“Harriet Lee Elam-Thomas’s insights and inside stories from the State Department and her postings in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa make it clear that foreign relations is a tough, sensitive, and truly person-to-person undertaking, one that cannot be negotiated in a Twitter feed. This volume is essential for any student of America’s international affairs over the past five decades.”
-Robert L. Dilenschneider – Chairman and Founder of the Dilenschneider Group, Inc., and author of Power and Influence and On Power
“Diversifying Diplomacy, the memoir of Harriet L. Elam-Thomas, is more than just a personal history, more than just a her-story. It is the timely narrative of an African-American woman weaned in black Boston on family pride and ambition, liberated through education, inspired by civil rights battles and mentored to the top by fellow travelers and battle-scarred elders. Hers is a great American story.
It is fact, not fiction. It’s real.”
-Milton Coleman, retired Senior Editor, The Washington Post
“This captivating, inspiring memoir breathes life into the American dream, recounting Elam- Thomas’s exciting, improbable rise through the diplomatic ranks using the arts as a diplomatic tool while proving the value of cultural competency and diversity in U.S. foreign policy.”
-Ambassador Ruth A. Davis (ret.)
“Ambassador Harriet Elam-Thomas, always self-assured and humble, has made a definitive and tangible difference in the world. This thoroughly engaging reading reveals how the convergence of empathy, compassion, persuasion, and Diversifying Diplomacy can make us all contributors to our global story.”
-Carmen J. Smith – Vice President Creative Development & Inclusive Strategies, Walt Disney Imagineering