Inclusv is proud to publish the first ever report focusing exclusively on racial diversity amongst the staff of the Democratic party at the state level.

As Democrats at the national level announce plans to invest more money and resources into state parties, it is vital that we know who the decision makers in the states are so that we can ensure that people of color are fully represented in leadership positions. This report is a landmark moment for everyone who values transparency around the issue of staff diversity, and alongside past reports from the DCCC, DNC, and the Senate Democratic Caucus, it shows that reporting statistics on racial diversity is now the norm in Democratic politics.

This first of its kind report looks at the racial diversity of staff of the Democratic party at the state level, and notes the challenges that state party leadership runs into when trying to build a diverse staff. The report concludes with ten recommendations, such as implementing the “Rooney Rule” that states can use build a staff that reflects the diversity of the Democratic party.

Here are key findings from our report, which can be read in it’s entirety at Inclusv-2017-State-Democratic-Parties-Diversity-Report-3.pdf

  • 40 states and the Democratic Party of Washington, D.C. participated in the development of this report.
  • These 41 state parties reported that they employ 401 staffers, 273 (68%) of which were White.
  • 14.5% of staffers were African American, 8.2% were Latino/Hispanic, 3.7% were Asian American Pacific Islanders, 2% were Arab Americans, and 0.75% were Native Americans. 2.7% were unspecified people of color.
  • 21 states reported having zero Latino staffers, and 25 states had zero AAPI staffers.

Inclusv Executive Director Alida Garcia issued the following statement on the release of the report:

“Inclusv is proud to push the diversity and inclusion conversation forward in the Democratic Party and applauds the 41 state parties who participated in this great first step toward increasing transparency.  The numbers presented in the report indicate a clear need to improve upon the current makeup of state democratic party staff to ensure that the Democratic Party’s decision makers across the country reflect communities of color at a rate of their current and potential contributions to the party.”

Click here to read the 2017 State Party Diversity Report.

 

Update 7/20/2017: We’re happy to announce that Utah, Nevada, and Maine have reached out to us about working together in the future to issue diversity reports and hire staffers of color.