We haven’t heard a lot from Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice lately. I guess she is ascribing to the saying “if you can’t say something nice than don’t say anything at all…”  when it comes to the Republican ticket. Anyway, after nearly eight years in the White House this sister is calling things as she sees them.

Yesterday, at a keynote address she delivered at the annual Conference of the White House Initiative on National Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the Secretary of State told the audience there aren’t enough black folks in the Foreign Service. There are days at the State Department where she can go through a whole day of meetings and never see another face that looks like hers. And just like the rest of us she thinks this is unacceptable. 

First of all who knew such an organization existed or that the State Department funded over $5 million in scholarships in grants last year for language training and study abroad among other things. Then I wonder if students at HBCU’s have availed themselves of these opportunities. But back to the matter at hand.

Although she doesn’t always seem like she’s down with us all the time, Rice does make a few salient points from time to time. Even with her pedigree, she knows the importance HBCU’s and is quick to point out that it was where her parents grandparents received their education. And seems genuine in her hope that people that look like us should be involved in the promotion and development of our foreign policies. She fully expects some of us among the 400 new recruits that will be hired within the next year.

Maybe this a career path more of us should consider. Who knows, if we were actually given a voice in the room we might not find ourselves tangled up in senseless wars.