Commentator and activist Karine Jean-Pierre is the first Black and LGBTQ+ press officer for the White House, fighting for racial justice and LGBTQ+ rights across America
Words James Hodge
The American Dream — the belief that any citizen of America can achieve self-made success through hard work and determination — has long been questioned. In 1963, prominent civil rights activist Martin Luther King’s iconic speech highlighted that this ideology was not a reality for people of colour in the US. Instead, he dreamt of a world where people of all colours and creeds would be truly equal.
Sixty years later and although the American Dream continues to be contested, one shining role model of both Black and LGBTQ+ excellence is Karine Jean-Pierre, a celebrated activist and social commentator, who, from humble beginnings, climbed the governmental ladder to become a prominent figure in politics, and the public face of the White House.
Jean-Pierre grew up in Martinique, a Caribbean island off the coast of America. Born to Haitian parents, she was submerged in a diverse and multicultural community that shaped her inclusive political views. She is proud of her roots and heritage: “I am a dark-skinned Haitian American child of the working class”, she writes in her 2019 memoir Moving Forward.
When Jean-Pierre was a teenager, the family immigrated to Queens, New York. She was often left to look after her two siblings because her parents — her father was a taxi driver, and her mother a home health aide — often had to work every day of the week in order to survive. She hails their work ethic in the face of great struggle as one of her inspirations when it comes to her activism, saying, “In so many ways, I am fighting for my family.”
However, her life at home was not perfect. For decades, her mother refused to acknowledge Jean-Pierre’s lesbianism, which led to confusion, isolation and self-hatred.
“When I was 16 years old I realised I was different,” she told ABC News during Pride Month 2022. “[But] Black households can be incredibly conservative. [My mother] saw me getting married, having kids with a man… Parents have this painted life for you and you are destroying all of that.”
Despite the trauma, it is this honesty about her identity that has made Jean-Pierre such a popular political figure. Described by former President Barack Obama as having great “integrity”, it is her genuine nature that is key to her approach to politics and activism. Celebrated for her ability to connect with mainstream audiences, she has been a regular social commentator for
