The Foreign Service Journal, November 2021

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2021 21 SPEAKING OUT A Paradigm Shift for Diversity BY L I A M I L L ER , ANA ESCROG I MA AND CHR I ST I NA T I LGHMAN Ana Escrogima joined the State Department as a Foreign Service officer in 2003 and is currently the principal officer at U.S. Consulate Montreal. She is the 2020 recipient of the Arnold L. Raphel Memorial Award for her work supporting entry-level officers in diversity and inclusion efforts. Lia Miller joined the State Department as a Foreign Service officer in 2003 and is currently the public affairs officer at U.S. Embassy Yerevan. She is an award-winning freelancer writer and blogger, and a careerlong champion of DEI reform at State. Christina Tilghman joined the State Department as a Foreign Service officer in 2010. She is an ardent DEI advocate and most recently staffed the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer and the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources as an adviser to advance DEI at State. W hen we contributed to the September 2020 FSJ focus on diversity, the State Department was in the midst of an awakening. This included the prolifera- tion of discussion fora and diversity and inclusion councils, the rise in stature of employee affinity groups (EAGs) as partners in departmental efforts, and the doubling in size of the Pickering and Rangel fellowships. In that article, we posed a series of questions to keep ourselves and the institution honest about the efforts it decided to implement in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder. We welcome the adoption of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as a State Department priority, and we urge our colleagues and department leaders to ensure that we do not content ourselves with a rhetorical, formulaic or performative commitment to diversity and inclusion. Following on the heels of the Secretary’s April 2021 remarks, and the appointment of Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley as chief diver- sity and inclusion officer (CDIO), we have an opportunity to make progress. We offer the following ideas for consid- eration and action. Get Comfortable with Discomfort The past year has offered no short- age of incidents that are uncomfortable for us as a department to talk about. We were completely unprepared for the terrifying Capitol riots in January, the discovery of a swastika carved into a State Department elevator, and the disturbing revelation of white national- ist views promoted on social media by department colleagues. State employees have had uneven experiences as posts and offices reacted in sharply divergent ways to these moments, ranging from complete silence to meaningful oppor- tunities to engage and confront these issues with colleagues. The past year demonstrated we cannot wait for these discussions to get easier. We need to normalize and reward leadership practices that foster difficult but necessary conversations about equity in our organizations. When employees are courageous enough to put themselves out there, these dis- cussions should culminate in actions that institutionalize reform efforts and support for DEI. Selection processes for leadership positions should reflect an ability or an interest in guiding teams through such difficult moments to concrete outcomes appropriate to that particular post or office. Attract and Retain Diverse Personnel We are beginning to see an increase in senior appointments of career officers who reflect the diversity of America, mostly accomplished through the political appointment process. This is a start, but we cannot declare victory yet. Strong representation and advancement from within is crucial for the long-term development of the Foreign Service and Civil Service ranks throughout the career pipeline. As the State Department focuses its energy on creating a new midlevel hiring stream, we should develop a baseline understanding of why many diverse officers in the pipeline today are choosing to leave. Affinity groups and