pivotal to understanding where the Biden administration’s stance on immigration, as Mayorkas is the first Latino immigrant appointed as Secretary of Homeland Security. Mayorkas was involved with the implementation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) during the Obama administration which helped protect immigrant children from deportation. Although border security is key to ensuring the safety of our nation, this Cabinet appointment benefits the reconstruction of the American image after the Trump administration. 

Although Biden’s Cabinet looks like and can work for America, there is still work to be done to ensure America is an inclusive country.

Noah Osborne, FCRH ’23, is a journalism major from Harlem, N.Y.