Out Black Activist Chosen as Kamala Harris' Chief of Staff
Even before Democratic presumptive nominee for this year's presidential election Joe Biden announced that his running mate would be Kamala Harris, the Biden campaign had made another impressive choice by naming senior campaign adviser Karine Jean-Pierre - an out Haitian-American lesbian - as the chief of staff for the vice-presidential candidate.
Jean-Pierre's selection was reported in the press at least as early as Aug. 11, as were a slate of other assignments. But it was Jean-Pierre's name the led the list.
Bloomberg reported on Jean-Pierre's credentials:
Before joining Biden's team earlier this year, she was chief public affairs officer for MoveOn and also worked on both Obama presidential campaigns. She was also a regional political director in the Obama White House.
Jean-Pierre had Harris' back long before Harris was named as Biden's running mate. On June 1, 2019, when Harris was one of a crowded field of Democratic hopefuls vying for the nomination, a man rushed the stage at a San Francisco event where Harris was speaking and snatched the microphone out of her hand. Jean-Pierre instantly sprang up and went for the man, attempting to snatch the mic out of his hands in turn.
Her professional accomplishments are equally formidable. Wikipedia notes that Jean-Pierre is a lecturer at Columbia University and serves as a commentator of politics for both NBC and MSNBC.
The Biden campaign announced its pick of Harris for running mate on Aug. 11, and word spread on Twitter that Jean-Pierre would serve as Harris' chief of staff. Jean-Pierre retweeted one such post, adding hew own comment:
Karine "ambitious" Jean-Pierre is incredibly proud to be working to elect the Biden/Harris ticket. Let's go!! https://t.co/Y3rNNz6qJG— Karine Jean-Pierre (@K_JeanPierre) August 11, 2020