WOMEN+POWER: Karine Jean-Pierre

For her first Polo Lifestyles cover, we invited White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to share, in her own words, her journey from a traditional Haitian home to the most famous house in the world.

Last year, I took a question in the briefing room from a young Black girl who was visiting the White House for “Take Your Child to Work Day.” I could tell she was nervous, but she quickly composed herself, asked her question (what’s the most difficult part about my job?), and told me that she aspired to be in my shoes one day.

As the first Black and openly queer person to hold the position of White House press secretary, this moment reinforced for me that representation matters. It matters to our kids, and makes our nation stronger. When I was young, I never dreamed I would be speaking on behalf of the president of the United States, let alone a president and vice president who encourage me to show up and serve every day as my full, authentic self.

I try to honor the people that came before me and always remember I didn’t get here on my own. When it was my turn to continue the tradition of naming a new lectern in the Press Briefing Room, I took the opportunity to honor the legacies of Alice Dunnigan and Ethel Payne, the first two Black women to join the White House press corps. The candidness with which they shared the reality of being Black women reporters in the ‘40s and ‘50s gives me the courage to be open about my own journey.

I was fortunate to grow up in New York City, one of the most diverse places in the world, but even that environment couldn’t shield me from feeling alone and sometimes invisible. My family emigrated from Haiti and brought with them the values they knew. Simply put, queer identities weren’t something to be acknowledged in any form at home, much less celebrated.

But in time, my family came to the same realization that other families come to at dinner tables across America — who you love doesn’t change who you are, what your passions are, or the mark you work to make on the world.

That is the American Dream that all Americans should have the freedom to pursue. We have a long way to go but the work is worth it. Those behind us are depending on it.