Of Elephants and the Sheets That Hide Them

In the first chapter of W.E.B. Du Bois’s Souls of Black Folk, Du Bois investigates the ’Negro’s’ journey to identity, the "longing to attain self-conscious manhood”.

Du Bois begins by stating that race, although always present, it is very rarely discussed, with most whites being either unwilling or uncomfortable with addressing the issue head on. The topic of race and the ‘black problem‘, as Du Bois describes it as, becomes a sort of elephant in the room of the nation, both parties willing to skirt around the matter rather than discuss the obvious. He puts his frustrations towards the willingness of his fellow Americans to throw a sheet over this elephant, putting them in his book for the world to see. This not only puts the timid whites on the spot, but it encourages blacks to discuss they’re feelings toward being labeled as ‘problems’.

Du Bois also addresses the restrictions and limitations placed on the behaviors of his fellow blacks, using his example of exchanging holiday cards with a presumably white girl to explain the boundary line ‘negroes’ face when they interact with Caucasians. Dubois feels that he, as well as fellow blacks, live as strangers in their own households, a metaphor for the United States. He spoke of “this sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity”, and of a two-ness, of striving to be both American and Negro, and often failing at both in their attempts.

Although the negro was granted liberty, citizenship, and suffrage by the amendments proceeding the Civil War, he claims, they had yet to be seen as an individual by white society, having to constantly bear the burdens of the mistakes of their peers, mistakes that often defined the entire race. The best and brightest of the African Americans may have been able to achieve careers as lawyers and doctors, the prize of unquestionable equality and self-identity was still sadly beyond their grasp, and the bitterness that resulted only increased in time. He expresses his own sentiments towards this double edged sword of dual consciousness quite clearly, using imagery, metaphors, and prior life experiences to drive the message home with his audience.

Du Bois addresses the crimes committed against his people with clarity and composure, never letting any traces of bitterness he may have felt bubble over and onto the pages of his book. He keeps his audience in mind, forever careful not to stray too far from one extreme to the next. He confronts the fallacies that have been uttered against his race logically, disputing each and every one to the very best of his ability. Most importantly, he gives a call for the sheet of bigotry and avoidance to be thrust off that elephant, the plight of the Negro race, and for all to acknowledge the strife of his people for what it truly is.

Annotated Bibliography

Crane, L. Eizenstat, S. Gallucci, R. Laingen, B. Matlock, J. Steele, R.
(2003) “Debating U.S. Diplomacy” Retrieved November 2, 2003 from http://www.ciaonet.org.ezproxy2.lib.depaul.edu/olj/ad/ad_v8_3/rxns01.html
This article, much like the title suggests, battles the public view of United States Foreign Service Officers as disloyal to their country fiercely and convincingly. Responding to Newt Gingrich claims of State Department employees’ “deliberate and systematic effort to undermine", the former and current Foreign Service Officers recants each and every accusation made by Gingrich by countering them with their own experiences within the Embassy. They all explain away any negative comments made by Gingrich or any other public official, offering valid explanations of the mistakes and mishaps made by the Department. They express their outrage that such an opinion could be had of such courageous and excellent people, provoking an almost-apology response from the perpetrator himself.
At the same time, most of the respondents also make a pleas to have some serious problems within the Embassy resolved, voicing their concern for certain things alongside praise for their coworkers. The State Department is largely understaffed, and the Foreign Service Officers they do have are overworked to the point of exhaustion. Officers are finding themselves trapped in menial jobs and lower positions for longer stretches of time, unable to advance to influential roles until well into their careers. Administration officials too often take an apathetic and hands off approach to the dealings of foreign policy, often times ignoring the events regions that can be vital to the safety of American citizens, both in the homeland and abroad. Gingrich may have been completely off base and totally out of line when he spouted his accusations, but they did give these men and women the opportunity they needed to publicly address the issues and concerns that had been on the mind of Foreign Service officials for far too long.
Although I can’t say that this article offered me any knew information or useful knowledge that I wasn’t already aware of, it did provide me with a bit of entertainment while I read six senior (citizen) officials lash out at one man. Unfortunately, the diction itself was deadly boring and the passages offered no real insight as to the actual responsibilities and lifestyles of a diplomat, something it could have done well to include.

