Political Quotes

“I rise today as Black History Month comes to a close to pay tribute to Black Americans who have played pivotal roles in shaping American foreign policy and advancing national security abroad. As leaders and change-makers who have served the American people around the world, translating their own experiences fighting for justice and freedom in the United States into their passion for advancing democracy, human rights, and the rule of law overseas. From the first Black diplomat Ebenezer Bassett, who served as Ambassador to Haiti from 1869 to 1877, to Ambassador Linda Thomas- Greenfield, who today serves as U.S. Representative to the United Nations, Black Americans have been at the forefront of advancing U.S. foreign policy. Black Americans like Nobel Laureate Dr. Ralph Bunche, who mediated the 1949 Armistice Agreement and assisted in the creation of the United Nation's Universal Declaration for Human Rights; Ambassador Edward Perkins, who was instrumental in the 1992 creation of the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship; and Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams, who advanced the 2009 reopening of programs in Colombia, Sierra Leone, and Indonesia, have broken down barriers and made our world a better place. And yet, while we have made great strides in increasing representation throughout our diplomatic and development corps' ranks, our work is clearly far from over. According to the U.S.…”