Susan Rice facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Susan Rice
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Official portrait, 2021
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| 22nd Director of the Domestic Policy Council | |
| In office January 20, 2021 – May 26, 2023 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Brooke Rollins (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Neera Tanden |
| 23rd United States National Security Advisor | |
| In office July 1, 2013 – January 20, 2017 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Deputy | Antony Blinken Avril Haines |
| Preceded by | Thomas E. Donilon |
| Succeeded by | Michael Flynn |
| 27th United States Ambassador to the United Nations | |
| In office January 26, 2009 – June 30, 2013 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Deputy | Brooke Anderson Rosemary DiCarlo |
| Preceded by | Zalmay Khalilzad |
| Succeeded by | Samantha Power |
| 12th Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs | |
| In office October 14, 1997 – January 20, 2001 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | George Moose |
| Succeeded by | Walter H. Kansteiner III |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Susan Elizabeth Rice
November 17, 1964 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Ian O. Cameron
(m. 1992) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents | Emmett J. Rice (father) Lois Dickson Rice (mother) |
| Education | Stanford University (BA) New College, Oxford (MPhil, DPhil) |
| Occupation |
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| Signature |  |
Susan Elizabeth Rice (born November 17, 1964) is an American diplomat, policy advisor, and public official. She works with other countries, advises leaders, and holds government jobs. As a member of the Democratic Party, Rice held several important roles.
She was the director of the United States Domestic Policy Council from 2021 to 2023. Before that, she was the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from 2009 to 2013. She also served as the U.S. national security advisor from 2013 to 2017.
Rice was born in Washington, D.C. She studied at Stanford University and New College, Oxford. There, she was a Rhodes Scholar and earned her doctorate degree. She worked for President Bill Clinton on the National Security Council staff from 1993 to 1997. She was also the assistant secretary of state for African affairs from 1997 to 2001. At 32, she was the youngest person to hold such a position. During her time, U.S. policy towards Africa changed a lot. This included supporting democracy and fighting HIV/AIDS.
Rice was an advisor for foreign policy to presidential candidates like Barack Obama. After Obama won in 2008, she became ambassador to the United Nations. The Senate approved her easily in 2009. At the UN, she worked to protect human rights and reduce poverty. She also focused on climate change, LGBT rights, and women's rights. She helped the U.S. join important agreements like the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. She also pushed for strong actions against Iran and North Korea.
In 2013, President Obama named her national security advisor. In this role, she helped with the Iran nuclear deal of 2015. She also worked on the Ebola epidemic and the Paris Agreement on climate change. In 2021, Rice became the director of the Domestic Policy Council in the Biden administration.
Contents
- Early Life and Education
- Early Career
- Clinton Administration (1993–2001)
- Business and Think Tank Activities (2001–2008)
- United States Ambassador to the United Nations (2009–2013)
- United States National Security Advisor (2013–2017)
- Post-Obama Administration (2017–2021)
- Director of Domestic Policy Council (2021–2023)
- Personal Life
- Honors and Awards
- See Also
- Images for kids
Early Life and Education
Rice was born in Washington D.C. Her mother, Lois Rice, was an education policy expert. She helped create the federal Pell Grant system. Her father, Emmett J. Rice, was an economics professor. He was also the second Black governor of the Federal Reserve System.
Her maternal grandparents came from Jamaica to Portland, Maine. Her paternal grandparents were descendants of enslaved Africans from South Carolina. Her parents divorced when she was ten.
Rice was a talented student and athlete. She was president of the student government at National Cathedral School. She was also the top student in her class. She attended Stanford University and earned a history degree in 1986. She also received a National Merit Scholarship.
Rice then went to New College, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. She earned two advanced degrees in International Relations. Her doctoral paper was about peacekeeping efforts in Zimbabwe. It was recognized as the best in international relations in the UK.
Early Career
Rice worked as a foreign policy helper for Michael Dukakis in his 1988 presidential campaign. From 1990 to 1992, she was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. This is a global firm that advises businesses. She worked in their Toronto office.
Clinton Administration (1993–2001)
Rice served in the Clinton administration in several roles. She worked on the National Security Council (NSC) from 1993 to 1997. She focused on international organizations and African affairs. From 1997 to 2001, she was the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. During her time, U.S. policy towards Africa changed a lot. This included passing the African Growth and Opportunity Act. She also supported democratic changes in South Africa and Nigeria. The U.S. also focused more on fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
National Security Council
During the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Rice felt that mistakes were made. She later said that if she faced such a crisis again, she would push for strong action.
Some claims were made that Rice prevented U.S. officials from talking with the Sudanese government in 1997. This was related to information about Osama bin Laden. However, investigations by the Joint Congressional Inquiry into 9/11 and the 9/11 Commission found no proof for these claims.
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright encouraged President Clinton to appoint Rice as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs in 1997.
In 1996, there was a conflict in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Rice is said to have believed that any change was better than the dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.
On July 7, 1998, Rice was part of a U.S. group visiting Nigerian president-elect Basorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola. During this meeting, Abiola sadly passed away from a heart attack.
Rice supported U.S. efforts to achieve peace agreements in Congo and Sierra Leone. She also played a big part in peace talks between Ethiopia and Eritrea. These talks led to the Algiers Agreement in 2000, which ended their conflict. For her work, she received an award from the White House.
Business and Think Tank Activities (2001–2008)
From 2001 to 2002, Rice worked at Intellibridge. From 2002 to 2009, she was a senior expert at the Brookings Institution. There, she studied U.S. foreign policy and global poverty.
