Page 3 - aruba-today-20220518

A3
U.S. NEWS Wednesday 18 May 2022
Press secretary hopes her rise helps kids ‘dream bigger’

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Donald Trump. She also has
Associated Press been an NBC and MSNBC
WASHINGTON (AP) — Kar- political analyst.
ine Jean-Pierre, the new Jean-Pierre, 47, worked
White House press secre- on Biden’s presidential
tary, hopes she can inspire campaign, then followed
young people to “dream him to the White House
big and dream bigger” as principal deputy press
now that she has broken secretary. In that role, she
a barrier by becoming the led the briefing on several
first Black and gay woman occasions, making history
to be chief spokesperson in May 2021 when she first
for the president of the subbed for press secretary
United States. Jen Psaki.
Jean-Pierre reflected Mon- She also held regular off-
day on what it means to camera gaggles with the
become one of the most much smaller group of re-
visible members of Presi- porters who travel aboard
dent Joe Biden’s adminis- Air Force One with the
tration as she spoke about president. Biden promoted
a letter that students at her Jean-Pierre after Psaki, who
former elementary school had been press secretary
in New York wrote telling since the start of the ad-
her how proud they are of White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre laughs during her first press briefing as press ministration, announced
her. secretary at the White House in Washington, Monday, May 16, 2022. Associated Press she was stepping down last
“Representation matters, Friday.q
and not just for girls, but also Jean-Pierre wrote in her
for boys,” Jean-Pierre told 2019 memoir, “Moving For-
reporters during the first of ward,” that Gennaro took
what likely will be hundreds a “huge chance” by hir-
of daily press briefings she ing her, even with her Ivy
will hold. League degree. But he
“And so what I hope is said in an interview that
that young people get to “she had a way about her
dream big and dream big- that was poised and com-
ger than they have before petent and friendly and
by seeing me stand here effective without having
and answer all of your any trace of qualities that
questions,” she said. could in any way, shape or
If Jean-Pierre’s Haitian par- form be off-putting.”
ents had had their way, “She was a rare talent that
their daughter would be I was very fortunate to
wearing a white doctor’s have,” Gennaro said. “I’m
coat and stethoscope in- just very happy and proud
stead of the special lapel to be a little footnote in
pin that identifies her as a her journey.” Jean-Pierre
Biden staffer. made the leap into na-
Jean-Pierre’s father, a New tional politics after work-
York City cab driver, and ing for another city council
her mother, a home health member and later joining
care aide who also owned a labor union campaign
a hair salon, wanted her to aimed at Walmart. She
become a doctor. But she first worked on Democrat
disappointed them by fail- John Edwards’ presiden-
ing her medical school en- tial campaign before join-
trance exam. ing Barack Obama’s 2008
She went on to earn a presidential bid in Chicago.
master’s degree in public She followed Obama to
administration from Co- the White House, working
lumbia University’s School in his political affairs opera-
of International and Public tion and later on his reelec-
Affairs. She parlayed her tion campaign. She first
interest in the environment met Biden while working for
into a job in the early 2000s Obama.
as director of legislative She moved around after
and budget affairs for New leaving the Obama White
York City Council Member House, including working
James Gennaro, who was for the ACLU and for the
head of the Environmental liberal advocacy group
Protection Committee. MoveOn as its chief pub-
It marked her introduction lic affairs officer during the
to politics. presidency of Republican