A00021 - The African American Diplomat and the American Experience
As advertised below, PBS aired an episode of the American Experience entitled "The American Diplomat" last night that highlighted the careers of three trailblazing African American diplomats: Edward Dudley, Carl Rowan and Terence Todman. I encourage everyone that has access to PBS Passport to watch the program and reflect on the incredible barriers that these three men overcame to become ambassadors.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/
As for me, after watching the program, I wondered whether much had changed in the State Department. Sadly, what I found was that not much has changed.
Given this lack of progress on racial diversity in the State Department, and given the state of race relations and political divisiveness in the United States today, I wonder how does an African American serve as an ambassador and what is the message that we attempt to advance throughout the world?
Peace,
Everett Jenkins
Fairfield, California
February 17, 2022
P.S. As I write this, I am now watching the great Lionel Richie performing at the Glastonbury Festival in England in 2015. There are an estimated two hundred thousand people (mostly white English people) jamming to Lionel's rendition of the Commodore's "Brick House". Maybe the message of music is the greatest message that we still have in this world. Maybe.
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It is now February, a month ascribed as "Black History" month. For those who actually are interested in Black History, there are some programs that I find of interest and invite you to join me in watching.
First, on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, at 9:00 pm, American Experience will air a program entitled "The American Diplomat." In highlighting this program, the PBS programming guide i receive states:
"Examine the experience of African American diplomats serving during the Cold War. At the height of the civil rights movement, these individuals represented the best of American ideals abroad while facing discrimination at home. Discover how -- in the face of intolerance -- three African American diplomats pushed past these historical and institutional racial barriers and reached high-ranking appointments in the Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy administrations, changing the face of American diplomacy."
The following week, on Monday, February 21, 2022 at 10:00 pm, American Experience will air a program entitled "The Murder of Emmitt Till". I will watch this program before beginning my streaming of the recent ABC series "Women of the Movement" which, for this season, dramatically focuses on the murder of Emmitt Till. This will also give me time to finish Your Blues Ain't Like Mine, a book that explores the psychological impacts of a crime such as the murder of Emmitt Till on both the bereaved family members and those who committed the crime. I am finding these connections to be more important with each passing day.
Finally, tonight on the PBS World channel at 8:00pm or 9:00pm (check your local listings), America Reframed will re-air a 2017 documentary on the Black Towns of Oklahoma. Titled "Struggle and Hope", the documentary gives a history for the creation of so many black towns in Oklahoma. That part is inspiring. However, as a descendant of one of the former residents of the Black Town of Boley, Oklahoma, ultimately, I found this documentary depressing. Nevertheless, the documentary provides a history of what once was ... but will probably never be once more.
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