The State Department has named a new chief diversity and inclusion officer just months after defending Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s memo that asked staff to avoid sexist terms like “mother” and “workforce.” was appointed.
Blinken announced on Tuesday Zakiyah Kerr Johnson, who worked at the State Department from 2010 to 2017, took on the responsibility of the State Department’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion to “advance our deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.” It is said that he was selected as a person. ) within the department. ”
Tasked with building a “workforce that reflects America,” Johnson replaces Ambassador Gina Abercrombie Winstanley, who served as the State Department’s chief diversity and inclusion officer from April 2021 to June 2023. Become. Connie Meyer briefly served as Acting Chief Diversity and Inclusion Secretary. Inclusion Officer.
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Tuesday that Zakiyah Kerr-Johnson has been selected to lead the State Department’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion. (Getty Images)
“Over the past three years, the State Department has made significant progress in this area, but there is still work to be done,” Blinken said. “We will continue to aggressively pursue this mission because recruiting, developing and promoting the most talented workforce possible is critical to our national security.”
Blinken praised Johnson, saying, “Her work promoting entrepreneurship and access to opportunity for underrepresented people, and her commitment to inclusive leadership will make us stronger.” , made us smarter and more innovative.”
“To create the inclusive work environments needed to continue to attract and retain America’s best talent, all of us at the Department must work to advance DEIA. On behalf of the American people, “When the people making decisions do not reflect the views of the American people, when our nation’s diversity is completely undermined, we are all lost and our national security is weakened,” Blinken said in the announcement. added.
The position of chief diversity and inclusion officer was created by Blinken in 2021, who said at the time that he is “committed to taking the diversity and inclusion efforts already underway at the State Department to the next level.” Ta.
In announcing the role in February 2021, Blinken said the person filling the role would be “accountable to, and report to, senior leadership” for implementing new diversity and inclusion programs.
Since President Biden took office in January 2021, addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has been at the forefront of the administration’s priorities.
Earlier this year, Mr. Blinken sent a memo to State Department officials warning them against using certain gender-specific language.
The position of Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer was created in 2021 by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The memo, titled “Modeling DEIA: Gender Identity Best Practices,” “develops a deeper understanding of gender identity and provides guidance on best practices that support gender identity language and inclusive work environments.” The purpose is to
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Blinken’s Feb. 5 cable, first obtained by National Review, said: “When speaking, avoid using expressions like ‘brave men and women on the front lines.’ Instead, State Department officials were encouraged to “use more specific language, such as ‘brave first responders,’ ‘brave soldiers,’ and ‘brave DS agents.'”
The State Department later defended Blinken’s memo, saying it was a “respectful” thing to do.
“If you look at that memo, it’s standard government to try to encourage people, as I did, to just respect others, use language that is comfortable for others, and speak the way they speak.” “They like to be talked to, and nothing more,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a February press conference.
Miller said that while the memo mentions Blinken’s name, it did not necessarily come directly from the secretary.
“For these types of cables, they all have the secretary’s signature. That’s the department’s standard practice and has been for many years. It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the secretary’s own memo,” he said. said. at that time.
The guidance reportedly includes words such as “human resources,” “all of you,” “ladies and gentlemen,” “mothers/fathers,” “sons/daughters,” “husbands/wives,” and other sexist words that should be avoided. It is said to contain a list of phrases and words. . ” Instead, the memo urges staff to use “workforce,” “all,” “people,” “you,” “parents,” “children,” “spouse,” or “partner.” .
The Telegram also warned employees not to assume someone’s gender based on appearance or name, and to use “gender-neutral language wherever possible” to “show respect and avoid misunderstandings.” Prompts and guidance continued, encouraging employees to include their preferred pronouns in emails and meetings.
The Pride flag is raised at the Tennessee State Capitol on January 22, 2024 in Nashville. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)
The State Department advises the president on foreign policy and is responsible for negotiating agreements with other countries. The memo was released as the United States grapples with the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, as well as the war in Israel, and comes as the U.S. fights against Iran-backed militants following the deaths of three U.S. service members. The announcement was made several days after the launch of the attack.
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Other affiliated institutions Biden administration took office The company has set out comprehensive, gender-neutral language guidelines, some of which were criticized last year by experts who speculated they could violate employees’ rights and lead to dismissals for “misgendering.” It also includes the Department of Health and Human Services’ pronoun guidelines.
FOX News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.
