The Foreign Service Journal, September 2020

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2020 37 Another common misperception is that all fellows are people of color. In fact, the diversity sought by the fellowships encompasses geographic location in the United States, gender and economic hardship, as well as racial and ethnic back- ground. Moreover, not all ethnic and racial minorities in the Foreign Service were recruited through the Pickering or Rangel programs (Tianna Spears, for example, was a consular fellow). Unfortunately, due to the misinformation regarding some of the fellowships, recipients often feel compelled to downplay their background as fellows when it should be a point of pride. In fact, some minorities in the Foreign Service feel compelled to share that they are not Pickering or Rangel Fellows. This stigma does not exist for other preferential hiring pro- grams, such as the Presidential Management Fellowship, the Boren Fellowship and Veteran’s Preference. It is less likely for alumni of those programs to encounter negative assumptions about their qualifications to enter the State Department. So, why is there a negative assumption associated with Pickering and Rangel alumni? The persistent pathology concerning these fellowships—and diversity, more broadly—affects how fellows are seen by their peers and supervisors, and often negatively affects their career progression and retention. We welcome 7th-floor interest in increasing the size of the Pickering and Rangel Fellowship programs as recognition of the talented individuals they bring to the State Department and their significant policy contributions, and the diverse perspectives and experiences the programs bring to our organization. But as members of earlier fellowship cohorts who have witnessed the pro- gram’s expansion and retention issues since 2000, we believe that any future expansion should be accompanied by a concerted effort to address grave structural problems within the department—in particular, the department’s inability to retain at the senior levels the very talent it works so hard to recruit at entry level. Taking On Prevailing Cultural Norms Tianna Spears’ departure left many colleagues asking why those who have suffered traumatic experiences like hers do not speak up. We all know there are many positive and admirable elements in Foreign Service culture, such as esprit de corps, the ability to rally together to face a common challenge and a commitment to judging all on the basis of merit. Unfortunately, there is also a dark side to Foreign Service culture, which con- tributed to Tianna’s silence and that of others who endure hard- ship and abuse in isolation, and ultimately decide to depart. Despite ongoing improvements in State’s leadership and training continuum for managers, there is still scant training available to prepare managers, or fellows, for how to commu- nicate with American colleagues across cultures. Nor does the department systematically explain the fellowships and their purpose to its internal audience. Problems with the quality of management across the department compound the challenges for fellows of color. There is a tendency in department culture to dispense automatic judgment based on inaccurate information, societal stereotypes and misconceptions. Moreover, a culture of risk aversion buttresses the prevail- ing norm of “enduring” toxic bosses or work environments until they move on to greener pastures and being careful not to “rock the boat” or “make waves” to protect one’s “corridor reputation.” The implication that victims of discrimination are responsible for their situations and the insufficient numbers of diverse officers at individual posts also help to perpetuate the status quo. ALEXANDRABOWMAN