African-American Women in the White House

Source: Essence Magazine -- African-American women working in the Obama Administration

Essence Magazine put together a great list of African-American women currently working in the White House. The list contained high profile women such as Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President, and Desiree Rogders, Social Secretary, but also showcased little known women such as Karen Richardson, Associate Director of the Office of Public Engagement and Daniella Leger, Director of White House Message Events.

For more detailed information on the women, visit Essence.com

Women under 40

One organization that is leading the way to improve the number of women in political office is Women Under Forty Political Action Committee or WUFPAC. The organization is a non-partisan organization dedicated to identifying, encouraging, and supporting women 40 years of age and under to run for local, state and federal office.

WUFPAC was founded in 1999 after a group of women where concerned by the lack of young women running for office. The organization was also was helpful in getting
Sentators Blanche Lincoln (AR) and Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) elected. WUFPAC also started a sister organization, Running Start which produces various programs intended for high school and college students. One of programs that I was most struck by was the Young Women's Political Leadership Program. The program is open to high school students and inspires the young girls to become involved early on in the political arena.

To read more about WUFPAC, check out their website, wufpac.org.

First Lady Michelle Obama launches White House Mentoring Program

First Lady Michelle Obama with her new mentees

On November 2, first lady Michelle Obama announced a year long mentoring program at the White House for high school girls. The program will feature other White House notables like senior advisor Valerie Jarrett, social secretary Desiree Rodgers, and domestic policy advisor Melody Barnes.

The program's focus will include discussions on careers, college advice, and financial literacy. The mentees, chosen from the Washington area, were nominated by their high school principals and local military families.

The idea of the mentoring program builds on a earlier event Mrs. Obama hosted in early March that featured a range of celebrities including Alica Keys, Phylicia Rashad, and Sheryl Crow.