‘I am a Black gay immigrant woman’: Karine Jean-Pierre at White House briefing

On Monday, Karine Jean-Pierre made her White House Press Secretary debut during a briefing while acknowledging that her appointment to the position dismantles barriers of race and sexuality.

“I am obviously acutely aware that my presence at this podium represents a few firsts,” Jean-Pierre said at the press briefing. 

“I am a Black gay immigrant woman, the first of all three of those to hold this position,” she added.

47-year-old Jean-Pierre has made history by becoming the first Black and LGBTQ person to serve the chief spokesperson role. 

Previously, she served as the principal deputy of former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki until Psaki stepped down from the role on Friday.

During the briefing, Jean-Pierre expressed gratitude to all those who defied odds and sacrificed to help her be worthy of the role. 

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“I would not be here today if it were not for generations of barrier-breaking people before me. I stand on their shoulders,” she said while lauding President Joe Biden for recognizing that “representation does matter.”

She concluded her address by vowing to “work every day to continue to ensure we are meeting the president’s high expectation of truth, honesty and transparency.”

Martinique-born Jean-Pierre is set to be the seventh woman to perform the role. The first woman was Dee Dee Myers, who held the post during Bill Clinton’s presidency.

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Jean-Pierre, who comes from a Haitian background, was raised in the city of New York. 

Announcing her appointment, Biden said: “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.”