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First-class patriots abroad. Second-class citizens at home. “The American Diplomat” on AMERICAN EXPERIENCE – Aug. 13 at 9 pm


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The American Diplomat on

American Experience

Tuesday, August 13 at 9:00 pm

First-class patriots abroad. Second-class citizens at home.

President John F. Kennedy meets with newly-appointed U.S. Ambassador to Finland, Carl T. Rowan (right). West Wing Colonnade, White House, Washington, D.C. Courtesy of Abbie Rowe. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.
President John F. Kennedy meets with newly-appointed U.S. Ambassador to Finland, Carl T. Rowan (right). West Wing Colonnade, White House, Washington, D.C.
Courtesy of Abbie Rowe. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.

The American Diplomat explores the lives and legacies of three African-American ambassadors — Edward R. Dudley, Terence Todman and Carl Rowan — who pushed past historical and institutional racial barriers to reach high-ranking appointments in the Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations.

At the height of the civil rights movement in the United States, they were asked to represent the best of American ideals abroad while facing discrimination at home. Colloquially referred to as “pale, male, and Yale,” the U.S. State Department fiercely maintained and cultivated the Foreign Service’s elitist character and was one of the last federal agencies to desegregate.

Through rare archival footage, in-depth oral histories, and interviews with family members, colleagues and diplomats, the film paints a portrait of three men who created a lasting impact on the content and character of the Foreign Service and changed American diplomacy forever.