The White House announced Karine Jean-Pierre will become the new press secretary when Jen Psaki departs her role next week, President Joe Biden announced in a statement Thursday, becoming the first Black and out LGBTQ person to hold the position.
“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, adding that “Jen Psaki has set the standard for returning decency, respect and decorum to the White House Briefing Room.”
Born in Martinique, Jean-Pierre is the daughter of Haitian immigrant parents who moved with her to the U.S. when she was 5, her father working as a cab driver and her mother as a caregiver. Raised in New York, her parents worked to make ends meet, and she often took on the responsibility of looking after her young siblings. They were determined that she went to college, on a path that initially was pre-med at the New York Institute of Technology, but she switched to public administration by the time she got to Columbia.
Current White House Press Sec Psaki said early last month that she would be leaving press secretary job to take a job as at MSNBC.
Anthony Tilghman, is an 3x Award-winning Photojournalist, Education advocate, Mentor, and Published Author with years of experience in media, photography, marketing and branding. He is the Winner of the 2020, 2021 & 2023 Dateline award for Excellence in Local Journalism.