♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> Erica P. Loewe the Director of African-American Media at the White House, next on "The Chavis Chronicles".

>> Major funding for "The Chavis Chronicles" is provided by the following.

At Wells Fargo, we are committed to diversity and understand our responsibility in supporting and empowering diverse communities.

Diversity and inclusion is integral to the way we work.

Supporting the financial health of our diverse customers and employees is one of the many ways we remain invested in inclusion for all, today, tomorrow, and in the future.

American Petroleum Institute.

Through the core elements of API's Energy Excellence program, our members are committed to accelerating safety, environmental and sustainability progress throughout the natural gas and oil industry in the U.S. and around the world.

You can learn more at api.org/apienergyexcellence.

Reynolds American, dedicated to building a better tomorrow for our employees and communities.

Reynolds stands against racism and discrimination in all forms and is committed to building a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

At AARP, we are committed to empowering people to choose how they live as they age.

♪ ♪ >> We welcome to "The Chavis Chronicles", Erica P. Loewe, Director of African-American Media for the White House.

Welcome.

>> Thank you, Dr. Chavis.

It's a pleasure to be here.

>> So you are from South Carolina.

I know you were born in South Carolina, and I know you have a very close relationship with the Honorable Congressman Jim Clyburn, who I've known for many years.

>> Jim Clyburn is my best boss.

He absolutely has been one of my favorite bosses.

And he has been very clear that I need to start by telling people I am from Charleston.

I grew up in Miami, Florida, but I was born at Roper Hospital in Charleston, South Carolina.

And he said, you got to start with that.

But, yeah, he's a great man and I learned a lot from him.

>> Tell us about your parents.

What did your parents do?

>> They both worked in government in some form or fashion.

My mom worked for the city commissioner.

My dad worked in nonprofits, economic development.

So I was always around or -- it was always politics adjacent.

I started in South Carolina with my parents, and then, of course, they split up, as parents do, and my mom and I moved to Florida and I grew up with my mother and my grandparents.

And it was a house full of love and laughs and a lot of crazy conversations.

And then I went to the University of Florida for undergrad.

So, I stayed a Florida girl through and through, and from University of Florida, I actually got a White House internship.

And I guess we've come full circle.

>> Under the Obama administration?

>> Under the Obama administration.

So I did the White House internship and I never left.

It was an incredible experience.

I actually worked under the director of African-American outreach, so not quite media, but adjacent with the person, as you know, that I work very closely with now in that position.

And I came full circle ten years later.

So, now -- more than ten years later at this point.

So, now, I'm back at the White House, and my mother lives with me.

>> Oh, great.

That's a great story.

>> Yeah.

>> But you're now a veteran White House staff person.

You know the ins and outs.

>> You know, it's amazing.

A lot of those memories come back of the Eisenhower Building and how to get around and, you know, where to eat in the cafeteria, and, you know, the fun that we have with Secret Service.

You know, they take their job very seriously and we take ours very seriously.

So, yeah, you know, and being able to provide folks access, I think that is my favorite part about the position.

And it never gets old.

You know, the novelty never wears off.

There's nothing like being able to grant someone access to the White House for the first time, a building they've seen on TV, you know, they've seen on "Scandal" in the various shows and never thought that they'd actually be able to go through those gates and get in.

And it's a lot easier than one might think, you know, and our job is to provide access to the nation.

It's the people's house.

>> And of course, you have so much experience in the White House.

One of the things I wanted to ask you, as an African-American woman, there seems to be an increase not just in visibility, but in positions of power for black women.

We have the Honorable Kamala Harris as the vice president of the United States.

We have the Honorable Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who is on the Supreme Court, and other women in the cabinet.

Speak to us from your perspective, since you were both in the Obama administration, now you're in the Biden/Harris administration, is there an incline in diversity and equity?

>> Absolutely.

Never has there -- and I mean this -- there's never has there been an administration that has uplifted and supported black women as much as President Biden has done, you know, and that's just a fact.

The numbers don't lie.

So obviously, like you said, we have the honorable Kamala Harris, you know, a black woman who has lived experience.

You know, she's not just a black face that he said, "Come sit down and look nice."

You know, she went to Howard University.

She's a member of the Divine Nine.

She grew up, you know, in a black church.

She's someone that advocates for our issues, black maternal health and bias in the home appraisal process every single day.

You know, obviously, there's the cabinet.

You know, the president has a cabinet that I believe is roughly half women and more black people in first time positions than we've ever seen.

You know, we're dealing with the war in Ukraine, and two of the faces you see leading that effort are General Lloyd Austin, the first black person to ever head the Department of Defense, and then you have Lynda Thomas Greenfield, the ambassador to the U.N., two black people who you see on TV every single day doing their part and making sure that we're providing the aid that we need to Ukraine.

You have Michael Regan.

You know, the president signed a law -- >> EPA.

>> EPA.

The administrator of the EPA, the first black man, North Carolina, ANT grad, and Michael Regan is spearheading the effort to make sure that we get rid of all lead pipes that we know plague our communities, low income communities across the nation.

I can never forget Marcia Fudge, you know, Secretary Marcia Fudge, former CBC chair, former congresswoman from Ohio.

She's another one joining with Susan Rice and the vice president in getting rid of bias in the home appraisal process and narrowing the racial wealth gap through home ownership, which is critically important, and not enough black and brown people are able to own homes.

Sholanda Young.

You know, President Biden has said if you want to see someone's priorities, take a look at their budget.

And I would, you know, challenge us to take that a step further.

If you want to see where someone's priorities are, don't just look at their budget, but look at the person in charge of allocating that funding.

That is Sholanda Young, the first black woman to ever be in charge of a federal budget.

That is an extremely powerful position.

Where the money is, the power is.

>> The office of -- >> The Office of Management and Budget.

>> OMB.

>> OMB.

Yes, sir.

Cecilia Rouse, his chief economist, another black woman.

I mean, these are unprecedented positions that we have seen black people in.

And Joe Biden has made sure to elevate these black people and ensure that he has people at the helm of these agencies who are viewing these policies through the lens of equity.

And, of course, we have inside the White House.

You know, some of his most trusted advisers, Cedric Richmond, a Morehouse man, you know, Susan Rice, who heads his entire domestic policy portfolio.

You know, these are not symbolic positions.

You know, these are positions where you have to have someone who is qualified, who is intelligent, and who can get the job done or everything falls apart.

And he absolutely does that.

And I would also mention that we are the first White House to have a head of diversity and inclusion.

That job has never existed.

It existed on the campaign, and now he is a senior adviser to the president.

His name was Michael Leach, and his entire job in his entire office is to ensure diversity throughout the administration.

>> And what's his name again?

>> Michael Leach.

>> Michael Leach.

>> Yes.

>> That's a new position.

>> That is a new position that President Biden created, because that's how important it is.

So, you know, he wanted a federal government that looks like America.

And I'm in that White House every day.

And I see our people everywhere.

>> I know every time I go into the White House, I'm, quite frankly, Erica, not surprised, but pleasantly to see so much diversity... >> Absolutely.

>> ...at all levels.

I mean, even the Secret Service are going up.

It seems to be much more diverse.

>> We're in there.

>> That portends for the future of America.

>> Yes.

>> So let me just ask you now -- all the accomplishments that you've just stated of the Biden/Harris administration, the mainstream press doesn't seem to pick that up.

What do you do in your current position to ensure that African-American media, at least media that serves communities of color, gets the right messaging and the accuracy from the White House?

>> Well, I've been very blessed to work with people like you, you know, titans in the black media community and many others who have a real finger on the pulse of the community, who, you know, I talk to very regularly.

I try to get an idea of what it is that people need to hear, what it is that people are missing.

My job, essentially, is to ensure a constant and steady flow of information to these communities.

So, that's black owned media.

That's also media that targets black communities.

And my job is to be there to be accessible via e-mail, via phone, and to have somebody which I think speaks to the importance of the position and the importance of getting the message to the black community, because you have one person that is solely dedicated to ensuring that this message gets out there.

You're right, the mainstream media does not always cover the news that we want covered.

And, you know, I think it was Vice President Harris who said during the Emmett Till anti-lynching bill signing, she said the black press our storytellers that tell the stories of our communities when others don't, you know, or when others were afraid to.

So, you know, we at the White House, the president recognizes the importance of the black press, and my job is to make sure that the black press has access to information and gets that information to the people that need it most.

>> So, Erica, in your position as Director of African-American Media at the White House, can you comment about the value, from your perspective, of the minority press, black parents, Latino press, Asian press, Native American press, vis a vis the mainstream press?

>> Absolutely, and again, to echo the vice president, you know, I think she was she was specifically referencing Ida B.

Wells in that moment.

But I think it rings true.

Black press -- you know, we call it coalitions press at the White House.

You know, all of these press entities get stories told that, frankly, you know, mainstream media often misses.

Sometimes, you know, mainstream media is very focused on what's sexy and what's now or clickbait, as we call it, whereas, you know, the black press that I deal with, you know, in my experience, they are focused on the issues that impact us as a people.

And that's just not something that we can sneeze at.

It's not something we can take for granted.

It's something that we have to celebrate and we have to make sure to support.

Because if they don't tell these stories, oftentimes, they just won't get told.

