Black Diplomacy

FAIN: TD-250108-16

Women in Film and Video, Inc. (Washington, DC 20036-2506)
Leola Calzolai-Stewart (Project Director: January 2016 to March 2018)

Development of a one-hour documentary about the contributions of African American diplomats during the Cold War.

Requesting development grant for Black Diplomacy, a one-hour documentary, to examine the contributions of African American diplomats during the Cold War period, a time when the issues of race, democracy, and diplomacy converged and the US was faced with the challenge of reconciling its democratic ideals with its social reality. Our three main protagonists: Ambassador Edward R. Dudley, Ambassador Terence Todman, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and Director of the United States Information Agency, Carl T. Rowan, will reveal the successes and failures of black envoys who served in one of the least integrated federal agencies, the Department of State. Their experiences will be viewed through the lens of W.E.B. Du Bois' concept of double consciousness. The film also examines the impact of race on foreign policy, the need for diverse representation of our country overseas, and the trailblazing careers of the diplomats who helped pave the way towards substantive change.