In May, Karine Jean-Pierre became the first Black and openly LGBTQ+ person and immigrant to serve as White House press secretary.
AP Photo/Andrew Harnik
Before she fielded questions from reporters on her first day, Jean-Pierre acknowledged the historic nature of her position and credited “generations of barrier-breaking people” that she said paved the way for her, Insider’s Nicole Gaudiano and Oma Seddiq reported.
“I am obviously acutely aware that my presence at this podium represents a few firsts. I am a Black, gay, immigrant woman, the first of all three of those to hold this position,” she said. “If it were not for generations of barrier-breaking people before me, I would not be here. But I benefit from their sacrifices. I have learned from their excellence, and I am forever grateful to them.”
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in as a Supreme Court justice in June, making her the first Black woman to sit on the nation’s highest court.
Fred Schilling/Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States via Getty Images
Jackson serves as the 116th justice and the first Black woman on the Supreme Court in its 233-year history after Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, 83, stepped down, Insider’s Oma Seddiq reported.
She also made history as the first former public defender elevated to the top court, bringing a diverse legal background to the bench that was highly sought-after by the Biden White House.
Three Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitt Romney of Utah — broke with their party and joined all 50 Democrats in the historic vote, a showing of bipartisanship that has become increasingly rare for Supreme Court confirmations.
Maura Healey made history as one of the two openly lesbian US governors elected for the first time when she won her Massachusetts gubernatorial race in November.
AP Photo/Michael Dwyer
Healey, who was also the first openly LGBTQ state attorney general, defeated Republican opponent state Rep. Geoff Diehl to become governor of Massachusetts.
“I hope tonight shows you that you can be whatever, whoever you want to be,” she said in her victory speech, NBC News reported. “And nothing and no one can ever get in your way except your own imagination, and that’s not going to happen.”