Eun-Kyung, K. (2001) “Reform Efforts Continue: From Many, One”. Retrieved November 3, 2001 from http://www.ciaonet.org.ezproxy2.lib.depaul.edu/olj/ad/ad_v6_3/edi01.html

This article praises the initiatives carried out by influential Washington politicians such as Colin Powell, as well as the recruitment methods adopted by the State Department and embassy employees alike. It lists, in great detail, the increases and decreases in various ethnicity applicants, citing with great joy the upturn in diversity the career of foreign service has experienced. It urges the embassy to get passed it’s predominately ‘lily-white’ representatives and not only start testing those of diverse racial and social make-ups, but actually start appointing them as junior officers as well. This article informs the reader of the selectiveness of the State Department, stating that only one in every twenty-five applicants actually go on to become junior foreign service officers.

It credits the great increase in interest towards foreign service to a broader outreach of candidates, stating that the recruiters have extended their influence to even those currently employed in the United States military. Many of the statistics given in this article has encouraged me to pursue this occupation, as the growing attempts at diversity may offer me better opportunities to advance in this profession. This article has also helped me better understand the racial and cultural make-up of our foreign service officers, but did little else in the aspect of informing or persuading me to consider this career as an option. It offered no insight as to the responsibilities of a junior or senior foreign service officer, nor did it even touch upon the subject at all. It presented very little information on the processes one must go through to become an FSO, something I feel might have greatly assisted a reader who may have been considering a career in this field. This article also seemed to focus more on the statistical breakthroughs in the embassy than any actual ‘reforms’ that have occurred, making the title seem a bit misleading and disingenuous. It was a very well written article and offered much in terms of facts and numbers, but when one is attempting to better understand a career as a whole, these statistics are rendered irrelevant and nearly useless.

Kralev, N. (2004) “Diplomacy as a Career”. Retrieved November 2, 2004 from http://www.ciaonet.org.ezproxy2.lib.depaul.edu/olj/ad/ad_v9_2/krn08.html

This article certainly stands out among the other foreign service articles, as it offers information seldom seen in other documents of the same nature. Instead of focusing on the joys and benefits in the career of diplomacy, Kraley instead offers the readers a rare
glimpse into the faults and holes in the system of American foreign service. The evaluation and promotional processes of the State Department is faulty and misleading, the possibilities for advancement are incredibly thin and often times long coming, and the people who are advanced at too frequently inexperienced and undeserving. Requirements for advancement are so ambiguous at times that employees of the embassy don’t know what it is exactly they need to do to qualify for a promotion. New comers to the profession are usually disappointed when they find out that they will be influencing the actual policy of the nation very little for much of their careers, and will most likely end of filing papers and doing menial desk work.
The responsibilities of a officer are nothing easy, but there are some up sides to the job. According the this article, the starting salary for an officer now varies between $37,000 to $67,000, up nearly $10,000 from 2000. More interest is being shown in the occupation, with more people than ever applying to enter the world of diplomacy. Minority officials, luckily for me, are also on an upturn, thanks largely to the aggressive recruiting methods of the State Department and Collin Powell, the nation’s first African American Secretary of State. Occupational and educational diversity has long been the pride of America’s foreign service system, as people from all areas of work and walks of life are welcomed into the Embassy.
If nothing else, this article has given me a fair warning of the potential chaos I can be greeted with should I pursue foreign service as a life long career. It has opened my eyes to the flaws and kinks in the system I’d once perceived as faultless, as well as giving me a new perspective on the benefits of this occupation. It has served as an adequate summary of the disappointments and joys of this career, although I do feel that he could have elaborated more on the opinions of the diplomats, as I am eager to hear more about this job from their unique perspective.

Kralev, N. (2004) “Life as a Diplomat”. Retrieved November 2, 2004 from http://www.ciaonet.org.ezproxy2.lib.depaul.edu/olj/ad/ad_v9_2/krn09.html

This article at first seems to offers a more optimistic view of life as a foreign service officer than I would ever expect from Nicholas Kralev, portraying the advantages of being a diplomat by recapping the career of a thirty year veteran of the State Department’s most sought after career, Carol Hazzard. He places quotes and first hand accounts of her experiences in the embassy to emphasize his views, stating that “Foreign Service members are often in the company of kings and queens, presidents and prime ministers, and their positions allow them to meet other famed personalities“. He surprises some with his newfound optimism positivity in matters concerning life as an FSO, but eventually trades in this cheerful description of the job for his signature bluntness in exposing the difficulties of the job.

