U.S. African American diplomats are still subject to harsh treatment from their own colleagues, some of whom use tools of coercion, manipulation, gaslighting and enduring systems to keep the “pale, male, and Yale” culture alive, said a report published by Foreign Policy earlier this week.
“U.S. State Department officials since (Joe) Biden took office have often said that ‘diversity and inclusion makes us stronger, smarter, more creative and more innovative.’ And while that talking point was music to the ears of many U.S. government employees of color, a stark reality proves otherwise,” the report noted.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was quoted in a Wall Street Journal article that highlighted widespread discrimination and harassment as revealed by an internal State Department survey, saying, “I’ve been clear that fully addressing the Department’s shortcomings when it comes to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility isn’t something we’d be able to achieve overnight,” according to the report.
Fritz Berggren, a white foreign service officer whose personal blog is filled with antisemitic and anti-Black content, is still employed at the State Department. U.S. taxpayer dollars should not be used to retain “unrepentant employees who publish racist rants and do not represent American values,” it said.
If the United States aspires to lead by the power of example on the global stage, then a drastic effort to promote inclusion is the only viable path forward, it added.