Two of her colleagues at Brookings said that Rice was against the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In her book, Rice wrote that she was one of the few experts at Brookings who openly opposed the Iraq War. She believed it was a distraction from fighting Al Qaeda.
During the 2004 presidential campaign, Rice advised John Kerry on foreign policy.
Rice took a break from Brookings to advise Barack Obama in his 2008 presidential campaign. She was one of the first important foreign policy staff members to join Obama's campaign. She criticized Obama's opponent, John McCain, calling his policies "reckless."
United States Ambassador to the United Nations (2009–2013)
On December 1, 2008, President-elect Obama announced that he would nominate Rice to be the United States ambassador to the United Nations. This position was made a cabinet-level role again.
The Senate approved Rice by a voice vote on January 22, 2009. Rice became the second-youngest person and the first Black woman to represent the U.S. at the UN.
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At the United Nations, Rice worked for human rights and against poverty. She made climate change and women's rights global priorities. She also helped the U.S. commit to important agreements. Rice led efforts to advance LGBT rights at the UN. She was also praised for strongly defending Israel at the Security Council. Rice helped the Security Council put strong actions on Iran and North Korea because of their nuclear programs.
United States National Security Advisor (2013–2017)
Rice became the National Security Advisor on July 1, 2013. This job does not need Senate approval. During her time, she supported major U.S. efforts. These included the Iran nuclear deal of 2015 and fighting the Ebola epidemic. She also helped with the reopening to Cuba and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
In 2015, Rice said that the U.S. was working on big goals around the world. She believed U.S. leadership was key to success on issues like Ebola and Iran's nuclear program.
Middle East
Rice spoke out against human rights violations in Egypt. She condemned the August 2013 Rabaa massacre. In this event, Egyptian forces killed many people during protests. Rice led a review of U.S. aid to Egypt. This resulted in stopping military exercises and arms shipments.
Rice was the only one in Obama's team who disagreed with seeking Congress's approval for military strikes in Syria. This was after Syria used chemical weapons in 2013. She argued that the U.S. should act directly. Rice and Secretary of State John Kerry later worked on a diplomatic solution with Russia. This led to an agreement for Syria to destroy its chemical weapons.
In May 2014, Rice visited Israel to discuss nuclear talks with Iran. Rice was criticized by some for increasing tensions between the Obama administration and Israel. However, in July 2014, Rice supported Israel's right to defend itself. In 2015, Rice criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for speaking to Congress about Iran's nuclear program without telling the Obama administration. In 2016, she helped negotiate a new agreement for $38 billion in military aid to Israel. This was the largest aid package in Israel's history.
Africa
Rice supported South Sudanese independence and early U.S. aid. When the South Sudanese Civil War started in 2013, the U.S. continued to support the government. Later, Rice joined calls for an arms ban against South Sudan.
China
In a 2015 speech, Rice talked about the problems of Chinese intelligence operations in the United States. She said it was a big concern for the U.S. economy and national security.
Post-Obama Administration (2017–2021)
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On March 8, 2017, Rice became a visiting research fellow at American University. She planned to work on her next book and help students.
On March 28, 2018, Rice joined the board of directors at Netflix.
Potential Senate Campaign
After Senator Susan Collins voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, Rice thought about running against Collins in 2020. However, in April 2019, she announced she would not run.
Director of Domestic Policy Council (2021–2023)
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In July 2020, it was reported that Rice was being considered to be Joe Biden's running mate for vice president. However, Kamala Harris was chosen instead.
In November 2020, Rice was considered for Secretary of State in the Biden Administration.
Biden chose Rice to lead the Domestic Policy Council. This was a surprise to many because her experience was mostly in foreign policy.
On April 24, 2023, President Biden announced that Rice would leave her position on May 26, 2023. She spoke about her work in domestic and national security policies during her time at the White House.
Personal Life
Rice married Ian Officer Cameron on September 12, 1992. He was an executive producer at ABC News. They met while studying at Stanford. They have two children.
Even though they have the same last name and have held similar jobs, Susan Rice and Condoleezza Rice are not related.
Honors and Awards
Rice was inducted into Stanford's Black Alumni Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2017, the President of France, François Hollande, named Rice a commander of the Legion of Honour. This was for her help in improving relations between France and America.
Foreign Honors
| Country | Date | Decoration | Post-nominal letters |
|---|---|---|---|
 France |
2017 – Present | Commander of the Legion of Honour |
Scholastic Achievements
| Location | Date | School | Degree |
|---|---|---|---|
 California |
1986 | Stanford University | Honors Bachelor of Arts (BA) in History |
 England |
1988 | New College, Oxford | Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in International Relations |
| England |
1990 | New College, Oxford | Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil.) in International Relations |
| Location | Date | School | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| England |
2014 – Present | New College, Oxford | Honorary Fellow |
 District of Columbia |
2017 – Present | The School of International Service at American University | Distinguished Visiting Research Fellow |
 Massachusetts |
2017 – Present | The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University | Senior Fellow |
Honorary Degrees
| Location | Date | School | Degree | Gave Commencement Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Georgia (U.S. state) |
2010 | Spelman College | Doctorate | Yes |
| District of Columbia |
2012 | Howard University | Doctor of Laws (LL.D) | No |
 Maine |
2018 | Bowdoin College | Doctor of Laws (LL.D) | No |
Memberships and Fellowships
| Location | Date | Organisation | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia |
2002 – 2009 | Brookings Institution | Senior Fellow |
See Also
In Spanish: Susan Rice para niños
- List of African-American United States Cabinet members
- List of female United States Cabinet members
Images for kids
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Susan Rice's signature
