Democrats respond to Paul Ryan controversy with their own intern photos
Days after House Speaker Paul Ryan was hit with backlash for the racial homogeneity of his intern class, House Democrats have begun responding with photos of their own interns:
Thank you to all my hardworking #CapitolHill interns! We had a great group this summer. #BecerraSelfiepic.twitter.com/VEJIiL3UtJ
— Xavier Becerra (@RepBecerra) July 18, 2016
"In diversity, there is beauty and there is strength." -Maya Angelou #DemInternSelfie@HouseDemocratspic.twitter.com/BKBP0Axd4T
— Rep. Terri A. Sewell (@RepTerriSewell) July 19, 2016
There is diversity on Capitol Hill ! #DemInternHillSelfie@Phil_Lewis_pic.twitter.com/4ZesT998sk
— Taylor R. Harrell (@taylorrharrell) July 19, 2016
Ryan's selfie was largely homogenous, and observers were quick to point it out:
A photo posted by Speaker Paul Ryan (@speakerryan) on Jul 16, 2016 at 11:12am PDT
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Capitol Hill overall does not reflect the racial make-up of the United States. According to the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, 7.1 percent of senior Senate staff are people of color while they make up 36 percent of the US population.
But there are initiatives in place to increase diversity among interns. What's even better, the photos posted by House Democrats prove it is working to a degree.
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The photos, displaying ethnic diversity, have become popular on social media in some Democratic circles.
Intern Taylor R. Harrell captioned her photo with the assertion, "There is diversity on Capitol Hill!"
