President Biden has named Karine Jean-Pierre as the new White House press secretary, replacing Jen Psaki, who is stepping down from the role next week. Jean-Pierre becomes the first African American, first Caribbean American and first openly LGBTQ+ person to serve as the president’s chief spokesperson. She was born in Martinique to Haitian parents and grew up in Queens, New York. Jean-Pierre previously worked with the political organizing group MoveOn and is the partner of CNN political reporter Suzanne Malveaux. She spoke from the White House Thursday.

Karine Jean-Pierre: “This is a historic moment, and it’s not lost on me. I understand how important it is for so many people out there, so many different communities that I stand on their shoulders, and I have been throughout my career.”

Jean-Pierre replaces Jen Psaki, who reportedly has a deal with MSNBC to produce a show on NBCUniversal’s streaming platform, Peacock.