He quickly recants his earlier allusions of the glamour and glitz of Embassy life, going on to describe how most diplomats end up in dangerous hardship posts in at least one point of their career. Often times, diplomats end up working long hours a week in near impossible conditions, sometimes lacking even clean drinking water and electricity. Constant threats from hostile natives make life as a diplomat even harder, especially in third-world countries such as Haiti and Columbia. Many have reported living their lives in a ‘fish-bowl’, usually only associating with the people they work with (who are usually also their neighbors), and only straying from their communities for work and to purchase essentials.

He explains the negative tolls the constant moving can have on marriages, especially if the spouse has an immobile career such as a architect. Same-sex couple are effected significantly, seeing as how they can not enjoy the same benefits afforded to other married couples in the embassy. Children, he states, are usually the most effected by the diplomatic lifestyle, as the almost never have a say so in where and when they will uproot and move on to the next country.
This, in my opinion, is by far the most useful article I’ve read on being a Foreign Service Officer. Although most of this knowledge was already acquired in my independent research of this field, it provided me with outside information and first hand accounts on what life as a diplomat will actually be like. I don’t think this article was missing much, but it could have elaborated more on the specific duties one would face as an FSO.

Kralev, N. (2004) “The Politics of Diplomacy: Diplomats Fight Their Stuffed-White-Shirt Image “. Retrieved November 2, 2004 from
http://www.ciaonet.org.ezproxy2.lib.depaul.edu/olj/ad/ad_v9_2/krn03.html

When a soldier comes back home after serving their country, they are greeted with the gratified cheers and proud smiles of their fellow citizens. They are revered in today’s society, often providing the face for countless parades and patriotic propaganda, commercials and action figures.

In this article, Nicholas Kralev not only illustrates the duties and sacrifices of our diplomatic brethren, but examines the stark differences between the public view of foreign service officers and other servants of our country, such as the aforementioned soldier, as well. He uses first hand accounts from current diplomats, gathering the opinions from more than 260 Foreign Service Officers at nearly 30 separate embassies. Most of their sentiments echoed that of their coworkers, nearly all of them expressing outrage and indignation at the amount of disdain and under appreciation directed towards their professions. He blasts the stereotypes that many Americans, Washington officials especially, have come to associate with foreign service, highlighting the sacrifices and challenges a diplomat faces each and every time he journeys to the embassy for work. He addresses the notion that many foreign officials are ‘out of touch’ with the needs of our country, refuting them with examples of diplomatic importance in the running of this countries affairs as a whole. Kraley illustrated the public ignorance to the real role of a foreign service officer, causing me to have a little more appreciation and respect for the employees of my future profession.

While his article was no doubt interesting and informative, I couldn’t help but feel there was some areas that were certainly lacking depth, that he’d kind of skimmed over certain subjects. I for one would have loved to learn more about what the diplomats themselves were doing to fight their ‘Stuffed-White-Shirt’ images, as the topic was touched on very briefly and vaguely. The specifics of the duties of an FSO were again treated with relative brevity, mostly informing the readers of the symbolic duty of a diplomat, to represent America and her policies as a whole. While these faults were nothing too severe, it did leave me with a bit more questions than I would have preferred.

Lee, K. (2002) “The 'New' Foreign Service Board of Examiners”. Retrieved November 3, 2002 from http://www.ciaonet.org.ezproxy2.lib.depaul.edu/olj/ad/ad_v7_3/lek01.html

This article may not offer much in terms of explaining the core qualifications needed to become an FSO, but it does offer a unique look into the lives of some of the most hard working and dedicated members of the United States Foreign Service Corp, the Board of Examiners, or BEX. Katherine Lee, the author of this article, provides the reader with a first hand account of the responsibilities and obstacles facing a BEX member daily, all the while intertwining her dry humor and wit into her writing. She uses the benefits and bonuses of the job to attract and persuade her audience to take this particular occupation into consideration, putting up convincing arguments as to why one should pursue this career. She cites the diversity of the workers, the excitement and significance of the work, and the impact one would have on the community as reasons why a FSO should consider switching to a job with the Board of Examiners.

While persuasion and the pursuit of respect are obviously her main reasons for writing this article, she achieves these goals without the all-too-common sugar-laced descriptions of this incredibly stressful job, making sure her readers understand just what exactly she’s advertising. She refers to her job as a BEX member as ’nothing easy’, describing her numerous responsibilities as stringent and unprecedented.

