African Americans in foreign policy facts for kids

African Americans have played a big part in shaping how the United States deals with other countries. This is called foreign policy. These amazing people have worked in important roles in government agencies like the U.S. Department of State (which handles diplomacy), the U.S. Agency for International Development (which helps other countries), and the U.S. Congress (where laws are made).

African Americans have always worked to make sure their concerns were heard in American foreign policy. They used their knowledge of global issues and connected with people of color worldwide. This helped them gain support in their fight for equal rights at home. Whether through community groups, religious organizations, or strong leaders, African Americans have always shared their ideas on how foreign policy should be made. They also helped shape policies about civil and human rights.

The very first African American diplomat was Ebenezer Don Carlos Bassett. He was appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1869 to be the top diplomat in Haiti. From 1869 until the 1930s, the U.S. sent many African American officials to places like Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Many of these officials, like Frederick Douglass and James Weldon Johnson, were also writers. Their work in diplomacy influenced their ideas about race during the Harlem Renaissance. For many years, every ambassador to Haiti was African American until 1912.

In 1924, a new law called the Rogers Act combined different diplomatic services. This allowed James Carter and William Yerby to become the first African Americans in the regular Foreign Service. Later, Clifton Wharton, Sr. became Ambassador to Norway in 1961. After him, it was 20 years before another African American joined the Foreign Service. During this time, the U.S. Agency for International Development also hired many African Americans who became important diplomats.

Not all African American ambassadors and senior diplomats came from the State Department or USAID. The former U.S. Information Agency actively recruited African Americans in the 1950s and 1960s. Many of these officers also reached ambassadorial rank. African Americans have also been key players in international affairs through the United Nations and the U.S. Congress. Recent efforts by Secretaries of State like Madeleine Albright, Colin L. Powell, Condoleezza Rice, and Hillary Clinton have aimed to increase diversity in the State Department. This helps bring more African Americans into the Foreign Service and ensures they serve in many different countries around the world.

Pioneers in the Industry

This section highlights the first African Americans to represent the U.S. government abroad. It also features those who reached the highest levels in U.S. foreign affairs agencies.

First African-American Diplomat Ebenezer Don Carlos Basset was the first African American diplomat. He served as the top diplomat in Haiti from 1869 to 1877.

First African-American Consul On October 29, 1845, William A. Leidesdorff was appointed Vice Consul at Yerba Buena (now San Francisco). He was born in the Danish West Indies (now the U.S. Virgin Islands) in 1810. He became a U.S. citizen in 1834.

First African-American Ambassador Edward R. Dudley was appointed Minister to Liberia in 1948. He was then promoted to Ambassador to Liberia in 1949.

First African-American Woman Ambassador Patricia Roberts Harris was the first African American woman to be an ambassador. She was appointed Ambassador to Luxembourg on June 4, 1965. She served until September 22, 1967.

First African-American Career Ambassador Terence Todman was the first African American to become a Career Ambassador. This is the highest rank in the Foreign Service.

First African-American Woman Career Ambassador Ruth A. Davis was the first African American woman to reach the rank of Career Ambassador. She led important initiatives to increase staffing and prepare the State Department for global challenges.

First African-American Foreign Service Officer Clifton Reginald Wharton Sr. joined the Foreign Service in 1925. He became the first African American Foreign Service Officer to lead a diplomatic mission. He was appointed Minister to Romania in 1958. This made him the first of his race to lead a mission to a European country. He later served as Ambassador to Norway from 1961 to 1964.

First African-American Medical Director Dr. LaRae Washington Kemp was the Assistant Secretary of the Department of State for Health Affairs. She was also the Medical Director for the U.S. State Department and Foreign Service from 1991 to 1994.

First African-American Civil Service Employee to Serve as Ambassador Barry L Wells was the first African American Civil Service employee to become a U.S. Ambassador. He was appointed Ambassador to Gambia in December 2007. Before that, he was the Department's first Chief Diversity Officer.

First African-American Secretary of State Colin Powell was appointed United States Secretary of State by President George W. Bush in January 2001. He was the first African American to hold this top position.

First African-American Woman Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice became the 66th Secretary of State on January 26, 2005. She was the first African American woman to serve as Secretary of State.

First African-American Deputy Secretary of State Clifton R. Wharton, Jr. was the first African American to hold the second-highest position in the State Department. He was Deputy Secretary of State from 1973. He is the son of Ambassador Clifton R. Wharton, Sr.

