Political POWERHOUSE

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

- James Hodge

The American Dream - the belief that Tany 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."