There is nothing more blessed in this world than the presence of a Black woman. From households to Hollywood to Capitol Hill, Black women have kept Earth spinning on its axis and are consistently making it better than they found it. In celebration of Women’s History Month, EBONY is highlighting significant Black women who are dominating the White House with class, style and grace. These women embody the richness found within our community and strive to advocate for the betterment of us all through their work. In the third installment of this series, we are highlighting Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget Shalanda Young.
A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Shalanda Young received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Loyola University in New Orleans and went on to obtain a Master’s Degree from Tulane University. Throughout her career, she has overseen tremendously large budgets allocated toward issues of disaster aid, community infrastructure and most recently, COVID-29 relief.
As a working mother, she has found a way to balance the needs of her family and those of the public. Her doing so demonstrates how Black women everywhere are conquering boundaries and obstacles despite the odds or what society believes.
In addition to the many causes that Young has advocated for and her legendary accomplishments, she understands being a Black woman with this level of power is not commonplace. This is especially true for a Black woman who likes to rock her hair in various natural styles. "Black women are a part of society just like everyone else and deserve a seat at the table... The best way to shake things up is to wear my hair in its natural state," said Young in the clip below.
Young has served as a staff member on Capitol Hill since 2007, where she began her tenure working for the House Appropriations Committee. In 2016, she was appointed as the Democratic deputy staff director of the the committee and later became its staff director in 2017.
As Deputy Budget Director, Young oversaw President Joe Biden’s first budget, which helped finalize the $1 trillion infrastructure law and was a key negotiator in the Biden administration’s first spending bill."
Following the withdrawal of Neera Tanden's nomination for director of the Office of Management and Budget, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi supported Young as a potential nominee for the position. She had served as acting director of the office for the last year. In March of 2022, Young became the the first Black woman to head the Office of Management and Budget. As reported by EBONY, the Senate confirmed her with a vote of 61 to 36."
According to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on this historic nomination, “It shouldn’t have taken this long to confirm someone as obviously as qualified as Shalanda Young. She’s been leading the OMB for nearly a year. She knows the budget and appropriations processes like the back of her hand. She’s proven capable of working with Republicans and Democrats alike. And it was through her guidance the administration notched some of its biggest victories including the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure law.” This sentiment is one Black women know all too well but in spite of this, continue to thrive. Shalanda Young has gone above and beyond the definition of thriving and it is EBONY's honor to magnify her efforts.
To learn more about the White House Director of the Office of Management and Budget Shalanda Young and her work, check out the video below:
