List of African-American United States Cabinet members

Of that particular number, 26 different Black individuals held a total of 26 permanent cabinet posts, serving as Vice President or head of one of the federal executive departments, and 10 more held cabinet-level positions, which can differ under each president; no one officeholder served in both cabinet and cabinet-rank roles.

The U.S. Census Bureau defines African Americans as citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa.

[4] Patricia Roberts Harris was the first black woman to serve in a presidential cabinet when she was named to the same position by President Jimmy Carter in 1977.

Two years later, Carter tapped her for Secretary of Health and Human services,[a] thus making her the first African-American to hold two different cabinet positions.

[6] Condoleezza Rice took over the same position in 2005, during Bush's second term, making her the highest-placed Black person in line to the presidency.

Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, is the most senior African American to have held a role related to the U.S.