First African-American Assistant Secretary of State Barbara M. Watson became Administrator of the Bureau of Security and Consular Affairs in 1968. In 1977, she became Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs. She was also the first woman to hold this title. She later served as Ambassador to Malaysia in 1980–81.

First African-American to Represent the United States at the United Nations Edith S. Sampson was appointed by President Harry Truman as a U.S. delegate to the United Nations in August 1950. This made her the first African American to officially represent the U.S. at the UN.

First African-American to Serve as Deputy United States Ambassador to the United Nations James Nabrit Jr. was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. He served as Deputy United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 1965 to 1967. He was the first African American to hold this position.

First African-American President of the United States Barack Obama was the first African American President of the United States. He played a strong role in directing foreign policy. He focused on ending the war in Iraq and addressing global challenges like climate change.

First African-American (and South Asian) Vice-President of the United States Kamala Harris is the first African American and South Asian Vice President of the United States. She is the highest-ranking female elected official in U.S. history.

First African-American Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is a four-star general. He was nominated by President Biden to be the Secretary of Defense. He is the first African American to hold this important role.

Notable Mentions

• John Edward West Thompson was appointed minister resident and consul-general to Haiti in 1885.
• James Milton Turner was chosen by President Grant to be the U.S. minister resident consul general to Liberia from 1871 to 1878. He was a prominent African American politician despite starting as a slave.
• William Frank Powell became the first American appointed as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Haiti in 1897.
• John L. Waller was appointed consul at Tamatave, Madagascar in 1891.
• Frederick Douglass, a famous abolitionist, served as chargé d'affaires at the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in 1899.
• William H. Hunt, William Yerby, and James Carter were among the first African American Foreign Service Officers (FSOs).
• Lester Aglar Walton was called the "Dean of the Diplomatic Corps." He was appointed envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Liberia in 1935.
• John L. Withers Sr. was among the first African Americans to enter the Foreign Service. He worked for USAID in many countries, including Laos, Thailand, and India.
• Aurelia E. Brazeal was the first African American female FSO to rise from entry level to senior ranks. She became Ambassador to Micronesia, Kenya, and Ethiopia.
• Ruth A. Davis was Ambassador to Republic of Benin. She was also the first African American woman to lead the Foreign Service Institute.
• Mercer Cook was the first Black American appointed U.S. Ambassador multiple times (Niger, 1961; Senegal, 1964; The Gambia, 1965).
• Four African Americans, including Terence Todman and Ruth A. Davis, have been promoted to Career Ambassador. This is the highest rank in the Foreign Service.
• Ambassador Alfonso E. Lenhardt became the first African American to serve as an officer of the U.S. Congress. He was the 36th Sergeant-at-Arms of the United States Senate in 2001.
• Ambassador Edward J. Perkins served as U.S. Ambassador to South Africa during the apartheid era.

U.S. Information Agency

This section highlights African American leaders in public diplomacy through the USIA.

Carl Rowan was the USIA Director in 1964. He was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. As director, Rowan became the first African American to hold a seat on the National Security Council. He was the highest-level African American in the U.S. government at that time.

U.S. Agency for International Development

This section highlights African American leaders in international development. USAID helps countries around the world with development and humanitarian aid.

USAID Administrator

• Alonzo Fulgham was the former Acting Administrator of USAID. He was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009.
• Alfonso E. Lenhardt became Acting Administrator of USAID in 2015. He had been appointed Deputy Administrator in 2014.

Agency Counselor

• Aaron Williams served as Director of the Peace Corps. He also held senior positions at USAID, including Agency Counselor.
• Mosina Jordan became Agency Counselor to USAID in 2005. This is the most senior career officer position.

USAID General Counsel

• Wandra G Mitchell was appointed in 1993 as the first African American woman to lead the Office of General Counsel.
• Singleton McCallister was appointed in 1997 as the second African American woman to head the Office of the General Counsel.

