Karine Jean-Pierre has been named as President Biden’s new top spokesperson, marking the first time a black or openly gay person has held the position.
Since Mr Biden’s election, Ms Jean-Pierre, 44, has been the administration’s principal deputy press secretary.
She will take over as press secretary from outgoing press secretary Jen Psaki, 43, at the end of next week.
Daily news briefings with White House reporters are conducted by press secretaries, making the position high-profile.
Ms. Psaki is joining the left-leaning MSNBC cable news network.
A presidential administration’s face to the national media, and, by extension, to the country and the world, is the White House press secretary.
In times of national crisis or political scandal, an individual can become an instantly recognizable figure. For some, they develop cult-like followings, while for others, they are the brunt of jokes.
For the first time in US history, the face of an administration will be that of a black woman, and of one who is openly gay.
The groundbreaking announcement underscores a Biden administration that has placed an emphasis on putting black women – frequently considered an essential, but politically invisible part of the Democratic Party coalition – in positions of power.
She joins Vice-President Kamala Harris, incoming Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Domestic Policy Council chair Susan Rice, UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, and a handful of other officials and judges in prominent roles
