Former White House Staffer From Miami Comes Home

Miami FL

03 March, 2022

5:50 PM

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By Johania Charles, Miami Times Staff Writer, the Miami Times Mar 1, 2022 Natalie Austin, a 25-year-old former White House staffer and Miami native, is on a mission to leave behind a more equitable world. Though Austin recently said goodbye to a press assistant job in the Biden-Harris administration, she is not done leaving her mark. Born to Haitian parents, Austin was raised in Miami's Coconut Grove neighborhood. She attended Pinecrest Elementary School before following in the footsteps of three older sisters who attended Ransom Everglades for middle and high school. Natalie Austin (Natalie Austin via Twitter) Her parents and grandparents, she said, are to be credited for instilling within her an appreciation for the value of diligence and hard work. More than five decades ago, both sets of grandparents were among the hundreds of refugees who fled Haiti from François "Papa Doc" Duvalier's 14-year regime to New York, leaving everything behind for a shot at survival. "Neither my parents [nor] grandparents knew English, so they had to start from scratch," said Austin. "And when I think about the way I was raised versus the way my parents were raised, I've had so much privilege. They've always remembered to tell me that I could do anything I set my mind to. I grew up having that confidence." Her father worked his way to becoming a Miami Veterans Affairs doctor and pushed her to accomplish her own dreams. The Columbia University graduate originally set out to pursue a career in industrial engineering, but veered down another path in search of a way to contribute meaningfully to her community. Natalie Austin, former White House press assistant, is pictured at a press conference earlier last month. (Courtesy of the White House) Growing up in an era where the nation saw its first Black president, Austin could not pass up an opportunity to help usher in a Black woman as the country's second-in-command. Austin was among the 41% of Black Americans under the age of 30 at the time of the 2020 presidential election – the most politically active cohort in that election cycle according to a Harvard Kennedy School youth poll – who turned to voting power to fight injustice. Leveraging that power for Austin also meant encouraging others to do the same, inspiring her to become a field organizer for Kamala Harris' presidential campaign in Des Moines, Iowa. "I realized I'd be graduating at the same time that a lot of the campaigns were starting up and it felt like this was the moment that I had to do it," Austin told The Miami Times. "I thought if I didn't now, I probably never would. I was just so passionate about the way we could change lives. There's a lot of ways to do it, but politics is a hands-on approach." She recalls bracing Iowa's extreme weather conditions to knock on doors while thousands of miles away from home. The world of campaigning was not without its challenges, but the significance of the work is what kept her going. Natalie Austin, former White House press assistant, seen standing in the midst of a press pool surrounding White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. (Courtesy of White House) "A huge part of it was getting people to vote and making sure they realized why their vote counts and why it matters," Austin explained. "Figuring out my why, why I was there, why it mattered to me and why I thought it should matter to everyone else is what kept me going, because it's too hard if you don't have a reason." When Harris dropped out of the race in December 2019, Austin became a data analyst for Bloomberg 2020 then moved on to Organizing Together 2020, a massive community-based effort in key battleground states led by former President Barack Obama's strategist, Paul Tewes. "I think the biggest things that getting a degree in engineering teaches you is problem-solving and to be extremely tenacious," she said, sharing that her degree has served her well in fields unrelated to what she studied. "Both of those things have really helped me in every single job that I've had, but especially in politics because in campaigns, problems are going to pop up often and you have to keep a cool head and figure your way around them." The Florida Coordinated Campaign brought Austin on as deputy data director in July 2020 through the end of Biden's campaign and the national elections. There, she was responsible for meeting with the digital director and deputy campaign managers to identify strategies for voter outreach. "I was 23 and basically helping to run our entire voter contact program in one of the most pivotal states election-wise," she said. "It was definitely an experience I don't think you can get in other places and that's one of the really cool things about campaigns." Following the Biden-Harris victory, Austin joined the Office of the Press Secretary in February 2021. Now, one year later, she's reflecting on how much she's been able to accomplish so far and what lies ahead. Natalie Austin heading back to Washington, D.C. from a presidential trip to Wilmington, Del., on an Osprey. (Courtesy of the White House) "It's been incredible and just an experience I wouldn't trade for anything," Austin said. "If there's one thing I can relay it's just that this has been the greatest honor and privilege serving in this administration. It's not always been easy, but it's been so much fun and I've learned literally every second on the job." Working as a press assistant was not the first time she had been in the White House. In 2016, Austin interned in the correspondence department under the Obama-Biden administration. Shortly after that, she interned with Center for American Progress, a public policy research and advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. On any given day, Austin would typically be found drafting press releases, traveling across the country and abroad with POTUS, and offering support during press briefings at the White House. "You find yourself in rooms and situations where you never thought you would be at 24 and 25 years old," she said, thinking back to a press conference last month where Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer was present. What made the job so worthwhile, she said, was seeing barriers broken and knowing that she had a hand, no matter how small, in making some of those things happen. "This is the first administration that's ever looked like this. And I think that's so important for people who want to get into politics that aren't just white men," she said, noting that the White House Cabinet is almost 50% women. "They need to know that they have role models of people that look like them … The trails that are blazing are incredible." Austin shared feeling a sense of hope and being inspired whenever she watched the vice president and Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House principal deputy press secretary who is the first Black and Haitian woman in the role since 1991, deliver their remarks, knowing that thousands of little Black girls were watching, too. "This was probably the hardest decision that I've ever had to make," she said, regarding her decision to leave the position. "I loved my experience [but] it's really just the fact that I am incredibly close to my family and just want more time to be with them." Though her goal of expanding opportunities for women of color in technical and political spaces still remains, Austin will be taking some well-earned time off to rest and spend time with loved ones in South Florida while she figures out her next steps. When asked if politics will be on her agenda in the foreseeable future, Austin replied, "I hope so, I wouldn't want to leave this world." "Natalie has been a critical part of our team and a joy to work with over the past year," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told The Miami Times in a statement. "She has served the press team and our press corps with kindness, patience and passion during what can be a thankless and often difficult job. I cannot thank Natalie enough for her service, and look forward to seeing what she accomplishes next." The Miami Times is the largest Black-owned newspaper in the south serving Miami's Black community since 1923. The award-winning weekly is frequently recognized as the best Black newspaper in the country by the National Newspaper Publishers Association.