Moments before Kamala Harris made history as the first Black and Asian-American woman to run on a U.S. presidential ticket, another 2020 announcement marked a notable first.
Karine Jean-Pierre, a past MSNBC commentator and current senior adviser to Joe Biden, was named as Kamala Harris’s chief of staff, making the lesbian Haitian-American the first Black person to serve in that role for a vice presidential candidate. Jean-Pierre joined the Biden-Harris campaign after having served as chief public affairs officer for MoveOn.org, a progressive public advocacy group and popular online hub for political petitions. Over the years, the organization has raised millions for Democratic candidates.
While expressing her excitement about her new dual roles for Biden’s 2020 campaign, Jean-Pierre appeared to comment on the sexist narrative during the vice presidential selection process that Harris was “too ambitious” to be Biden’s running mate. Many on Biden’s selection committee, including former Senator Chris Dodd, reportedly said Harris would be more focused on attaining the presidency than serving in a number-two position.
“Karine ‘ambitious’ Jean-Pierre is incredibly proud to be working to elect the Biden/Harris ticket,” Jean-Pierre tweeted Tuesday. “Let’s go!!”
In a December 2019 interview with The Advocate, Jean-Pierre said she built her career by not taking “no” for an answer while avoiding burning bridges in the process. As a Haitian-American lesbian, she noted that she realized her political power by taking ownership of something that no one would hand to her.
“Representation matters,” she said. “That is why I find so many of these young newly elected members of Congress — many of whom are women and women of color — so inspiring. The other thing I will say is, Donald Trump loyalists are going to be voting in 2020. The only way we can take power away from Trump is to show up in bigger numbers. Now is not a time to sit on the sidelines. We need everyone in if we’re going to beat Trump.”
Jean-Pierre is also known for coming to Harris’s aid during a 2019 MoveOn.org presidential forum in which a white man rushed the stage to take the microphone away from the Senator, who at the time was still one of the contenders for the Democratic nomination. She threw her body between the protester and Harris and attempted to grab the microphone back. She told MSNBC that the incident triggered fears about violence against women, as well as underscoring the privilege of men who undermine their agency.
“We have to stand up for each other,” Jean-Pierre told news anchor Nicolle Wallace. “And, sometimes, it’s women that do it and no one else will do it.”
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