The Foreign Service Journal, October 2020

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2020 31 To date, 39 fellows have graduated and joined the USAID Foreign Service, and 20 more are cur- rently completing the program. At the same time, over the past few months, several news articles, letters to the USAID Administrator and a Government Accountabil- ity Office report have all pointed to the lack of diversity at USAID, particularly in senior leader- ship positions. Simultaneously, there have been several internal dialogues and “listening sessions” at USAID about implicit bias, institutional dis- crimination and racism. The civil protests and anti-racism efforts in the United States and around the world highlight the difficult balancing act that Foreign Service officers navigate in terms of the American ideals of freedom and equality, and the implemen- tation of those ideals in the United States and abroad. When coupled with other effective programs and initiatives, the Payne Fellowship is poised to help USAID address some of these issues. An Effective Program As an international affairs hub producing a pipeline of future U.S. diplomats, Howard University’s Bunche Center plays a critical role in administering the Payne Fellowship program. The Bunche Center is also home to two flagship State Department diversity programs, the Rangel and Pickering Fellowships. The reach of the center’s network and the prestige of these programs ensure a com- petitive pool of applicants for the Payne Fellowship annually. The diversity of program participants is central to its success: 86 percent are from underrepresented ethnic and racial back- grounds—primarily Black (34 percent), Hispanic (25 percent) and Asian (19 percent). In addition to ethnic and racial diversity, the fellows come from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds and must demonstrate financial need. They also represent a wide array of undergraduate institutions and academic disciplines. Many fellows have worked in the private sector or in nonprofits and advocacy programs. A significant number have served in the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps and Fulbright programs, proving their dedication to public service and international causes. After successfully navigating a highly competitive process, Payne Fellows commit to serve a minimum of five years in the USAID Foreign Service, with the anticipation that they will remain with the agency after their formal fellowship com- mitment ends. The fellowship provides support for a master’s degree, including tuition, fees, living expenses and two 10-week internships during the summer: the first on Capitol Hill and the The Program’s Namesake: Rep. Donald M. Payne Sr. I n 2009, the late Congressman Donald M. Payne Sr. (D-N.J.) traveled to Somalia to engage in stra- tegic dialogue and to witness firsthand the social, economic, security and political challenges facing the wartorn country. As he departed Mogadishu airport, an Islamist insurgent group based in East Africa, al-Shabaab, bombarded his plane with mortars. Shortly thereafter, Rep. Payne, a longtime champion of USAID, spoke passionately before Congress about the need to build the capacity of the Somali people by investing in their unity government. He urged that techni- cal assistance and financial support be provided so Somalia could progress and lead the regional fight against terrorism and piracy. Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle respected Rep. Payne and frequently looked to him for leadership on global development issues. His legislative record was expansive and historic, including brokering the major trade agreement with the continent of Africa—the African Growth and Opportunity Act—and crafting legislation to authorize the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the President’s Malaria Initiative. Moreover, he vocally and presciently declared the systematic murder of people in Darfur a genocide and was recognized in Congress for having the most supportive record on issues regarding the Northern Ireland peace process. Presi- dent GeorgeW. Bush twice appointed Rep. Payne to serve as a congressional delegate to the United Nations. Congressman Payne tirelessly fought for the advancement of international cooperation and development, particularly in Africa and theWestern Hemisphere for decades prior to his death in 2012.When USAID administrator Rajiv Shah launched a new junior Foreign Service fellowship program later that year, it was fittingly named after Rep. Payne. Aysha House, a former congressional staffer who now serves as senior adviser and interagency coordinator for the Bureau for Resilience and Food Security at USAID, said of Rep. Payne: “I was proud to be in the presence of someone who believed so deeply in the power of international development. From combatting the pressing global challenges of poverty and hunger, violence and piracy, injustice and accountability in government to access to education and so much more, Rep. Payne was our steadfast champion.” Ms. House and career FSO Lorraine Sherman, both of whomwere working in the Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs at the time, played a significant role in establishing the Payne Fellowship program. Rep. Donald M. Payne Sr.