US-Haitian lawyer and political advisor Karen André has been appointed Special Assistant to US President Joe Biden. This is the first person of Haitian origin to hold this position, André joins Karine Jean-Pierre, Kristen Clarke, Susan Rice and Vice-President Kamala Harris at the White House.

Learn more about Karen André :

Born in New York to parents of Haitian immigrants, Karen André attended school and university in Florida. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and is a Law graduate from the University of Miami. She worked with lawmakers to help lobby and pass the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 1998. Then, she practiced immigration law in Miami, Florida, before returning to work in the political arena.

During President Obama's first election campaign, André was a campaign field organizer in Miami's poorest neighborhoods. In 2011, she worked with her campaign for the second time as Deputy Political Director of Florida.

From 2014 to 2017, André was appointed by the President in the Obama-Biden administration as the White House liaison to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

After Obama’s departure, she served as Andrew Gillum’s senior advisor during his main campaign that led to his nomination as the Democratic candidate for governor of Florida in 2018.

During the last presidential election, André worked as a senior advisor for the Biden-Harris campaign in Florida.

Karen Andre, who is also a public speaker and author, is currently President of People First Strategies. She is one of the founding members of the Haitian Women's Network and remains proactive within the Caribbean-American community in Florida.

HL/ HaitiLibre