Assistant and Deputy Assistant Administrators

• Goler T. Butcher was appointed Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Africa under President Jimmy Carter.
• Samuel Adams served as Assistant Administrator for Africa from 1970 to 1976.
• John Hicks served as Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Africa from 1993 to 1996. He was also U.S. Ambassador to Eritrea.
• Karen D. Turner was the director of the Office of Development Partners at USAID. She reached the highest career Foreign Service level.
• Keith Brown served as USAID's Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for Africa. He also achieved the highest career rank.
• Vivianne Lowery-Derryck was appointed Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Africa in 1998.
• Constance Berry Newman served as Assistant Administrator for Africa of USAID. She later became Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.
• Valerie Dickson-Horton served as Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Africa.
• Clinton White served as the USAID Regional Representative for the East and Southern Caribbean.

USAID Mission Directors

• Dr. Frank Pinder served as USAID/Ghana Mission Director from 1966 to 1971.
• Fermino Spencer served as Mission Director to Zaire from 1972 to 1974.
• Dr. Vernon Johnson served as USAID/Tanzania and USAID/Uganda Mission Director.
• Dr. Carlos Nelson served as USAID/Kenya Mission Director in the mid-1970s.
• Sheldon Cole served as USAID/Malawi Mission Director in 1979.
• Irvin Coker served as USAID/Ghana Mission Director from 1976 to 1980. He later became Mission Director in Uganda.
• Howard Steverson served as USAID/Tanzania Mission Director starting in 1976.
• Hermon Davis served as USAID/Tunisia Mission Director from 1975 to 1977.
• Jay Johnson, a career foreign service officer, served as Mission Director to USAID/Cameroon.
• George Jones served as Mission Director to USAID/Kenya and USAID/Eritrea.
• Myron Golden served as USAID/Senegal and USAID/Burundi Mission Director.
• Julius E. Coles served as USAID/Swaziland and USAID/Senegal Mission Director.
• Lucretia Taylor served as USAID/Tanzania Mission Director.
• Harry Lightfoot was Mission Director to USAID/Benin in 2000.
• Wilbur Thomas served as Mission Director to USAID/Guinea, USAID/Liberia, and USAID/Macedonia.
• Annette Adams served as Mission Director for USAID/Guinea.
• Mark Anthony White serves as the USAID Mission Director to India (2017–2021).
• Art Brown currently serves as the Mission Director for USAID/Zimbabwe.
• Henderson Patrick served as Mission Director to USAID/Senegal.
• Rudolph "Rudy" Thomas serves as the Mission Director to USAID/Madagascar.
• Elzadia Washington served as Mission Director to USAID/Namibia.
• James Watson currently serves as USAID Mission Director to Honduras.
• John Marc Winfield served as USAID Mission Director to Liberia.
• Lisa Washington-Sow served as USAID Representative to Mauritania.
• Lorraine Sherman served as USAID Representative to Niger.
• Lloyd Jackson served as USAID Representative to Djibouti.

U.S. Department of State

This section highlights important African Americans who have represented the U.S. abroad at the highest levels. Many of these leaders have also been Ambassadors.

United States Secretary of State and Agency Leadership As mentioned in the "Pioneers" section, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice were the first two African American Secretaries of State.

• Cheryl D. Mills served as Counselor and Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

United States Under Secretaries of State

• Bonnie Jenkins Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security is an expert on controlling weapons. She currently serves as the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs.

United States Assistant/Deputy Assistant Secretaries of State

• John Reinhardt joined the Foreign Service in 1957. He became ambassador to Nigeria in 1971. He later served as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs.
• Terence Todman served as U.S. Ambassador to many countries. He was Assistant Secretary for Inter-American Affairs in 1977.
• George Edward Moose was appointed Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs in 1992. He also served as Ambassador to Benin and Senegal.
• Howard Franklin Jeter served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from 1997 to 1999.
• Constance Berry Newman served as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.
• Jendayi Frazer became Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs in 2005. She was also the first woman to serve as U.S. Ambassador to South Africa.
• Johnnie Carson is a career diplomat. He was nominated as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs by President Barack Obama in 2009.
• Esther Brimmer was nominated as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs in 2009.
• Joyce A. Barr is the first African American to serve as the Assistant Secretary of State for Administration.
• Susan Page served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. She became the first Ambassador to South Sudan in 2011.
• Cheryl Benton serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs.
• Reuben Brigety served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau for African Affairs.
• Cynthia Akuetteh served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs from 2012 to 2013.
• Raymond Maxwell served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near East Affairs from 2011 to 2012.
• Linda Thomas-Greenfield served as the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from 2013 to 2017.

Ambassadors/Chiefs of Mission

This list shows African American Ambassadors and top diplomats throughout history.

