This post was written by Kara Zelasko, the Senior Cultural Programs Associate at Meridian. It is a part of a blog series highlighting and acknowledging the work and contributions of Black diplomats during Black History Month. Meridian’s Center for Cultural Diplomacy (MCCD) owes a lot to the legacy of John Reinhardt, who in 1957 became a Foreign Service Officer for the United States Information Agency (USIA), which was merely a year after USIA launched its first cultural initiative. As the USIA expanded its cultural diplomacy efforts, Reinhardt continued to gain experience in the Foreign Service. Eventually, he returned to the...

This post was contributed by Jezza Syed, GlobalConnect Programs and Data Management Fellow. It is a part of a blog series highlighting and acknowledging the work and contributions of Black diplomats during Black History Month. Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, born in Queens, NY, currently serves as the Incoming Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs in President Joe Biden’s Administration. Jenkins started her political career early as a Presidential Management Fellow under the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Office of Management and Budget. She advanced in her diplomatic and political career as a...

This post was contributed by Jezza Syed, GlobalConnect Programs and Data Management Fellow. It is a part of a blog series highlighting and acknowledging the work and contributions of Black diplomats during Black History Month. Ralph Johnson Bunche was born in Detroit, MI, on August 7, 1904. At a very young age, both his parents passed away, leaving Bunche and his two sisters with their grandmother to live in Los Angeles. He felt it was his responsibility to support his family’s finances by working and finding all sorts of odd jobs. Growing up, Bunche believed that the trials and tribulations of supporting his family and navigating in a time...