I stand on their shoulders.”Įxpressing gratitude to the sacrifices those who came before her, the 47-year-old added: “Representation does matter. I would not be here today if it were not for generations of barrier-breaking people before me. “The first of all three of those to hold this position. “I am a Black, gay, immigrant woman,” said Jean-Pierre, born in Martinique to Haitian parents and raised in New York. Her 64-minute debut on Monday ranged from Buffalo to baby formula, from Somalia to Ukraine, but first she used her opening remarks to reflect on the new chapter of White House history she was writing.
