White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.Photo: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty
Biden administration spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre made a bit of history on Wednesday when she became the second Black woman and first openly gay woman tobrief the White House press.
The principal deputy press secretary, 43, was the first Black woman to stand behind the White House press podium and speak on behalf of the president in 30 years.
Asked to comment on the appearance, Jean-Pierre told reporters, “It’s a real honor to be standing here today … I appreciate the historic nature,” adding: “I believe that 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,” she continued. “Clearly, the resident believes representation matters and I appreciate him giving me this opportunity, and it’s another reason why I think we are all so proud that this is the most diverse administration in history.
In 1991, Judy Smith was the first Black woman to brief the White House press corps when she worked as deputy press secretary for PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush.
Speaking to PEOPLE earlier this year, Smith reflected on the lack of color — literally — in the White House during her tenure there.
“Probably after about two weeks there, I looked around and started taking in how everyone was dressed,” Smith, 62, said then. “And I remember asking Marlin [Fitzwater, then the White House press secretary], ‘Is there an official White House uniform or something?’ All I could see what this sea of black, gray and navy blue.”
Despite there being no official uniform, Smith took it upon herself to make a bold move, telling Fitzwater: “I’m going to be sporting my best red blazer. Tomorrow.”
At her first-ever press briefing, Smith donned a bold white blazer, oversized earrings and a strand of pearls — she was quickly seen as injecting a sense of personality into the role while still speaking straightforwardly to the press.
Smith — whose work inspired the character of Olivia Pope on the showScandal— was on hand at the White House Wednesday for Jean-Pierre’s briefing, sharing a photo of the two behind the podium along with the caption, “Standing in support. Sisterhood. Always.”
In addition to being the second Black woman to represent the White House from the podium, Jean-Pierre is the first openly gay woman to do so. In 2015, Eric Schultz — who served as a deputy White House press secretary under PresidentBarack Obama— becamethe firstopenly gay person to conduct an on-camera White House news briefing.
Her appearances in the press room are likely to continue in the future, as Press Secretary Jen Psaki recently said sheonly plans to stay in the rolefor “about a year.”
In a tweet on Wednesday, Psaki mrked the moment and applauded her colleague, writing, “Today is a big day in the press office and@WhiteHouse. My partner in truth–@KJP46is 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.”
source: people.com