• Edward R. Dudley – U.S. Ambassador to Liberia (1948–1953)
• Jessie D. Locker – U.S. Ambassador to Liberia (1953–1955)
• Richard L. Jones – U.S. Ambassador to Liberia (1955–1959)
• John Howard Morrow – U.S. Ambassador to Guinea (1959–1961)
• Clifton R. Wharton, Sr. – U.S. Ambassador to Norway (1961–1964)
• Mercer Cook – U.S. Ambassador to Niger (1961–1964), and to Senegal and Gambia (1964–1966)
• Carl T. Rowan – U.S. Ambassador to Finland (1963–1964)
• Clinton E. Knox – U.S. Ambassador to Benin (1964–1969), and to Haiti (1969–1973)
• Patricia Roberts Harris – U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg (1965–1967)
• Hugh H. Smythe – U.S. Ambassador to Syria (1965–1967), and to Malta (1967–1969)
• Franklin H. Williams – U.S. Ambassador to Ghana (1965–1968)
• Elliot P. Skinner – U.S. Ambassador to Burkina Faso (1966–1969)
• Samuel C. Adams – U.S. Ambassador to Niger (1968–1969)
• Terence A. Todman – U.S. Ambassador to Chad (1969–1972), to Guinea (1972–1975), to Costa Rica (1974–1977), to Spain (1978–1983), to Denmark (1983–1989), and to Argentina (1989–1993)
• Samuel Z. Westerfield – U.S. Ambassador to Liberia (1969–1972)
• Jerome Heartwell – U.S. Ambassador to Sweden (1970–1972)
• Clarence Clyde Ferguson, Jr. – U.S. Ambassador to Uganda (1970–1972)
• Charles J. Nelson – U.S. Ambassador to Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland (1971–1974)
• John E. Reinhardt – U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria (1971–1975)
• W. Beverly Carter – U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania (1972–1975), to Liberia (1976–1979)
• O. Rudolph Aggrey – U.S. Ambassador to Senegal and The Gambia (1973–1977), to Romania (1977–1981)
• William Bowdoin Jones – Permanent Representative to UNESCO (1973–1977), and to Haiti (1977–1980)
• David B. Bolen – U.S. Ambassador to Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland (1974–1976), and to East Germany (1977–1980)
• Theodore R. Britton, Jr. – U.S. Ambassador to Barbados and Grenada (1975–1977)
• Ronald D. Palmer – U.S. Ambassador to Togo (1976–1978), to Malaysia (1981–1983), and to Mauritius (1986–1989)
• Charles A. James – U.S. Ambassador to Niger (1976–1979)
• Andrew Young – U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (1977–1979)
• Wilbert J. LeMelle – U.S. Ambassador to Kenya and Seychelles (1977–1980)
• Ulrich Haynes – U.S. Ambassador to Algeria (1977–1981)
• Mabel M. Smythe – U.S. Ambassador to Cameroon (1977–1979), and to Equatorial Guinea (1979–1980)
• Richard K. Fox, Jr. – U.S. Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago (1977–1979)
• Maurice D. Bean – U.S. Ambassador to Burma (1977–1979)
• Donald F. McHenry – U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (1979–1981)
• Horace G. Dawson – U.S. Ambassador to Botswana (1979–1982)
• Anne Forrester – U.S. Ambassador to Mali (1979–1981)
• Walter C. Carrington – U.S. Ambassador to Senegal (1980–1981), and to Nigeria (1993–1997)
• Barbara M. Watson – U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia (1980–1981)
• John A. Burroughs, Jr. – U.S. Ambassador to Malawi (1981–1984), and to Uganda (1988–1991)
• Melvin H. Evans – U.S. Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago (1981–1984)
• Gerald E. Thomas – U.S. Ambassador to Guyana (1981–1983), and to Kenya (1983–1989)
• Howard K. Walker – U.S. Ambassador to Togo (1982–1984), to Madagascar and Comoros (1989–1992)
• Arthur W. Lewis – U.S. Ambassador to Sierra Leone (1983)
• George E. Moose – U.S. Ambassador to Benin (1983–1986), to Senegal (1988–1991)
• Edward J. Perkins – U.S. Ambassador to Liberia (1985–1986), to South Africa (1986–1989), to the United Nations (1992–1993), and to Australia (1993–1996)
