Karine Jean-Pierre made history twice this week. On May 5, the 44-year-old was tapped by U.S. president Joe Biden as the next White House press secretary, making her the first Black woman and first LGBTQ2S+ person to serve in the role.
“This is a historic moment, and it’s not lost on me,” she said in a Thursday press briefing alongside current press secretary Jen Psaki.
Psaki, who has held the position of press secretary for the entirety of Biden’s administration, will step down on May 13 for an on-air job at MSNBC. In announcing her successor, Psaki told reporters on Thursday that having an out Black, queer woman lead daily press briefings is “amazing” because “representation matters.”
“She will give a voice to so many, and allow and show so many what is truly possible when you work hard and dream big,” she said. “We should celebrate that.”
The press secretary is in many ways the public face of the White House: tasked with holding daily conversations with journalists to discuss the U.S. government’s priorities while fielding often difficult questions. That job may be an unenviable one at the moment: with Biden’s poll numbers bedevilled by rising inflation and fuel prices amid an ongoing global pandemic, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Jean-Pierre, who currently serves as principal deputy press secretary, stepped into the role for a brief stint in May 2021, which made her the first Black woman to stand behind the podium at the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room since Judy Smith in 1991. (Smith’s life story would later serve as the inspiration for the Shonda Rhimes drama Scandal.)
Last year’s briefings also made Jean-Pierre the first LGBTQ2S+ person to address the press on behalf of a U.S. presidency. She said at the time that being able to shatter that glass ceiling was a “real honour.” “I appreciate the historic nature, I really do,” she added. “But I believe being behind this podium, being in this room, being in this building, is not about one person. It’s about what we do on behalf of the American people.”
Jean-Pierre brings years of experience to her new position. Born in the French territory of Martinique to Haitian immigrant parents, she has previously served as the chief of staff to Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2020 presidential campaign, and a spokesperson for the progressive political action committee (PAC) MoveOn.org.
In addition, Jean-Pierre worked in the Obama White House in the Office of Political Affairs and on former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.
Biden lauded Jean-Pierre in a statement as someone with “talent” and “integrity.” “Jill and I have known and respected Karine a long time, and she will be a strong voice speaking for me and this administration,” the president said.
Jean-Pierre is one of a number of critical LGBTQ2S+ hires by the Biden administration. In the early days of his presidency, Biden tapped 2020 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg to lead the Department of Transportation and Dr. Rachel Levine as the United States Assistant Secretary of Health. Buttigieg and Levine are the first openly gay man and the first out trans woman to hold those respective positions.
Amid yet another watershed moment for LGBTQ2S+ representation, Jean-Pierre admitted she is still “processing” it. She added that she stands on the shoulders of “so many different communities,” and said she has done so over the course of her career.
“So it is an honour and a privilege to be behind this podium in about a week or so, when Jen is ready,” she told the press this week. “That is something that I will honour and do my best to represent this president and this first lady the best that I can, but also the American people. And so, you know, it’s a very emotional day.”
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