• Celebrity
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Black Beauty Awards 2022
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2022 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • Wellness House
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
      • Paint The Polls Black
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Black Beauty Awards 2022
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2022 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • Wellness House
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Home · News

Young, Black and in the White House: Assistant Social Secretary Samantha Tubman Interview

 
By · Updated October 29, 2020

Take a peek inside the world of White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers »

See more photos of the First Family »

Get the latest on the Obamas »


From invitation design and seating arrangements to celebrity scheduling and band booking, Associate Social Secretary Samantha Tubman helps with the details of every event and ceremony held at the White House. Under the guidance of Social Secretary Desiree Rogers, the D.C. native makes sure all goes according to plan.

Tubman, 29, cut her teeth in event logistics as a member of the Obama campaign advance team, wherein she prepped town halls for the candidate and assisted members of the press. Sitting in the stately reception room of the White House’s East Wing, her BlackBerry constantly buzzing, she explains what goes on behind the scenes for the most influential event planners in the world.

ESSENCE.COM: What’s a typical day like for you?
SAMANTHA TUBMAN:
Usually there’s something going on the state floor [the first floor of the White House, where formal receptions are held]. If we have an event at 11:30 in the morning, it involves working with the usher’s office and operations to make sure the room is set the way we had planned. We work with audiovisual, making sure chairs and staging are all placed where they’re supposed to be, and we work with other departments ensuring that the guests that day are getting in. I’m there to make sure that everything’s going as planned—that the pianist is playing in the foyer, that there are markings for people standing on stage and that there’s water at the podium. You get the press in, the crowd in, get everyone seated. Then you tell the AV folks it’s time to announce the President, and I’m literally there opening the door for the President to walk through and go in the East Room for the event. And that’s just one event!

ESSENCE.COM: How would you describe the White House’s point of view when it comes to events at the White House?
TUBMAN:
The idea that they really want this place to be the people’s house. When we’re planning or thinking up any event, we’re thinking about how inclusive are we being in terms of the people who are coming to attend. We always make sure that we’re reaching out not only to DC, but people from all over, and getting a diverse group.

ESSENCE.COM: Have there been times when things didn’t go as planned?
TUBMAN:
There are schedule changes all the time, when you go from having 30 minutes to do something to having it get cut down to ten. Or, you’ll get things added to the schedule, where you literally have to arrange a room overnight. We get stressed out, but then you realize that there are people here who are going to help make sure that we’re going to get it done and everything’s going to be okay.

ESSENCE.COM: Any tips for event planning?
TUBMAN:
The thing is—it’s not about you; it’s about your guests. You should want them to have the best experience that they possibly can. Even if it’s just a small dinner party or you’re having people over for drinks, you’ve really got to think about the guests’ experience no matter what it is.

 

 

COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now