• Irvin Hicks – U.S. Ambassador to Seychelles (1985–1987), and to Ethiopia (1994–1996)
• Cynthia Shepard Perry – U.S. Ambassador to Sierra Leone (1986–1989), to Burundi (1989–1993)
• Ruth V. Washington – Appointed U.S. Ambassador to the Gambia (1989)
• Johnny Young – U.S. Ambassador to Sierra Leone (1989–1992), to Togo (1994–1997), to Bahrain (1997–2001), and to Slovenia (2001–2004)
• Aurelia Erskine Brazeal – U.S. Ambassador to Micronesia (1990–1993), to Kenya (1993–1996), and to Ethiopia (2002–2005)
• Stephen J. Rhodes – U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe (1990)
• Arlene Render – U.S. Ambassador to the Gambia (1990–1993), to Zambia (1996–1999), and to U.S. Ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire (2001–2004)
• Leonard O. Spearman, Sr. – U.S. Ambassador to Lesotho
• Charles R. Baquet, III – U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti (1991)
• Johnnie Carson – U.S. Ambassador to Uganda (1991–1994), to Zimbabwe (1995–1997), and to Kenya (1999–2003)
• Ruth A. Davis – U.S. Ambassador to Benin (1992–1995)
• Kenton Wesley Keith – U.S. Ambassador to Qatar (1992–1995)
• Joseph Monroe Segars – U.S. Ambassador to Cape Verde (1992–1996)
• Leslie M. Alexander – U.S. Ambassador to Mauritius and Comoros (1993–1996), to Ecuador (1996–1999)
• Howard F. Jeter – U.S. Ambassador to Botswana (1993–1996), and to Nigeria (2000–2003)
• Sidney Williams – U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas (1994–1998)
• Carl B. Stokes – U.S. Ambassador to Seychelles (1994–1995)
• Jerome Gary Cooper – U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica (1994–1997)
• Bismarck Myrick – U.S. Ambassador to Lesotho (1995–1998)
• Mosina H. Jordan – U.S. Ambassador to the Central African Republic (1995–1997)
• James A. Joseph – U.S. Ambassador to South Africa (1995–1999)
• John F. Hicks, Sr. – U.S. Ambassador to Eritrea (1996–1997)
• Sharon P. Wilkinson – U.S. Ambassador to Burkina Faso (1996–1999), and to U.S. Ambassador to Mozambique (2000–2003)
• Shirley E. Barnes – U.S. Ambassador to Madagascar (1998–2001)
• William D. Clarke – U.S. Ambassador to Eritrea (1998–2001)
• George Williford Boyce Haley – U.S. Ambassador to the Gambia (1998–2001)
• Elizabeth McKune – U.S. Ambassador to Qatar (1998–2001)
• Robert C. Perry – U.S. Ambassador to the Central African Republic (1998–2001)
• George McDade Staples – U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda (1998–2001), and to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea (2001–2004)
• Charles R. Stith – U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania (1998–2001)
• Harriet L. Elam-Thomas – U.S. Ambassador to Senegal (1999–2002)
• Gregory L. Johnson – U.S. Ambassador to Swaziland (1999–2001)
• Delano Eugene Lewis – U.S. Ambassador to South Africa (1999–2001)
• Carol Moseley-Braun – U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa (1999–2001)
• Bismarck Myrick – U.S. Ambassador to Liberia (1999–2002)
• Sylvia Gaye Stanfield – U.S. Ambassador to Brunei (1999–2002)
• Diane E. Watson – U.S. Ambassador to Micronesia (1999–2002)
• Pamela E. Bridgewater – U.S. Ambassador to Benin (2000–2002), to Ghana (2005–2008), and to Jamaica (2010)
• Roy L. Austin – U.S. Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago (2001–2009)
• Mattie R. Sharpless – U.S. Ambassador to Central African Republic (2001–2002)
• Wanda L. Nesbitt – U.S. Ambassador to Madagascar (2001–2004), to the Ivory Coast (2007–2010), and Namibia (2010)
• James David McGee – U.S. Ambassador to Swaziland (2002–2004), to Madagascar (2004–2007), and to Zimbabwe (2007–2009)
