foreign service

Zandra Flemister, the first Black woman special agent in the Secret Service, left the agency after four years because of discrimination. She is seen here escorting Prime Minister of Jamaica Michael Manley (right) during his 1977 visit to Washington.

Politics & Government

Zandra Flemister blazed a tough trail in the Secret Service. Now she's getting credit

1:06pm March 02, 2023

by Rachel Treisman

Flemister, who died last week, was the first Black woman to serve as a special agent in the 1970s, but was forced out by racial discrimination. She spent the next three decades in the foreign service.

President Biden announced his intention to nominate Bridget Brink as the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. The career foreign service officer has served as ambassador to Slovakia since 2019.

Biden plans to nominate Bridget Brink as the next ambassador to Ukraine. Who is she?

2:22pm April 25, 2022

by Rachel Treisman

Brink has served as the U.S. ambassador to Slovakia since 2019. She has more than two decades of experience in the Foreign Service, including stints in Georgia and Uzbekistan.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield appears before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing on her nomination to be the United States ambassador to the United Nations, Wednesday.

Biden's Pick For U.N. Ambassador Faces Tough Questioning For Past Remarks On China

7:06pm January 27, 2021

by Brakkton Booker

Linda Thomas-Greenfield was grilled by members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about a speech she gave at a Chinese-backed institution on the campus of Savannah State University in 2019.

Tianna Spears joined the State Department in 2018, looking forward to the promise of a fulfilling career. She left after less than two years, and is one of a growing number to speak out recently about the special challenges faced by minority foreign servi

World News

'I Was Asked If I Stole My Car': Black Diplomats Describe Harassment At U.S. Borders

4:46pm August 03, 2020

by Jackie Northam

Former diplomat Tianna Spears says she was pulled aside 20-plus times crossing from Mexico into the U.S. "One time, I was told not to look at the officer in the eyes when I spoke to him," she says.

Queue Listen Now

David Holmes, a career diplomat and the political counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, is scheduled to give public testimony as part of the impeachment inquiry into President Trump on Thursday.

A Diplomat With A History Of Voicing Concerns Set To Testify In Impeachment Inquiry

9:40am November 21, 2019

by Brakkton Booker

David Holmes is a top staffer at the U.S Embassy in Ukraine. He overheard a phone call between the U.S. ambassador to the European Union and the president in which "investigations" were discussed.

Queue Listen Now