WITH Barack Obama’s election as the new President of the United States, making history as the country’s first African-American president, doors have been opened for more qualified African-Americans to become more prominent in the political scene.
The Philippines is not one to lag behind in embracing this world-changing development. On Nov. 20, diplomatic sources said the White House has picked career diplomat Harry K. Thomas Jr. as the next ambassador to Manila.
Thomas is set to replace current US Ambassador to Manila Kristie Kenney, who also made history as its first female ambassador. At present, the 52-year-old Thomas is director general of the State Department’s Foreign Service, a post he has held since last year. When he circulated an order requiring diplomats to serve in Iraq, it grabbed headlines all over and drew the ire of the diplomats’ union in Washington and whose members eventually confronted him in late October last year.
An Associated Press dispatch revealed it was quoted that the head of the American Foreign Service Association, John Naland, said that a survey showed only 12 percent of the members of the diplomats’ union believed the Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, also an African-American, was "fighting for them," to which Thomas reportedly stated,"That’s their right, but they’re wrong."
As of 2005, only 6.5 percent of African-Americans compose the US foreign service’s professional staff, just slightly up from 5.4 percent in 1985. On the other hand, women’s progress in the diplomatic service has been greater: from 20 percent of the professional staff in 1985, the male-female ratio 20 years later had narrowed 66 to 34.
A graduate of the Holy Cross and Columbia University, Thomas is a veteran of the diplomatic service, having had experience since 1984. He also served as ambassador to Bangladesh from 2003 to 2005 before becoming the official executive secretary at the Office of the Secretary of State. Thomas, who speaks fluent Spanish, Bangla and Hindi, has also served in New Delhi, Harare, Kaduna and Lima. For his service, he has received several awards from the State Department, including the Arnold Raphel Award for leadership, motivation and mentoring of colleagues.
In an article of the February 2006 issue of State Magazine, Thomas stated that "Assignments and promotions in today’s Department are based on merit. All Americans are welcome to join the Civil Service and Foreign Service. The Department’s leadership is committed to diversity and excellence, but that was not always the case."
No doubt that Obama’s win in the US elections last Nov. 4 will bring in a new dawn as more African-Americans will be recognized and given opportunities to take on vital roles in the government. (AJPress with reports from Philstar.com)
( Published November 21, 2008, Asian Journal Orange County p. A1)
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