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Diversity and Diplomacy

Why does it matter?

Retired Ambassador Elam-Thomas talks about her career, the importance of diversity in diplomacy, and what steps the State Department should take to diversify American representation around the world.

Why does diversity in diplomacy matter in today's world?

In September 2005, Ambassador Harriet L. Elam-Thomas retired from the U.S. Senior Foreign Service with the rank of career minister. During her four-decade Foreign Service career, she demonstrated a remarkable dedication to the practice of bridging cultures.  Her varied overseas assignments have taken her to Greece, Turkey, France, Belgium, Senegal, Mali and Cote d’Ivoire. In 2017, she published the book Diversifying Diplomacy: My Journey from Roxbury to Dakar, in which she tells her own story of being a young woman of color in the State Department, and reflects on the history of women serving in diplomatic and policy roles. In this presentation, Ambassador Elam-Thomas will talk about her career, her book, and the importance of diversity in diplomacy. Q&A to follow.

To learn more about Ambassador Elam-Thomas, find her website at diversifyingdiplomacy.com and find her book available for check out from Alexandria Library, or online from Amazon. 

Ambassador Elam-Thomas is director of the diplomacy program at the University of Central Florida.