By Trinity Webster-Bass
Howard University News Service
WASHINGTON, D.C. (HUNS) —Tables stretched out across the South Lawn of the White House on Friday with over 100 notable attendees dressed in all white. Political and cultural figures, actors and scholars came to attend the first brunch at the White House celebrating Black excellence and the contributions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
With paper fans moving briskly in the D.C. heat, familiar faces such as actor Anthony Anderson of TV’s “Black-ish” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock (D- GA)were in the audience.
The luncheon opened with the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” referred to as the Black National Anthem, from the St. Augustine Gospel Choir. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre gave the opening remarks. As a Haitian American, this was a special day for her.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also spoke with NewsVision reporter Trinity Webster-Bass about the importance of the luncheon later in the press briefing room.
“As the first Black openly queer White House press secretary and, I gotta add, a proud Haitian American, for those who don’t know, I can tell you that representation matters to him,” Jean-Pierre said of President Biden. “Our voices matter to him. Our perspectives matter to him, and our success and our community matter to him.”
PRESS BRIEFING ROOM: White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre acknowledges a question from NewsVision reporter Trinity Webster-Bass about the importance of the Black Excellence Brunch held on the South Lawn of the White House.
Trell Thomas, founder and CEO of the Black Excellence Brunch series, created the family-style brunch in honor of the Sunday dinners that were a signature at his home in South Carolina.
“Spaces like this are so important — spaces that uplift us, that celebrate us and that give us our well-deserved flowers,” Thomas said. “I’ve dedicated myself to building and preserving those spaces.”
“As you all know, creating an atmosphere for our community to feel seen and express ourselves freely isn’t always accepted in all places,” he added. “So, I want to say a personal thank you to President Biden for seeing and investing in them and for seeing and investing in us.”
Shalanda Young, the first Black woman to serve as director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and actress/producer Marsai Martin also shared the importance of investing in HBCUs.
“The Biden-Harris administration has also invested $18 billion into HBCUs and young Black people … a real commitment to our future leaders,” Martin stressed.
Biden spoke about the accomplishments the Black community has made under his tenure as president.
“Today we honor this simple truth,” he said. “Black history is American history. Black excellence is American excellence. And folks, we don’t erase history like others are trying to; we make history. I know it because I’ve seen it.
“I’ve been vice president of the first Black president in American history, a president to the first Black vice president and, God willing, to the first female Black president in American history.”
After a day of fellowship, food and fun, attendees expressed why this event is special within American political history. Talk show host and actress Sherri Shepherd said the luncheon was important for both inspiration and representation.
“We need to be here because I think this also gets us, you know, it gets this urgency in us to elect Vice President Kamala Harris.”
Harris is a graduate of Howard University, ranked the No. 1 HBCU by Forbes, and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the nation’s first Black sorority founded on Howard’s campus. The organization’s international president ,Danette Anthony Reed, says voting this November is imperative, especially for the Black community.
“Folks have to understand that we are an important voting bloc,” Reed said. “And you don’t know that until folks start to appreciate it. And we raise our vote and make our vote so that they know how important we are.”
Trinity Webster-Bass is a NewsVision reporter for Howard University News Service.
