The Foreign Service Journal, November 2021

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2021 23 Honor a Legacy We, the authors, are proud to count our careers as part of the legacy of the late Ambassador Edward Perkins, a legacy that the department honored through a touching memorial ceremony and creation of a departmentwide award this year. [AFSA honored Amb. Perkins with the 2020 award for Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy shortly before his death; see interview in the December 2020 FSJ .] Any success we have achieved in diversifying State is thanks to advocacy and reform that he and a number of his trailblazing generation pursued despite the risks to their careers. When taking stock of DEI, it is tempt- ing to congratulate ourselves on how far we have come. We would like to take his legacy as a challenge to do even more. Diversity, equity and inclusion are not just management principles to deploy to address workforce challenges; they are about people. These values should perme- ate every aspect of our mission, including our outward-facing efforts. Responsibility for the success of this work does not fall squarely on the shoulders of State leadership, especially the newly appointed chief diversity and inclusion officer and her office. Rather, it rests with each and every one of us. We can only succeed as a department if every person is accountable—as individuals, colleagues, supervisors and citizens. If we get this right, it will have an impact on many generations to come. n Speaking Out is the Journal ’s opinion forum, a place for lively discussion of issues affecting the U.S. Foreign Service and American diplomacy. The views expressed are those of the author; their publication here does not imply endorsement by the American Foreign Service Association. Responses are welcome; send them to journal@afsa.org .