• Larry L. Palmer – U.S. Ambassador to Honduras (2002–2005), to Barbados (2012)
• Richard Lewis Baltimore – U.S. Ambassador to Oman (2002–2006)
• Joseph Huggins – U.S. Ambassador to Botswana (2002–2005)
• James I. Gadsden – U.S. Ambassador to Iceland (2002–2005)
• Robin Renee Sanders – U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of the Congo (2002–2005) and to Nigeria (2007–2010)
• Charles Aaron Ray – U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia (2002–2005), and to Zimbabwe (2009–2012)
• Gail Denise Mathieu – U.S. Ambassador to Niger (2002–2005) and to Namibia (2007–2010)
• Harry K. Thomas, Jr. – U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh (2003–2005), to the Philippines (2010–2013), and to Zimbabwe (2015)
• Roland W. Bullen – U.S. Ambassador to Guyana (2003)
• Margarita Ragsdale – U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti (2003–2006)
• June Carter Perry – U.S. Ambassador to Lesotho (2004–2007) and to Sierra Leone (2007–2010)
• Joyce A. Barr – U.S. Ambassador to Namibia (2004–2007)
• Jendayi E. Frazer – U.S. Ambassador to South Africa (2004–2005)
• Roger D. Pierce – U.S. Ambassador to Cape Verde (2005–2007)
• Bernadette Allen – U.S. Ambassador to Niger (2006–2010)
• Eric M. Bost – U.S. Ambassador to South Africa (2006–2009)
• Gayleatha B. Brown – U.S. Ambassador to Benin (2006–2009)
• Cindy L. Courville – The first U.S. ambassador to the African Union (2006–2008)
• Clyde Bishop – U.S. Ambassador to the Marshall Islands (2006–2009)
• Maurice S. Parker – U.S. Ambassador to Swaziland (2007–2009)
• John L. Withers – U.S. Ambassador to Albania (2007–2010)
• Eunice S. Reddick – U.S. Ambassador to Gabon (2007–2010), to São Tomé and Príncipe (2008–2010), and to Niger (2014)
• Barry L. Wells – U.S. Ambassador to the Gambia (2007–2010)
• Marcia S. Bernicat – U.S. Ambassador to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau (2008–2011).
• John Melvin Jones – U.S. Ambassador to Guyana (2008–2010)
• Linda Thomas-Greenfield – U.S. Ambassador to Liberia (2008–2012)
• C. Steven McGann – U.S. Ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga, and Nauru (2008–2011)
• Bisa Williams – U.S. Ambassador to Niger (2010–2013)
• Nicole Avant – U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas (2009–2011)
• Alfonso E. Lenhardt – U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania (2009–2013)
• Michael Battle – U.S. Ambassador to the African Union.
• Teddy B. Taylor – U.S. Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu (2009–2012)
• Ertharin Cousin – United States Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture (2009–2012)
• Helen Reed-Rowe – The first U.S. Ambassador to Palau
• Sue K. Brown – U.S. Ambassador to Montenegro (2011–2015)
• Susan D. Page – The U.S. Ambassador to South Sudan
• Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley – U.S. Ambassador to Malta (2012)
• Makila James, U.S. Ambassador to Swaziland (2012–2016)
• Tulinabo S. Mushingi, U.S. Ambassador to Senegal (2017), and U.S. Ambassador to Burkina Faso (2013-2016)
• Patrick Gaspard, U.S. Ambassador to South Africa
• Dwight L. Bush, Sr. – U.S. Ambassador to Morocco (2014)
• Crystal Nix-Hines, U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO (2014)
• Brian A. Nichols, U.S. Ambassador to Peru (2014)
• Daniel Yohannes - U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (2014).
• Pamela L. Spratlen – U.S. Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan (2011–2014), and to Uzbekistan (2014)
• S. Fitzgerald Haney - U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica (2015–2017)
• Dereck Hogan - U.S. Ambassador to Moldova (2018)
• Natalie E. Brown- U.S. Ambassador to Uganda (2019–Present)