This article has made me reconsider my plans for when I finally leave the embassy for good (I was simply planning on retiring to some tropical island), and has me seriously thinking about taking Ms. Lee’s advice and joining the Board of Examiners. It gave me insight as to what exactly the examiners will be looking for in a potential candidate, information that my prove invaluable when I finally do apply for a junior officer position. I myself was thoroughly impressed with Kathrine’s arguments and her methods of presenting them to her audience, but of course, there is always something lacking in every essay, no matter how well written it may seem. I, along with many other readers, I’m sure, would have appreciated more information on the benefits and the criteria of needed to become a member of the BEX, such as starting salary and recommended years of experience.

Noland, J. (2003) “Defending the Foreign Service”. Retrieved November 2, 2003 from http://www.ciaonet.org.ezproxy2.lib.depaul.edu/olj/ad/ad_v8_2/naj01.html

The main function of this article, as the title suggests, is to defend the often ridiculed and seldom appreciated career of a foreign service officer. It rebukes the notion that our diplomats are soft in the face of terrorism and threats to our nation, refuting this claim with examples of all these people do for this country. It helped me appreciate the stressful job of an FSO that much more, filling me with pride as I read about the sacrifices my fellow citizens and hopefully future coworkers make for us each and every day.

This article also had some negative effects on me, something I’m sure was the opposite of its intentions and purpose for being there. The letter enclosed in the article, especially, had me second guessing my choice of profession. Diplomat take their families to the most dangerous corners of the earth, in some cases to places without adequate health care and education, it states. While I’m sure the purpose of that quote from Powell was to command respect for the diplomats who serve our country and make such huge sacrifices daily on our behalf, it really made me stop and think about what, exactly, it was that I was getting myself into. The blunt facts and realities enclosed in this letter except shattered my previous, and admittedly naïve, preconceptions about the luxuries and comforts in the life of the typical diplomat. It really made me realize that it wasn’t all about traveling the world and ‘vacationing’ in exotic places, but actual commitments and sacrifices would be demanded from me daily. The fact about more United States ambassadors dying in the last half century that generals and admirals was a bit of a wake up call for me as well. I would not be welcomed in certain areas with open arms, simply because I am an American diplomat; I could actually die doing this. It has made me re-examine my motives and willingness to become a foreign service officer, something I am extremely grateful for.

While this article was very eye-opening for me, I was rather put off by the shortness and brevity of it. The letter was basically the only component of this article, and while it was helpful, it left a lot to be wondered about the matter. How, exactly, do our diplomats aggressively approach things that can prove dangerous to our national security? What are some of the ways they make us safer? These are questions I would have liked to have answered.

Schoonover, B. (2001)“The Lexus and the Olive Tree Considered”. Retrieved November 1, 2001 from http://www.ciaonet.org.ezproxy2.lib.depaul.edu/olj/ad/ad_v6_1/scb01.html

This article, or speech as I should say, was created to address the concerns foreign service candidates and potential candidates may face before entering the profession. She handles each and every issue with tact, using example of past Foreign Service Officers and herself to exemplify the benefits of joining the life of a diplomat. She began with her graduate school dreams of becoming an English teacher in a foreign land, and then her subsequent joining the United States Peace Corp. She cites her experiences there and her life as a spouse of a FSO gave her the incentive and skill needed to take up a career with the State Department.
Mrs. Schoonover also goes into great detail about the duties of a Foreign Service Officer, something that has been notably absent in most articles I have read. She explains that a diplomat ’promote ideals, re-enforce positive images of Americans, and push for the betterment of various nations, most notably their own, by the policies they advocate. They are America’s representation abroad, the ideal officer embodying all that is right and good about the United States. They are all presented with a new world view upon venturing into this occupation, most of them becoming more patriotic as time lapses and the distance grows between them and their country.

She explains the requirements in order to succeed in this field, going through the process of becoming a Foreign Service Officer step by step. Passing the written examine, she states, is the first of many hurdles all candidates for this office must jump, and then the oral exam and interview, rigorous physical examination, thourough background check, and finally your first tour as a junior officer. She offers recommendations as to how you would prepare for a careen in the embassy, stating that being well versed in all things American and international is an excellent way to start, and then internships with the State Department if at all possible.
This is by far the most helpful of the ten articles I’ve researched, offering all the advice I craved as well as some information that I couldn’t have gain otherwise. It is truly difficult to find anything at all missing from this extraordinary article, though I do suppose that further information on the social lives of a diplomat would have been nice.