Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration

Black Leaders in American Foreign Policy:

History and Prospects for Overcoming a Racialized Bureaucracy

Jennifer Brinkerhoff

George Washington University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/jsepa.v2i1.5154

Keywords: Representation, Diversity, Racism, Institutional reform, Data visualization

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Abstract

Data on Black Ambassadors from 1949 to 2020 presented as WEB Du Bois-inspired data visualizations, and a historical review of Black Americans in the US State Department confirm the State Department has not achieved diversity reflective of American society. The theory of racialized organizations helps to explain why, and the lens of institutional theory suggests elements that could contribute to achieving a more representative State Department bureaucracy: 1) networks of institutional entrepreneurs; 2) accessing power and influence sources; as they work towards 3) establishing new norms; and 4) data for justice.

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Author Biography

Jennifer Brinkerhoff, George Washington University

 

Jennifer M. Brinkerhoff (she/hers) (jbrink@gwu.edu) is Professor of Public Administration and International Affairs at the George Washington University, and Principal Investigator of The Generations Dialogue Project for a more representative American foreign policy. She holds a PhD in public administration from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

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