Here’s Every Black Presidential Cabinet Member In American History

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White House Cabinet Room Refurbished After 22 Years

Source: Alex Wong / Getty

As President-elect Donald Trump selects his nominees to serve in his presidential cabinet, there has thus far been a glaring void when it comes to racial diversity in a trend that all but mirrors the history of the group of the president’s closest and most trusted advisers.

To give a little more perspective to that unfortunate fact, even though there are 26 traditional cabinet positions, there have only been 25 Black people to serve in presidents’ cabinets in the 235 years since 1789 George Washington first chose his presidential advisers. There have also been an additional 10 Black people who served in cabinet-adjacent positions, though they are not officially recognized as being in a presidential cabinet.

MORE: As Trump Reveals Unqualified Cabinet Picks, Will Tim Scott And Byron Donalds Get ‘Black Jobs’?

It would take 177 more years before America got its first presidential cabinet member who is Black.

Keep reading to find a full and comprehensive list of every Black person who ever served in a presidential cabinet.

If this trend keeps up, that number of Black cabinet members is likely to hold steady by the time Trump is inaugurated next month.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden’s cabinet is widely regarded as the most racially diverse group of executive branch leaders and presidential advisers in American history, including the first Black vice president of the United States as well as the first Black secretary of the U.S. Department of Defense. The 46th president pledged to have a cabinet that “looks like America” and has largely made good on that promise.

Conversely, Trump’s first presidential cabinet had all of one Black person serving in the one cabinet position — the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development — that is seemingly earmarked for Black people. In that case, it was Dr. Ben Carson, the renowned neurosurgeon who critics decried as being woefully unqualified for the job.

In fact, Trump had no senior White House officials who were Black during his first presidency after Omarosa Manigault Newman, a celebrity who earned her star status from participating in a reality TV contest show alongside Trump, was fired and reportedly “escorted out of the building and off of the campus” of the White House.

Presidential cabinet positions carry great responsibilities as well as implications that put them in a line of succession for the presidency. That’s the primary reason why Vice President Kamala Harris replaced Biden in the 2024 election after the incumbent candidate dropped out of the race. While there was a small movement to seek other candidates to replace Biden, American political tradition dictated that Harris be rightfully selected and not get leap-frogged by anyone outside of that aforementioned line of succession.

It is in that context that NewsOne shares a full and comprehensive list of Black people who have been nominated and confirmed to serve in presidential cabinets throughout U.S. history in chronological order.

1. Robert Weaver, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (1966-1968)

Portrait of Robert Weaver Source:Getty

2. William Coleman, U.S. Secretary of State for Transportation (1975-1977)

Question Of Transport Source:Getty

3. Patricia Harris, U.S. Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary and

Secretary Of Hhs Patricia Harris Source:Getty

HUD, 1977-1979

HHS 1979-1981

4. Samuel R. Jr. Pierce, HUD Secretary (1981-1989)

Samuel R. Jr. Pierce Source:Getty

5. Louis Sullivan, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (1989-1993)

Secretary of Health and Human Services Louis Sullivan Source:Getty

6. Mike Espy, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (1993-1994)

Congressman Mike Espy (2nd-L) accepts his nominati Source:Getty

7. Ronald H. Brown, U.S. Commerce Secretary (1993-1996)

Ronald H. Brown Source:Getty

8. Hazel O’Leary, U.S. Energy Secretary (1993-1997)

US Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary holds up the rat Source:Getty

9. Jesse Brown, U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs (1993-1997)

Jesse Brown Source:Getty

10. Rodney E. Slater, U.S. Secretary of Transportation (1997-2001)

US Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater (R Source:Getty

11. Alexis Herman, U.S. Secretary of Labor (1997-2001)

Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman Source:Getty

12. Togo West, U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs (1998-2000)

12/2/97 - PHOTOG: Frank Johnston/TWP White House President Clinton yields the podium to Army Secreta Source:Getty

13. Colin L. Powell, U.S. Secretary of State (2001-2005)

Colin Powell Testifies Source:Getty

14. Rod Paige, U.S. Education Secretary (2001-2005)

George W. Bush;Roderick R. Paige Source:Getty

15. Alphonso Jackson, HUD Secretary (2004-2008)

HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson Resigns Source:Getty

16. Condoleezza Rice, U.S. National Security Advisor (2005-2009)

TOPSHOT-US-BUSH-RICE Source:Getty

17. Eric H. Holder Jr., U.S. Attorney General (2009-2015)

President Obama Announces Resignation Of Eric Holder Source:Getty

18. Anthony Foxx, Transportation Secretary (2013-1017)

Transportation Secretary Foxx Testifies To Senate Committee On The Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act Source:Getty

19. Jeh Johnson, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security (2013-2017)

Homeland Security Jeh Johnson Discusses Updates To The National Terrorism Advisory System Source:Getty

20. Loretta Lynch, U.S. Attorney General (2015-2017)

Attorney General Loretta Lynch Announces Federal Investation Into Baltimore Police Department Source:Getty

21. John B. King, Jr., Secretary of Education (2016-2017)

First Lady Michelle Obama at School Counselor of the Year Source:Getty

22. Ben Carson, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary (2017-2021)

Treasury Secretary Mnuchin And HUD Secretary Carson Testify Before The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee Source:Getty

23. Kamala Harris, U.S. Vice President (2021-2025)

Joe Biden Sworn In As 46th President Of The United States At U.S. Capitol Inauguration Ceremony Source:Getty

24. Lloyd Austin, U.S. Secretary of Defense (2021-present)

DOD Secretary Austin Holds A Press Briefing At The Pentagon Source:Getty

25. Marcia Fudge, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (2021-2024)

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Holds Daily Briefing With HUD Secretary Fudge Source:Getty