Haitian-American Karine Jean-Pierre Named First Black Female White House Press Secretary
Key Points(5)
- “Karine not only brings the experience, talent and integrity needed for this difficult job, but she will continue to lead the way in communicating about the work of the Biden-Harris administration on behalf of the American people,” Biden said in a statement praising Jean-Pierre.
- Psaki, who leaves the White House on May 13, praised her successor as a “partner in truth,” noting the significance of the history-making appointment.
- “Representation matters and she is going to give a voice to so many and show so many what is truly possible when you work hard and dream big,” Psaki said.
- Taking the lectern briefly while Psaki briefed the press Thursday, Jean-Pierre said she was “still processing” the significance of her hire, calling it “an honor and privilege to be behind this podium.” “This is a historic moment, and it’s not lost on me,” she said.
- “It’s a very emotional day.” Psaki said Biden offered the job to Jean-Pierre Thursday in the Oval Office.
President Joe Biden has named Haitian-American Karine Jean-Pierre to be the next White House press secretary, the first Black woman and openly LGBTQ person to serve in the role, with incumbent Jen Psaki set to leave the post soon.
“Karine not only brings the experience, talent and integrity needed for this difficult job, but she will continue to lead the way in communicating about the work of the Biden-Harris administration on behalf of the American people,” Biden said in a statement praising Jean-Pierre.
Psaki, who leaves the White House on May 13, praised her successor as a “partner in truth,” noting the significance of the history-making appointment.
“Representation matters and she is going to give a voice to so many and show so many what is truly possible when you work hard and dream big,” Psaki said.
Taking the lectern briefly while Psaki briefed the press Thursday, Jean-Pierre said she was “still processing” the significance of her hire, calling it “an honor and privilege to be behind this podium.”
“This is a historic moment, and it’s not lost on me,” she said. “It’s a very emotional day.”
Psaki said Biden offered the job to Jean-Pierre Thursday in the Oval Office. White House staffers were gathered after the offer and greeted Jean-Pierre with applause, an official said. Two “warm bottles” of champagne were procured for a toast in White House paper cups, the official added, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe the internal gathering.
Jean-Pierre had previously served as principal deputy press secretary in the White House since Biden's inauguration.
During the presidential campaign, Jean-Pierre was a senior adviser and then chief of staff to Kamala Harris, making her the first Black person to hold that position for a vice-presidential nominee. She was also the first member of the LGBTQ+ community in that position.
Before joining the Biden presidential campaign, she was the chief public affairs officer of the progressive group MoveOn.org and a former political analyst for NBC and MSNBC. She also worked in political affairs in the Obama White House and on his reelection campaign.
Jean-Pierre was born in Martinique to Haitian immigrant parents but raised in New York. During the campaign, she pushed for the Caribbean-American, especially the Haitian-American vote, and was an unofficial spokesperson on immigration.
Jean-Pierre and her partner, CNN correspondent Suzanne Malveaux, have a daughter.
She is among the slew of Caribbean Americans in the White House, alongside Karen Andrew, Kristen Clarke, Susan Rice, and of course, Vice President Kamala Harris.
