Barack Obama hands more senior jobs than ever before to ’sisterhood’ of black women

While Mr Obama has played down the influence of race over his government and policies, Washington is abuzz that the president has handed control of domestic policy, all White House social events, environmental issues and food safety to African American women - seven senior government posts in all.

Known variously as The Sisterhood and Obama’s Women, the group of seven accomplished and elegant women have drawn comparison with “Blair’s Babes”, the generation of female Labour MPs whose election in 1997 caused an historic shift in the composition of the House of Commons.

Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to US President Barack Obama Photo: AFP

President Obama used his press conference last week to joke that interest in his own race lasted “about a day” after his election. But below the radar, Mr Obama has been quietly transforming the upper echelons of government.

Black woman only hold 192,000 of more than 1.7 million government jobs, making up about one in nine of the federal workforce, but Mr Obama has given them one fifth of the most senior jobs in government.

While media attention has focused on Michelle Obama, with her emergence as a fashion icon and cheerleader for her husband’s policies, the First Lady’s old Chicago boss, Valerie Jarrett, has emerged as one of her husband’s three most influential advisers.

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Barack Obama hands more senior jobs than ever before to 'sisterhood' of black women
telegraph.co.uk