List of African-American United States Cabinet members

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Kamala Harris is the highest-ranking black person to serve in a Cabinet as Vice President of the United States.
Colin Powell smiling with eye glasses wearing a dark suit jacket, white button-shirt with collar, and a solid burgundy tie. The United States flag is in the background.
Condoleezza Rice smiling wearing a dark blue jacket over a patterned blouse. The United States flag is in the background.
Colin Powell (left) and Condoleezza Rice (right) are the highest-ranking black Jamaican-American and Black-American to lead the Federal Executive Department; each held the post of Secretary of State.

The Cabinet of the United States, which is the principal advisory body to the President of the United States, has had 35 African-American members altogether, with one of them serving in multiple different positions for a total of 36 cabinet appointments. Of that particular number, 25 different Black individuals held a total of 26 permanent cabinet posts, serving as Vice President or head of one of the federal executive departments, and 10 more held cabinet-level positions, which can differ under each president; no one officeholder served in both cabinet and cabinet-rank roles. The U.S. Census Bureau defines African Americans as citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa.[1] The term is generally used for Americans with at least partial ancestry in any of the original peoples of sub-Saharan Africa. During the founding of the federal government, Black Americans were consigned to a status of second-class citizenship or enslaved.[2] No African American ever held a cabinet position before the civil rights movement or the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned discrimination in public accommodations, employment, and labor unions.[3]

Robert C. Weaver became the first Black-American to serve in a president's cabinet when he was appointed Secretary of Housing and Urban Development by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966.[4] Patricia Roberts Harris was the first black woman to serve in a presidential cabinet when she was named to the same position by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. Two years later, Carter tapped her for Secretary of Health and Human services,[a] thus making her the first African-American to hold two different cabinet positions.[5]

On January 20, 2001, Colin Powell assumed the post of Secretary of State under President George W. Bush, which made him the highest-ranked black Jamaican-American among cabinet secretaries to enter the presidential line of succession, standing fourth.[6] Condoleezza Rice took over the same position in 2005, during Bush's second term, making her the highest-placed Black person in line to the presidency. Kamala Harris replaced both Powell and Rice to become the highest-ranking black person ever to be in the line of succession upon being inaugurated as the first black Jamaican/Indian-American vice president on January 20, 2021, alongside President Joe Biden.[7][6]

President Bill Clinton named the most African-Americans as secretaries to his first-term cabinet, with four: former U.S. representative Mike Espy (D-MS) as Secretary of Agriculture; DNC chairman Ron Brown as Secretary of Commerce; corporate director Hazel R. O'Leary as Secretary of Energy; and DAV executive director Jesse Brown as Secretary of Veterans affairs. Clinton exceeded that record by three, including cabinet reshuffles during his second term in office.[8]

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has had the most African-American secretaries, with six. The Department of Transportation has had three; the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Justice, State, and Veterans Affairs have had two; the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Homeland Security, and Labor have had one. The Departments of the Interior and the Treasury are the only existing executive departments that have not yet had African-American secretaries.[9][10]

The totals for this list include only African-American presidential appointees confirmed (if necessary) by the U.S. Senate to cabinet or cabinet-level positions and taking their oath of office; they do not include acting officials or nominees awaiting confirmation.

Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, is the most senior African American to have held a role related to the U.S. Cabinet. Although not officially a member, he held the unique position of chairing the Cabinet during his presidency.

  1. ^ "The Black Population: 2010" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  2. ^ "Time Line of African American History, 1881–1900". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on January 17, 1999. Retrieved October 22, 2007.
  3. ^ "Transcript of Civil Rights Act (1964)". Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2009.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference WeaverCabinet was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference HarrisCabinet was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference XXVAmendment was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference FirstVP was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Johnson, Kevin (April 14, 2013). "A president for everyone, except Black people". The Philadelphia Tribune. Archived from the original on February 2, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2013.
  9. ^ "History of the Treasury: Secretaries of the Treasury". United States Department of the Treasury. Archived from the original on March 9, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  10. ^ "Past Secretaries of Interior". United States Department of the Interior. Archived from the original on July 20, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2008.


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