US President Joe Biden has appointed a new White House press secretary. Karine Jean-Pierre, 44, will take over from Jen Psaki at the end of next week, becoming the first black woman and LGBTQIA member to hold the position.

Since the beginning of Biden’s presidential term in 2020, Jean-Pierre has served as Psaki’s first deputy.

Jen Psaki, who spent many years in various representative positions in the administrations of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, is leaving the White House to become the host of the left-liberal TV channel MSNB.

Jean-Pierre should bring “her own style, flamboyance and elegance” to the work of the White House press secretary, Psaki’s successor recommended.

Anthony Zurker , BBC correspondent

The White House Press Secretary is the administration’s face to the media, and with it to the country and the world.

The person holding this post can instantly become a recognizable figure during crises or political scandals in the country. Often they have a kind of group of fans, and for some they become the object of ridicule.

For the first time in US history, this post will be held by a black woman and an open lesbian.

This sensational statement once again highlights the Biden administration’s policy of promoting African-American women to public positions, who form an important part of the Democratic Party’s electoral coalition, but remain “politically invisible” in the opinion of many commentators.

These women include Vice President Kamala Harris, newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown-Jackson, Director of the Domestic Policy Council Susan Rice, United States Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield and several other important politicians and judges.

White House press secretaries do not make political decisions. They shape the public image of the administration. Jean-Pierre will have a difficult and, in a certain sense, risky job.

Karine Jean-Pierre, a former analyst at MSNB, where Psaki is leaving, has worked with the US Democratic Party for more than 20 years. She also served as one of the directors of policy in the administration of Barack Obama.

She was born on the Caribbean island of Martinique, which is an overseas department of France, and grew up in the New York borough of Queens.

In 2016, she was a spokesperson for the liberal movement MoveOn.

Before joining Biden’s team, Jean-Pierre was Kamala Harris’ chief of staff.

In November, the U.S. will face an important midterm congressional election that could determine how the rest of Joe Biden’s first term plays out.