Today may have seemed like another routine White House briefing, except it deserves attention because it was led by Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. She is only the second black woman in history to lead a briefing and the first openly gay woman to do so. According to CBS’s Geoff Bennett, “The first was Judy Smith (the real life “Olivia Pope”) back in 1991 under George H.W. Bush.”
Before the briefing, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki tweeted, “Today is a big day in the press office and @WhiteHouse. My partner in truth–@KJP46 is doing her first full briefing from the podium today making history in her own right. But doing her real justice means also recognizing her talent, her brilliance and her wonderful spirit.”
Karine Jean-Pierre — the second Black woman to ever lead a White House press briefing — speaks about making history in her role: "It is a real honor to be standing here today. I appreciate the historic nature…Clearly, the president believes representation matters." pic.twitter.com/ErdayRW4VR
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 26, 2021
CBS points out:
This is not the first time Jean-Pierre has marked a historic milestone during her career. Prior to the Biden White House, Jean-Pierre served as chief of staff to Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2020 campaign. In a November 2020 profile, Out Magazine wrote that she was “the first Black person and first out lesbian to hold that position for a vice-presidential nominee.”
The 43-year-old also told Out magazine, “America is progressing towards a stronger, more inclusive future — and I know women of color are a driving force in that evolution,” she says. “Soon, I believe our politics will start to show it a bit more too.”