Khanya Brann, a 28-year-old Trinidadian, has never stopped moving. Born in London, she lived there for a year before moving to Montreal, Canada, and then to Mount Hope, Trinidad, where she attended St. Xavier’s Private School in St. Joseph, for seven years. Her family then moved back to Montreal for another year before moving to the US, thanks to her father Stacey’s work as a surgeon.
Her family relocated to Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, 20 minutes from Philadelphia, in 2009 when she was nine years old, and she attended Temple University to study journalism, graduating in May 2019.
Brann shared, “I wanted to be a feature writer and work at the Philadelphia Enquirer, but they weren’t hiring.” When the Biden campaign headquarters in Philadelphia began hiring in July 2019, Brann accepted the position as a paid communications intern for $15 per hour. It was an exciting, fast-paced position that called for communication and organizational abilities.
The internship was from July through November 2019. Brann served as a communications fellow for Philly Counts, a project related to the city’s census, from January to July 2020. “We needed to make sure everyone got counted in that census to get a clear idea of programs needed.”
Brann then returned to the Biden/Harris campaign, this time as a communications associate for Pennsylvania. She received a text message from White House communications director Kate Bedingfield on New Year’s Eve, 2019, while she was at home with her family. The text asked if she would be interested in working at the White House.
“I said, ‘Yes, absolutely.’ When I showed the message to my mom (Karen), she was speechless.” In January 2020, Brann moved to Washington, DC, and took a position in a White House office a short distance from Biden’s Oval Office, where he served as Bedingfield’s senior communications assistant and special assistant.
Even so, she was constantly on the go, spending a year as the deputy press secretary for the Environmental Protection Agency. In late October 2023, she made her way back to the White House to work as a senior communications adviser in the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.
Brann’s career in political communications had advanced rapidly. She frequently traveled around the United States to promote Biden/Harris social programs. “I worked with mayors, governors and tribal leaders.” Her work has been filled with remarkable experiences, including housing, clean water efforts, communication improvement, and delivering high-speed internet access to underserved and distant places.
“In Wisconsin, a family drank water from lead pipes for 40 years. Thanks to the Biden administration, they finally got those pipes replaced.” “When a family in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania got a home through a housing initiative, their 18-year old son said, ‘This is the first time I lived in a house with a backyard.’ ‘We did a lot of work with veterans.'”
Brann recalls a homeless veteran who, at age 51, was able to purchase a home. “He said, ‘I never thought I’d be able to own something like this.'” She noted, “Before I entered government, I didn’t understand how long it took to get things done. I know now how hard it is to make progress. Working from the inside, I see the legwork, the months of negotiations, language, phrasing and avenues of communication it takes so that an initiative resonates with enough people for it to make progress.”
As the Biden administration is ready to step down, Brann states that they built on a historic amount of progress they achieved over the last four years. “It’s impressive how much we accomplished in the shadow of the pandemic. I’m proud we have the first black woman on the Supreme Court and the number of local judges President Biden appointed who are women, people of color and Native Americans.”
Brann intends to relocate to New York once her current job is over and she has time to recover. She is unsure of the type of work she will be doing. “I’m excited to see what the future holds. I want to devote time to short story writing. I enjoy reading short stories about belonging, identity and connections. Ultimately, I want to write and produce movies.”
She is not, however, doing away with government employment. “Politics is something you can always return to in this world.” “There’s a lot of public/private in and out, and that’s good. It helps you understand how systems on both sides work.”
Conclusion:
Khanya Brann’s journey from Trinidad to the White House is a testament to her determination and resilience. From her early days in London to her current role in the White House, Brann has always been driven by a passion for communication and a desire to make a difference. Her experiences in the Biden administration have given her a unique perspective on the importance of patience, empathy, and thinking beyond oneself. As she looks to the future, Brann is excited to continue using her skills to make a positive impact.
FAQs:
Q: What inspired Khanya Brann to pursue a career in politics?
A: Brann was inspired by her father’s work as a surgeon and her own experiences growing up in a multicultural community.
Q: What was the most challenging part of Brann’s journey?
A: Brann notes that the most challenging part of her journey was understanding how long it takes to get things done in government. She had to learn to be patient and persistent in order to make progress.
Q: What advice would Brann give to young people interested in pursuing a career in politics?
A: Brann advises young people to be open-minded, curious, and willing to learn. She also emphasizes the importance of finding a mentor and building relationships with people from different backgrounds and perspectives.
Q: What does Brann hope to achieve in the future?
A: Brann hopes to continue using her skills to make a positive impact in the world. She is interested in exploring opportunities in short story writing and film production, and she is open to returning to government employment in the future.
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