Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Barack Obama was the first African-American president of the United States. He previously served as a U.S. senator from Illinois from 2005 to 2008 and an Illinois state senator from 1997 to 2004.
Karine Jean-Pierre is the queer political trailblazer we need
When we think of LGBTQ representation in politics, different images may come to mind. More often than not, you think of the countless activists who’ve placed themselves at the forefront of the fight for queer and trans liberation.
But when you think of political professionals, not many LGBTQ folks come to mind. That’s why Karine Jean-Pierre being the first Black, gay, immigrant woman to be Press Secretary for the White House is so monumental.
A post shared by Karine Jean-Pierre (@k_jeanpierre)But the journey was a longtime coming. The daughter of Haitian parents, the Martinique-born, Queens, New York-raised Jean-Pierre started her road to politics after serendipitously watching former Congresswoman Barbara Jordan speak at the 1992 Democratic National Convention.
And while she initially studied medicine, the future political powerhouse took a detour after college down the path of public affairs in graduate school.I’ll be forever grateful for everything Congresswoman Barbara Jordan did to pave the way for black women in politics.
