The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2021

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2021 39 is Black, but she grew up in the same place I did—we even went to high school together—with the same socioeconomic back- ground. Yet she does not enjoy the same luxury. Having that confidence is so empowering, and the physical and mental toll of stress in its absence is measurable (for more information, research “weathering”). It is going to take a while to fix that in America, but we can work to give the women and people of color within our ranks that confidence within our own corridors. Myth 3: White Males Should Be the Default Frame of Reference This myth is particularly pernicious, and the previous two myths feed into it. The idea that equal treatment is white male treatment is part of this, but the problem goes far beyond that. Even President Joe Biden’s important and laudable execu- tive order on advancing racial equity, which will undoubte dly improve the situation, still uses the white male perspective as the default framing. It orders a review of all the barriers facing people of color, but not a commensurate examination of privilege. It is implicitly framed to look at the “barriers” that prevent women and people of color from succeeding in a white male world, without looking at what makes this a white male world. This is especially clear in Section 8, “Engagement with Members of Under-served Com- munities.” Engaging these communities is an important activity, and their voices must be heard, but where is the engagement with “overserved” (white) communities? The burden is misplaced. The victims of racism, chauvinism and bigotry must not be held responsible for finding their own way out of the problem. We need to do our own homework, for things will not get better until the beneficiaries of our structurally racist systemwork to identify their privilege and fight to end it. The Good News: We Know How to Fix This The good news is that the State Department has some of the world’s leading experts in promoting diversity, ensuring equality and establishing equity at work daily around the world. This is a classic “physician, heal thyself” situation. To heal our depart- ment, we must use the tools we have been taught to promote human rights: seek transparency, shine light and demand con- crete steps be taken through open and honest dialogue. There are many ways we can do better, and I know that with the collective expertise of our extraordinary colleagues, we can find innovative solutions. However, the first step is the same as when we are promoting human rights elsewhere: to get a clear and honest view of the problem. The Director General should publish statistics on gender and race for Foreign Service generalists and Foreign Service special- ists separately, and for every bureau at every level (entry-, mid- and senior). Releasing block statistics for the entire department that combine specialists and generalists, and do not break statistics down by bureau or category of employment, obscures as much as it reveals. The department has resisted releasing a breakdown of the statistics in this way. The disparity among bureaus in terms of diversity and inclusion that is apparent, for instance, should be unacceptable. I believe that if such data were made public, it could not be sustained. We also have to be able to speak openly about the real problems our colleagues face, which will take a significant shift in department culture. This article may be seen as controversial, when it should be seen as commonplace. With some notable and praiseworthy exceptions, much of the work of our diversity and inclusion councils seems to focus on the easier conversations about “education,” “implicit bias” and “raising awareness.” These are important tasks, too. But we all need to become educated on the problems of structural racism, and fast. Class has been in session for hundreds of years, and the final exam is coming up. Many of us at State have some cramming to do, but we are all good students. So I am confident that if we really work hard, we can pass the test put before us. n Releasing block statistics for the entire department that combine specialists and generalists, and do not break statistics down by bureau or category of employment, obscures as much as it reveals.