The Foreign Service Journal, November 2020

18 NOVEMBER 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Podcast of the Month Things That Go Boom B illed as “your friendly neigh- borhood national security podcast,”Things That Go Boom is hosted by Lacie Heeley, founder of the foreign policy magazine Inkstick . Heeley is also a partner with the Tru- man National Security Project. Launched in 2018, the podcast is now in its third season. The report- ing and interviews with experts are compelling, taking an in-depth look at critical national security issues like arms control, disinformation, U.S.-Iran relations in context and much more. They explore whether the rise of China and Russia could spell the end of the United States as the dominant world power and ask whether we are prepared for life in a multilateral world. Things That Go Boom combines narrative sto- rytelling, short explainers and conversa- tions with experts in the field. Starting in season three, each episode includes recommendations for further reading. Visit the Things That Go Boom podcast at pri.org/programs/things-go- boom. of the Foreign Service in 2018, while their percentage of the population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau in July 2019, was 13.4. And as of September, only four out of 189 U.S. ambassadors were Black American career diplomats, and only four were Hispanic career diplomats. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), chair- man of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs’ Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, called the hearing to explore the department’s efforts to improve diversity. He said the key to improving diversity is to ensure that pro- motions are distributed equitably. “The biggest challenge is not in recruit- ing racial and ethnic minorities, but in retaining and promoting them,” he said. “During the promotion process, women and people of color don’t have equal access or chances of advancement.” In her prepared opening statement, Director General Perez said: “I would like to emphasize that these issues are of great personal significance to me, and I’ve worked to advance them in my 17 months on the job as Director General. Yet never in my almost 33-year career have I seen such passion on the part of employees, of all backgrounds, for creating an environment where we are listening to each other as a community as I have over the past two months. “Like our nation, our workforce has been rattled by the pain of long-standing wounds and the opening of new ones with the horrific killing of George Floyd,” she continued. “We’re at an inflection point in our nation’s history, the his- tory of our Service, and the Department. The Department is part of the broader fabric of American society, and like our nation, the Department must acknowl- edge its own checkered history. We are not exempt from the racial and social justice challenges that our nation has experienced since its inception. Women, Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, People of Color, and LGBTQ Americans, among others, have fought valiantly for the opportunity to serve our country in the Foreign Service and, more broadly, at the Department. “Thanks to the efforts of courageous employees, congressional support, and the advent of our Pickering Fellowship in the 1990s and the Rangel Fellowship a decade later, we’ve made important advances. But we remain a work in prog- ress, and we still have work to do before we fully represent America.” Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping? O n the same day Director General Perez testified, Sept. 22, the White House issued an executive order on “Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping.” This followed earlier comments from Pres- ident Donald Trump calling for the ban on racial sensitivity training and a Sept. 4 memo from the Office of Management and Budget spelling out the restrictions. On issuing the memo, OMB Director Russell Vought said that President Trump had directed him “to ensure that federal agencies cease and desist from using taxpayer dollars to fund these divisive, un-American propaganda sessions.” The president said he was issuing the order “to combat offensive and anti- American race and sex stereotyping and scapegoating.” The Trump administra- tion had ordered federal agencies to stop funding certain types of racial sensitivity training in early September. The executive order calls for an end to any training that can “perpetuate[s] racial stereotypes and division and can use subtle coercive pressure to ensure conformity of viewpoint.” It states that “blame-focused diversity training rein- forces biases and decreases opportunities for minorities.” The order continues: “Therefore, it shall be the policy of the United States