By Nikhila Natarajan

New York, Nov 30 (IANS): US President-elect Joe Biden has named a seven-member all-women team to lead the White House communications war room, headed by his campaign communications director Kate Bedingfield. This is the first time in American political history that the senior White House communications team will be entirely female.

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris described the announcement as "barrier-shattering".

The new hires: Elizabeth E. Alexander, Communications Director for the First Lady, Kate Bedingfield, White House Communications Director, Ashley Etienne, Communications Director for the Vice President, Karine Jean Pierre, Principal Deputy Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary, Symone Sanders, Senior Advisor and Chief Spokesperson for the Vice President and Pili Tobar, Deputy White House Communications Director.

Four of the seven member team announced Sunday are women of color. The latest hires stay true to Biden's early promise to build a diverse White House team that looks like multicultural America.

"Communicating directly and truthfully to the American people is one of the most important duties of a President, and this team will be entrusted with the tremendous responsibility of connecting the American people to the White House," Biden said in a statement.

"Our country is facing unprecedented challenges — from the coronavirus pandemic to the economic crisis, to the climate crisis, and a long-overdue reckoning over racial injustice. To overcome these challenges, we need to communicate clearly, honestly, and transparently with the American people, and this experienced, talented, and barrier-shattering team will help us do that," Vice President-elect Kamala Harris said as a relatively quiet four day Thanksgiving week lull drew to a close.