In a keynote address at the Second Annual Minority Serving Institutions Conference, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged young people from diverse backgrounds to consider careers in diplomacy and foreign policy.
Speaking to a room filled with students from minority-serving colleges and universities, Blinken emphasized the importance of building a State Department that reflects the diversity of the United States.
“The more complex our work becomes, the more vital it is that this department – and the United States Government as a whole – attract a diverse range of thinkers and doers who can help us address these challenges,” Blinken said. “If we’re leaving different experiences, different perspectives, different knowledge sets on the sidelines, we’re actually shortchanging our foreign policy; we’re shortchanging our country.”
Blinken highlighted the wide range of expertise needed at the State Department, from science and public health to emerging technologies. He encouraged the students to consider how their own unique backgrounds and skills could strengthen U.S. diplomacy.
“How can your own experiences, your own skills, your own interests, strengthen the work we do here?” Blinken asked. “How can you help revitalize this institution for the century ahead?”
The Secretary also spoke about the personal fulfillment he has found in public service, noting that every day he gets to “go to work, literally and certainly figuratively, with an American flag behind my back.”
Blinken’s remarks were part of the two-day conference, which featured panel discussions, a career fair, and opportunities for minority students to learn more about diplomatic careers. The event aims to build a pipeline of diverse talent for the State Department and other foreign policy roles.
As Blinken encouraged the students to consider joining the hundreds of new foreign service professionals set to take the oath of office in the coming months, he made clear that the country needs their unique perspectives and skills.
“We need you,” Blinken said. “The institution needs you. The country needs you.”