>> Well, the reason why we have the Biden-Harris administration is because people voted in record numbers in 2020.

From your perspective, how important is it for people to go out to vote?

>> It was years ago and it was P. Diddy who had shirts that said "Vote or die".

And I remember thinking, "That's really dramatic."

And then I got into this position and, you know, I see the impact of the policies that President Biden has put forth and the impact of policies that his predecessors have put forth, and literally, life and death come out of these buildings and out of these offices.

So I think when you think of it from that vantage point, I can't imagine why anybody would not make their voices heard.

Now, granted, nobody's perfect.

No candidate is perfect.

But I do struggle to understand people who say, you know, "I don't feel like anything's being done for me, so I'm just not going to vote."

>> Well, sometimes there's a lot of cynicism in America, and particularly in social media, where there are a lot of accounts out there encouraging people not to vote, tell them that their vote doesn't count.

>> It's spreading misinformation.

>> Misinformation.

And, of course, you know, one of the things I wanted to ask you, if somebody wants to get accurate information from the White House, unfiltered, is there a website that people can go to?

>> You can go to whitehouse.gov.

I'd also suggest whitehouse.gov/equity.

slash equity, because that equity page will really give you a breakdown of the president's whole of government approach to impacting people of color, to his equity proposals, and the mandates that he's given to the dozens of agencies throughout the federal government to implement policies through the lens of equity.

>> Great.

And I know you work closely with the Congressional Black Caucus, as we have more African-Americans in Congress this year than ever before.

How do you measure quantitative success of what the Biden-Harris administration has been able to achieve?

>> Well, I'd start with yes, we do work closely with the Congressional Black Caucus.

We absolutely work closely with Chairwoman Joyce Beatty.

You know, promises made, promises kept.

You know, I'd start with HBCUs, for instance.

You know, we talked about misinformation.

We have experienced a tremendous amount of misinformation as it pertains to Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

I mean, I won't even repeat it.

But, you know, essentially, they said the president has taken money from HBCUs that they never actually had, when in actuality, the president has allocated $5.8 billion to Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

And he's just getting started.

He's been very clear.

That's just the beginning.

And never, ever has there been a presidential administration that has allocated that much funding to our historically black colleges and universities.

>> So why do you think this misinformation even gets out there?

>> That's hard for me to say, sir.

I mean, I think that, you know, there are people who have a vested interest in spreading misinformation.

I just would encourage all voters to stay informed, to go to whitehouse.gov, to contact me, to contact many of my colleagues, who are very accessible.

You know, we send out e-mails to massive listservs every day, and those are actual e-mail addresses.

So if you want accurate information, and, you know, many people have civic organizations in their local communities, we're happy to provide that for you.

So, that, you know -- don't believe the hype, don't believe everything you see on Twitter, that you believe on Instagram.

And that's something that I think I've learned in this position.

You know, a lot of what we read and see just isn't true, which is why, you know, our black press publications are so important and credible news sources are important and credible, you know, whitehouse.gov government accounts are important to follow.

>> You know, you got involved in the politics of our society at a very early age.

It's hard to believe you've worked up at the White House ten years now.

What do you think that the opportunities are?

What are some of the opportunities for young people today to get involved in civic engagement first, but also in government service?

Are those opportunities expanding?

>> For sure.

It's funny because, you know, I look at a lot of the staff assistants and the 21, 22 year olds just in the White House alone, and I was actually talking to my colleague the other day and I said, you know, "We weren't doing some of the things that these kids are doing now," or even the work that they did on the president's campaign.

You know, there was a whole group of HBCU students that were just spread out thanks to a lot of the older folks who kind of paved the way for them to do that work.

And there were definitely people that came before me.

Heather Foster, who worked at the White House, Angela Rye, who was the former CBC chair, many others who made calls and they met me and they would have coffee with me, and, you know, they hazed me up a little bit.

[ Laughs ] But, you know, it taught me and it made me stronger.

It showed me how this town works.

And now, you know, we are in positions that, you know, they may not have necessarily had the opportunity to be in, and now, we're trying to do our part to do the same for the next generation.

So, absolutely.

I would say, you know, start locally because it's much harder to just up and move to D.C.

I was blessed to have a cousin who lived here whose couch I could sleep on, but not everyone has that opportunity.

So, I would say start where you are, you know, start with your local candidates, your state legislator officials, maybe even your congressman, congresswoman, your senator.

And if you have a desire to come to D.C. and you keep doing the work and you put your head down, you'll get there.

>> Earlier in the interview, you said that you live with your mother now.

Your mother lives with you.

How proud is your mother that her daughter is a senior staff person at the White House?

>> You know, I think she's proud.

I mean, she has Alzheimer's, so she doesn't remember everything, but she does remember certain aspects of, you know, what I do or where I'm going.

