Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms joins White House

By Erika DuBose
Black Wall Street Times

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has a new role in the White House. Lance Bottoms was recently selected as senior adviser to the President on public engagement.

Lance Bottoms now oversees the White House Office of Public Engagement. President Joe Biden appointed her, along with a handful of other advisory personnel. 

According to the President, Lance Bottoms “understands that democracy is about making government work for working families, for the people who are the backbone of this country.” He continued, “She led the city of Atlanta with strength through the pandemic, through a summer of protests and pain, and through the mass shooting that left Atlanta’s Asian American community in fear.”

From ATL to the White House

Lance Bottoms replaces former Congressman Cedric Richmond, who was the first Senior Advisor in the Office of Public Engagement. Former Congressman Richmond is still a close advisor of President Biden. 

The White House Office of Public Engagement provides a link between the public and the Biden administration. Lance Bottoms will ensure that the administration receives input from diverse constituencies across the country.

In a statement to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Lance Bottoms said, “As we continue to navigate historic global challenges, it remains important to have a diversity of thought and experiences within the White House. I am looking forward to helping continue the impactful work that is being done on behalf of the American people.”

Who is Keisha Lance Bottoms?

She served as Mayor of Atlanta from 2018 until 2021, and was a city councilwoman prior to that. Lance Bottoms is an attorney by profession, and served as a prosecutor and a magistrate judge before her tenure as mayor. She was born and raised in Atlanta, which she calls a “welcoming city,” and stated that Atlanta “will remain open and welcoming to all” when twice-impeached former White House occupant Donald Trump pushed to expel undocumented people in Georgia.

Lance Bottoms is also an advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, and created the city’s first LGBTQ advisory board in 2018. She also pushed for Covid restrictions to remain in place when the virus was surging in Georgia.  

Lance Bottoms has received accolades for her work in public service, including choice words from President Biden. “Keisha is bright, honorable, tough and has the integrity required to represent our Administration to the American public,” President Biden stated, noting that he and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden “have known Keisha for a long time and look forward to working with her more closely.”