By Deborah Bailey
AFRO Contributing Editor
dbailey@AFRO.com
Erica P. Loewe joined the Biden Administration as Director of African American media in May of 2021 and changed the trajectory of hundreds of media outlets within the past two years.
Born in South Carolina, Loewe spent her formative years in Liberty City, Fla. and was transformed by leadership roles as an intern during the Obama administration. She also held communication roles in offices of both Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA-43) and James Clyburn (D-SC-7) before coming to the White House to oversee Black media relations.
“This role has existed in previous administrations, but the Biden-Harris administration is the first to take an unprecedented whole of government approach to advance racial equity,” Loewe said.
Loewe will soon leave the White House post that has made her a household name at media sites throughout the nation to serve as special assistant to the president and chief of staff for the White House Office of Public Engagement. There, she will support Senior Advisor to the President for Public Engagement, Steve Benjamin, the former mayor of Columbia, S.C.
“This role has existed in previous administrations, but the Biden-Harris administration is the first to take an unprecedented whole of government approach to advance racial equity.”
Loewe has literally been a one-woman task force taking seriously the charge to provide unprecedented access to the White House as well as interviews with members of the President’s Cabinet and other key White House officials.
In the two years she has directed the office, Loewe dedicated herself to positioning Black media companies at the forefront of the press pool at events ranging from civil rights ceremonies to opportunities to major announcements about economic investments.
“President Biden issued a mandate to staff : ensure an inclusive and accessible environment where everyone has a seat at the table. That is what led me to this role. It has been a life changing experience,” Loewe told the AFRO.
And indeed, Loewe has provided a seat at the table to Black reporters and commentators from a wide variety of media sources including large daily publications, weekly print publications, R&B, hip hop and Black talk radio stations, online news sites, and Black faith-based media.
Loewe has a deep knowledge of the role of traditional Black owned publications. She understands the history of Black media – and actively advocates for sources like The AFRO to have a seat at the White House table.
“My father says, I’m an old soul,” Erica stated. “Seriously, I remember reading publications like the Miami Times and Jet Magazine as a child and learning early just how important Black newspapers are because they tell stories we won’t read anywhere else,” she said.
Loewe said both Biden and Harris came to the White House with appreciation for Black media’s role as essential community gatekeepers for generations.
“The president and vice president certainly didn’t need me to change their understanding of how important Black media is,” Loewe said.
“One of my favorite quotes from President Biden is in reference to the murder of Emmitt Till because it really sums up why he has placed so much emphasis on working with Black media,” Loewe told the AFRO.
“‘The reason the world saw what Mrs. Till-Mobley saw, was because of another hero in this story– the Black Press,’” Loewe said, quoting President Biden’s remarks at the White House dedication of the Emmett Till Memorial in July.
Presidential advisors and veteran black press commented on the breadth of Loewe’s work with Black media from a range of communities. Loewe organized a White House press briefing for HBCU students earlier this year with Vice President Kamala Harris, where students broached a wide range of topics.
“Erica P. Loewe has almost single-handedly elevated the import of African-American media in the White House,” said Tony Allen, Ph.D, chair of the president’s board of advisors on HBCUs and president of Delaware State University.
Benjamin Chavis, CEO of the National Newspapers Publishers Association, agreed, affirming Loewe’s role in raising the profile of Black media and Black-owned media for those who don’t know the history.
“Erica has been an incredible asset and connection for Black media and Black-owned media to the White House,” Chavis said.
Ashleigh Fields, assistant editor of the AFRO, said Loewe has accomplished the goal of creating equity.
“Erica is a go-getter, a promise keeper and a champion of the Black Press,” said Fields. “As Director of African-American media, she has not only elevated but evened the playing field for Black news outlets across the country in turn creating more inclusive and diverse coverage of Joe Biden’s presidency.”
Every day on the job has offered Loewe an opportunity to have a ring side peek into history – both the lowest days in American history and the brightest moments.
“One of my favorites was playing a small role in the confirmation process of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman ever to sit on the Supreme Court,” Loewe said.
“The toughest days are definitely during national moments of tragedy and hate filled violence,” Loewe added.
Just after Loewe issued press announcements about the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington, she was hard at work issuing memos from the White House and President Biden after new broke about the hate-fueled killing of three persons in Jacksonville, Fla. at a Dollar Store just down the street from city’s only HBCU, Edward Waters University.
In her new role Loewe will continue to open doors, making sure the Black Community and other communities who have not always been invited in, feel welcome at the White House.
“The Office of Public Engagement is often referred to as the front door of the White House,” Loewe said. “Under the leadership of Steve Benjamin, I look forward to continuing our efforts to make sure diverse communities have direct access to the resources being provided by the Biden-Harris administration each day.”