The Foreign Service Journal, October 2020

32 OCTOBER 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL second at a USAIDmission overseas. One of the key features of the program is mentoring. Payne Fellows are promptly paired with seasoned USAIDmentors to help them enhance their skills and knowledge while gaining an early understanding of the val- ues and mission of the agency. A 2015 Payne Fellow, Keisha Herbert, learned about the fel- lowship while she was living in an indigenous village in Guate- mala as a Peace Corps volunteer. Her Peace Corps service and her work as a diversity and inclusion training and programs spe- cialist in a U.S. public hospital sharpened the skill set she would later employ as a new FSO, which included fluency in Spanish, an understanding of cross-cultural competency, and recognition of the importance of diversity and inclusion. Herbert now serves as a program officer at USAID/Jordan. Jacqueline Rojas, a 2017 Payne Fellow, says: “In my short time as a USAID Foreign Service officer, I’ve witnessed policymaking, diplomacy and the effects of U.S. foreign assistance in action. Thanks to my graduate education and experiences through the Payne Fellowship, I have felt equipped to handle whatever challenge comes my way—whether it be working to develop a resource to help agency staff improve their private sector engage- ment efforts through collaborating, learning and adapting or helping a USAIDmission design its new country development cooperation strategy.” Rojas explains that supportive teammembers and access to the fellowship’s mentors have been crucial to her ability to navi- gate her early career as an FSO. The Payne Fellowship has strong congressional backing. More than 40 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate actively support its funding and growth through the annual appropriations bills that fund USAID. In a joint letter to the House State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcom- mittee, for example, the late Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) requested increased FY 2020 funding for USAID to honor the legacy of Rep. Payne and “his lifelong efforts to increase diversity in interna- tional affairs and support foreign policy and assistance strategies that are inclusive of diverse and underserved populations.” Challenges Persist The Government Accountability Office’s June report on USAID, “Mixed Progress in Increasing Diversity, and Actions Needed to Consistently Meet EEO Requirements,” showed th at the overall proportion of racial or ethnic minorities in USAID’s full-time, permanent, career workforce increased from 33 to 37 percent from 2002 to 2018, but that the direction of change for specific groups varied: For instance, the proportion of Hispanics rose from 3 to 6 percent, while the proportion of African Ameri- cans in full-time, permanent, career positions fell from 26 to 21 percent, and the proportion of racial or ethnic minorities was generally smaller in higher ranks. The gaps and potential barriers that GAO identifies directly mirror and affect the experience of Payne Fellowship alumni who are in the early stages of their USAID careers. “Now as a first-tour officer with USAID … I am the only African American in the USAID post here in Jordan, and the total number of USAID officers who are people of color is around five,” Keisha Herbert observes. “The current racial tensions in the U.S. have put the spotlight back on diversity and inclusion, and embassies around the world are feeling the pressure to diversify recruitment and better represent the demographics of the U.S. abroad.” For her part, Herbert is seizing the opportunity to contrib- ute and lead on efforts to increase diversity and inclusion at the embassy: “I’m helping to lead this mandate ... here in Amman and have received genuine support, guidance and buy-in from senior leadership. I’m not sure how long it’ll take for the diplomatic corps to completely reflect the diversity of the U.S. throughout its ranks, but the conversation is starting, and I hope the momentum continues to build and achieve the goal.”The Payne Fellowship’s contribution to this effort cannot be overstated. Take, for instance, Chigozie Okwu, a 2017 Payne Fellow. While he values the opportunity to serve at USAID, he candidly reflects on how the presence of Black mentors and, conversely, the lack of other Black faces at internal and external meetings, Payne Fellows from the 2015 cohort strike a pose. From left: Jeanne Choquehuanca, Keisha Herbert, Berhan Hagos, Lea Claye and Marvin Crespin-Gamez. COURTESYOFTHEPAYNEFELLOWSHIPPROGRAM