Today,diversewomenofallhuesrepresentthiscountryoverseas.Somehavecalledthisdevelopmentthe“HillaryEffect.“ButwellbeforeourmostrecentfemalesecretaryofstatetherewasMadeleineAlbright,thefirstwomantoserveinthatcapacity,andlaterCondoleezzaRice.BeginningatamorejuniorpostintheDepartmentofStatein1971,therewas“thelittleElamgirl“fromBoston.DiversifyingDiplomacytellsthestoryofHarrietLeeElam-Thomas,ayoungblackwomanwhobeattheoddsandchallengedthestatusquo.Inspiredbythestrongwomeninherlife,shefollowedinthefootstepsofthefewwomenwhohadgonebeforeherinherefforttomaketheForeignServicereflectthediversefacesoftheUnitedStates.TheyoungestchildofparentswholeftthesegregatedOldSouthtoraisetheirfamilyinMassachusetts,Elam-Thomasdistinguishedherselfwithadiplomaticcareeratatimewhenfewcolleagueslookedlikeher.Elam-Thomas’smemoirisafirsthandaccountofherdecades-longcareerintheU.S.DepartmentofState’sForeignService,recountingherexperiencesofmakingU.S.foreignpolicy,culture,andvaluesunderstoodabroad.Elam-ThomasservedasaUnitedStatesambassadortoSenegal(2000-2002)andretiredwiththerankofcareerministerafterforty-twoyearsasadiplomat.DiversifyingDiplomacypresentsthejourneyofthissuccessfulwoman,whonotonlyfoundherselfconfrontedbysomeoftheworld’sheftierproblemsbutalsohelpedensurethatnewshepherdsofhonestyandauthenticitywouldfollowinherinternationalfootstepsforgenerationstocome.Purchasetheaudioedition.