Ambassadors at Large

• W. Beverly Carter – Ambassador at Large for Liaison with State and Local Governments (1979–1981)
• Suzan Johnson Cook – United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom (2011–2013)

United Nations

This section highlights African Americans who have made a mark in international organizations, especially the United Nations. Many have held high-level positions as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

• Ralph Bunche was the first African American desk officer in the State Department. He helped create the United Nations and the UN Declaration of Human Rights. In 1950, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in ending the 1948 Arab-Israeli Conflict.
• Edith S. Sampson was the first African American to officially represent the U.S. at the UN. She is mentioned in the pioneers section.
• John Howard Morrow Senior served as a delegate to the United Nations in 1961.
• Andrew Young is an American politician and pastor. He served as United States Ambassador to the United Nations.
• William Bowdoin Jones was appointed U.S. Permanent Representative to UNESCO in 1973.
• Donald McHenry was the United States Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1979 to 1981.
• Edward J. Perkins was appointed U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations in 1992.
• Betty Eileen King served as the U.S. representative to ECOSOC/UN.
• Susan Rice was appointed United States Ambassador to the United Nations in 2009. She also served on the National Security Council.
• Linda Thomas-Greenfield was nominated by President Biden to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to the UN.

U.S. Congress

This section highlights African Americans who have led and influenced foreign policy from Capitol Hill.

• Charles Coles Diggs, Jr. was an African American politician from Michigan. He was an early civil rights leader. He became the first chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. He chaired the Subcommittee on Africa of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in 1969.
• Ronald Vernie "Ron" Dellums served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1971 to 1998. He was a key figure in the anti-apartheid movement. His Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 was passed despite a presidential veto.
• George Thomas "Mickey" Leland was an anti-poverty activist and congressman. He established the congressional select committee on Hunger in 1984. He started programs to help with famine in Ethiopia and Sudan.
• Rep. Donald M. Payne is a member of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs. He has been a leader in efforts to restore democracy and human rights globally.
• Gregory Meeks is the U.S. representative for New York's 6th congressional district. He serves on the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
• Karen Bass is the U.S. representative for California's 33rd congressional district. She serves on the Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee for Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights.
• Frederica Wilson is the U.S. representative for Florida's 17th congressional district. She serves on the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) was founded in 1976. It aims to help the global Black community by developing leaders and shaping policy. While focused on domestic issues, CBCF also works on international concerns. They partner with African nations to address challenges in health, education, and economic empowerment.

Advocacy Groups and NGOs Founded by African Americans

This section highlights non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and advocacy groups started by African Americans that work in international affairs.

TransAfrica Forum This organization was created in 1977 to advocate for African American involvement in foreign policy. It focused on issues like the unjust apartheid system in South Africa. TransAfrica's activism helped end apartheid.

Africa Action This group's roots go back to 1953. It was formed by civil rights activists to support the Defiance Campaign in South Africa. Africa Action works to organize activism for Africa.

The Africa Society The Africa Society was launched in 2002. It aims to educate Americans about the continent of Africa. It offers many educational programs for all ages.

Constituency for Africa CFA was founded in 1990. It works to educate the U.S. public about Africa and U.S. policy there. It also mobilizes support for Africa and promotes cooperation among organizations.

International Foundation for Education Self-Help (IFESH) IFESH was founded in 1981 by Reverend Leon H. Sullivan. Its mission is to help African nations fight poverty, disease, and inequality through self-help programs.

Africare Founded in the early 1970s, Africare is a leader in aid to Africa. It is known for its close partnerships with African people and leaders. Africare is also the oldest and largest African American-led organization in its field.

Opportunities Industrialization Centers International Founded by Reverend Dr. Leon H. Sullivan in 1970, OIC International helps communities worldwide. It works towards self-help and self-reliance. Its network has spread to over twenty countries.

United Negro College Fund Special Programs Corporation, UNCFSP (IIPP) UNCFSP works to connect private industry, government, and talented minority students. It helps minority institutions find opportunities and develop research.

The Links Incorporated Founded in 1946, this is one of the nation's oldest and largest volunteer service organizations. It is made up of women committed to helping African Americans and people of African descent. Their programs include education, health, culture, and youth empowerment.

Leadership Africa Incorporated in 2006, Leadership Africa focuses on challenges faced by African youth. It partners with African organizations to implement youth leadership programs. Their mission is to empower African youth, especially girls.

Adventures in Health, Education and Agriculture in Development (AHEAD) AHEAD addresses healthcare needs in Tanzania and The Gambia. Their programs help Africans become self-sustaining in their healthcare.

The Rainbow PUSH Coalition Founded by Reverend Jesse L. Jackson in 1996, RPC fights for social change. It works to make the American Dream a reality for all citizens. It also advocates for peace and justice worldwide.

Americans, Chinese and Africans Connecting Founded by Sharon T. Freeman, ACAC helps Black and African-owned businesses connect with Chinese firms. It provides business services and information to help them succeed.