And it's funny what she can remember.

So, you know, she will say, "Oh, you're going to work?"

And she's like, "Oh, where do you work?

You do something important."

But, you know, she doesn't know what it is, but she'll hear me on conference calls every now and then, and she'll hear a reference to, say, the president or somebody.

"The president?

Tell me about that," and then she'll forget again.

But, you know, that's a terrible disease.

But I do believe that, you know, she's in there somewhere and she's definitely proud.

>> Well, your mother's very fortunate to have a daughter like you that takes care of their mother, even though they may be facing difficult circumstances.

>> I appreciate that.

>> That's a good segue.

Before we end, I just want to talk about health issues.

You know, we're just coming out of a pandemic and there are still variants of the coronavirus out there, not only in the United States, but globally.

From your perspective, do you think the Biden-Harris administration has provided more access to healthcare for all communities since the beginning of this administration, vis a vis prior administrations?

>> Absolutely.

You know, and I think it started with COVID-19, of course,.

You know, when the president came into office, his first order of business was American Rescue Plan and unprecedented funding, and that was not just to address COVID 19.

Obviously, that was our first priority, but there was funding and there were programs that were implemented through that legislation that will have long term effects on Americans' particularly black and brown Americans' access to healthcare.

So, you know, we've seen the vice president, who's been very, very adamant about black maternal health, and -- >> That's a major issue.

>> Yes.

And highlighting the disparities and how difficult pregnancies and birthing is for black women in comparison to white women and women of other races.

So, I think that the president and the vice president have been very, very clear about their priority as it pertains to making sure everyone in this country has healthcare.

Can't speak to previous administrations, but I can speak to ours.

And I think, you know, they put their money where their mouth is.

>> What gives you your greatest hope for the future?

>> Honestly, I think working in this administration has been extremely eye opening and it has shown me just what we're capable of as a country.

You know, it was a rough couple of years prior to President Biden entering the White House, and I think my vantage point was really unique because prior to -- I was working for Congressman Jim Clyburn.

He was the highest ranking African-American in Congress, the House Majority Whip, and I was working with him on January 6th, you know, so I was in the Capitol when a very racially charged event happened.

>> So when the January 6th insurrection happened, you were actually in the Capitol?

>> I was in the Capitol building.

>> When it happened?

>> Absolutely.

You know, a lot of the pictures that you see posted of staff, you know, happened to be Clyburn staff, because many of us were there that day.

You know, he was on the House floor.

We were doing our part inside the office.

We were getting ready to certify those votes.

You may have seen pictures of staff pushing a table against a door.

You know, that was us.

>> Because I know it seemed like the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol, they had a hit list.

They were looking for Pelosi.

They were looking for Clyburn.

They were looking for people who they thought would stop the orderly transition of power.

>> Right, and it was -- you know, I can't speak to what they were thinking and everything that happened that day, but I can speak to what I actually saw.

So, for instance, you know, there was a -- Steny Hoyer had a poster of John Lewis outside of his office door, and they just ripped it to shreds.

You know, it was clearly a very hate-filled attack.

And so, when you ask me about hope for the future, you know, I think about where we were that day and where we are now.

You know, I went from pushing a table against a door, trying to keep these rioting insurrectionists out, to now, providing a seat at the table, you know, that very same table I now get to provide access to many in our community every day, to come to the White House and feel welcomed again in this town in the, you know, highest places of power.

And you just can't beat that.

So I think to go in the span of a year, from that place to where we are now, I have nothing but hope.

And, you know, now we have a Supreme Court justice, the first black woman on the court.

I think there's nowhere to go but up from here.

>> Erica P. Loewe, Director of African-American Media at the White House, thank you so much for joining "The Chavis Chronicles".

>> Thank you for having me, sir.

>> For more information about "The Chavis Chronicles" and our guests, please visit our website at thechavischronicles.com.

Also, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

>> Major funding for "The Chavis Chronicles" is provided by the following.

At Wells Fargo, we are committed to diversity and understand our responsibility in supporting and empowering diverse communities.

Diversity and inclusion is integral to the way we work.

Supporting the financial health of our diverse customers and employees is one of the many ways we remain invested in inclusion for all, today, tomorrow, and in the future.

American Petroleum Institute.

Through the core elements of API's Energy Excellence program, our members are committed to accelerating safety, environmental and sustainability progress throughout the natural gas and oil industry in the U.S. and around the world.

You can learn more at api.org/apienergyexcellence.

Reynolds American, dedicated to building a better tomorrow for our employees and communities.

Reynolds stands against racism and discrimination in all forms and is committed to building a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

At AARP, we are committed to empowering people to choose how they live as they age.

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