Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 50th anniversary of the Thursday Luncheon Group, which was founded in 1973 to elevate the voices of African Americans in U.S. foreign policy. Since the early days of the State Department, patriotic African Americans have raised their hands to join our diplomatic service only to find their pathways too often narrowed by bigotry. In the face of this discrimination, early trailblazers like Ambassador Terence Todman, a six-time career ambassador and founding member of the Thursday Luncheon Group, successfully pushed the State Department to root out segregation and expand opportunities for all employees. Today, the Thursday Luncheon Group plays an active role in promoting African-American representation at all levels of the Department. As I have worked to increase opportunities for underrepresented groups in foreign policy, my efforts have been guided by the counsel of the Thursday Luncheon Group and other employee affinity groups. Congratulations to the Thursday Luncheon Group on their golden anniversary. I look forward to working with TLG and similar groups to recruit and retain a diverse diplomatic corps that proudly promotes American values at home and around the world. ____________________”