World News
A renamed State Department cafe, a Black diplomat and the India connection
Published
3 years agoon
By
Digital Team
The answer lies in the life and work of Terence A Todman – the first African-American diplomat to have attained the rank of career ambassador in the United States (US).
In 1952, when a 26-year old Todman went to join the State Department after clearing his exam, the department rejected him. Over four decades later, in 1995, in an interview as a part of an oral history project of American diplomacy, Todman recalled the personnel department chief telling him, “You are not the kind of person we can use. We need in the US foreign service people who are 100% identifiable as Americans…your accent is not such that you would be readily and immediately identifiable as American.”
But Todman persisted and made it, for the head of the Office of South Asian Affairs – to which he was assigned – agreed to give him a chance.
Todman became the assistant desk officer for India. A few years later, his first overseas posting was to India as a political and labour affairs officer in the American embassy in New Delhi. He learnt Hindi, met political leaders, kept track of parties, visited Parliament, and perhaps most poignantly for him, served as an escort officer for Martin Luther King Jr King and his wife who visited India in February and March of 1959.
Recounting his impressions of India back then, Todman said, “The tie-in with China and close ties with Moscow…The existence of a real democracy, with people free to say and do what they felt. A country that was determined to have its own place in the world, a place it felt justified by its size and industrial development. A country of greater contrasts than I ever could have imagined…a country of such uneven development…a country with the great obsession against Pakistan…a country of an enormously rich culture.”
When asked if India, at that point, was interested in the racial problems occurring in the US and spoke out, Todman said that the responses varied – some Indians, who had come to US, were keen to identify themselves as Indians so that “they won’t be mistaken” for black Americans; others were “very sympathetic”. “As a policy matter, it wasn’t something they pushed a great deal. Again, because you are looking at reality, what difference would it make to India.”
Crossing the bridge
But before he landed in Delhi, Todman had to cross the bridge from Washington DC to Virginia, to attend introductory courses on India in the Foreign Service Institute. It was 1957. Virginia still had segregation era-laws. The institute itself had a small coffee shop. For lunch, all the white officers went across the street to a regular restaurant. When Todman asked where he could eat, the State Department told him there were no arrangements, “regretted” that they were in Virginia which did not allow Whites and Blacks to eat together, and since it was a privately-run restaurant, the Department could do little.
As Todman recalled, “They said people had gone there before I had, and no one else had complained. I said, that’s fine, they took it, but I am not going to and so we need to work something out.”
Eventually, the State Department leased half the restaurant; a partition was put up, the same kitchen and waiters were used, but half catered to the department and half to private customers. “The State Department recognised that it had to make provisions of an equal nature for all its employees…I was considered a troublemaker but that was all right. It was an important change.”
Sixty-five years after that encounter, on Tuesday, the Harry S Truman cafeteria of the State Department in Washington DC was renamed after Terence Todman. At the renaming ceremony, secretary of state Antony J Blinken acknowledged the department’s dark history.
He pointed out that when Todman was born in 1926, the department was “almost entirely white and male”; two years before that, the chair of the Foreign Service Personnel Board had said that even if Black applicants made it in the written exam, they should be rejected in the oral exam; an internal review in 1949 showed that the few Black diplomats who were in the service spent 92% of their time rotating between three hardship postings (Liberia, Madagascar and Azores). This was the department that Todman joined.
Blinken then spoke about the former ambassador’s India years. “His first posting abroad was to India, where he was initially given the assignments that no one else wanted. One was writing a report on wheat production, in preparation for a visit by a congressional delegation from the Midwest. Terence threw himself into that work. He met with small farmers, with agronomists, with the local businessmen – people he could talk to because he had learned Hindi. The report was so impressive that he was asked to brief the congressmen in person. And the US ambassador at the time, the great Ellsworth Bunker, started taking Terence with him whenever he travelled to the field.”
A White-dominated institution
Even though there has been a remarkable change from Todman’s time, the State Department continues to be a White-dominated institution. According to a testimony of an official of the Government Accountability Office in 2020 to the House of Representatives, between 2002 and 2018, the proportion of racial or ethnic minorities in the State Department’s full-time, permanent, career 22,806-strong workforce increased from 28% to 32% – but the proportion of African-Americans fell from 17% to 15%. Its descriptive analysis found rates of promotion for ethnic or racial minorities to be 16% to 42% lower, depending on rank, than for Whites.
The current administration has recognised it as a challenge. President Joe Biden issued an executive order on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in the federal workforce. “This order establishes that it is the policy of my administration to cultivate a workforce that draws from the full diversity of the nation.”
In April, the State Department appointed a former ambassador, Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley as its chief diversity and inclusion officer – she led the effort to rename the department café. And at the renaming ceremony, she announced that advancing diversity would be a metric for performance evaluation, and be formally tied to career advancement, and said, “To honour Ambassador Todman’s legacy and the other good troublemakers who came before me, I am committed to making trouble by taking action to further advance diversity and inclusion.”
Todman died in 2014. But almost a century after he was born in Virgin Islands, through his battles in Washington DC and Virginia due to his racial identity, and diplomatic work in India and other posts over a four-decade long professional career, his legacy as America’s pioneering Black diplomat is now etched in the same department that did not want to take him in.
Complete News Source : Hindustan Times
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Hollywood
Stranded in Israel amid airstrikes, Caitlyn Jenner sips wine in bomb shelter and says, ‘Pray for us’
Published
2 weeks agoon
June 14, 2025By
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The world watched in disbelief as Caitlyn Jenner, the Olympic champion turned global media personality, appeared on social media from a bomb shelter in Israel. Clutching a glass of wine, her video was both surreal and deeply human, capturing a strange blend of calmness and fear as airstrikes echoed above.
Jenner had traveled to Israel for a speaking engagement and wellness summit. The trip, meant to focus on self-discovery and global connection, took an unexpected turn as tensions in the region escalated. Within hours of her arrival in Tel Aviv, the air raid sirens began blaring. Israeli cities braced for potential attacks, and all foreign visitors were advised to seek shelter.
She was rushed by her team to a fortified bomb shelter inside her hotel, a space where several other international guests also gathered. The cemented underground room had minimal lighting, emergency supplies, and a haunting silence broken only by the distant thuds of intercepted rockets.
In that moment, Caitlyn chose to document the situation—not to sensationalize it, but to remind the world that even celebrities are not immune to war. She raised her glass of Merlot and softly said to the camera, “We’re okay, for now. But pray for us. This is very real.”
The video instantly went viral. The internet reacted with a mix of empathy, disbelief, and critique. Some applauded her for staying composed and using her platform to raise awareness. Others questioned the optics—wine in a war zone, they argued, might seem out of touch. But most agreed on one thing: this wasn’t a publicity stunt. It was a raw moment of a person caught off guard by war.
Outside, the Iron Dome system of Israel roared to life, intercepting rockets mid-air. The bomb shelter would shake slightly each time a missile was taken down. Caitlyn later shared how that sound felt—“like thunder wrapped in relief.”
Her family in the U.S., including daughters Kendall and Kylie Jenner, shared their support on social media, asking fans to pray not just for Caitlyn but for all those affected by the conflict. Kris Jenner reportedly stayed in constant contact with Israeli officials and the U.S. embassy to ensure her daughter’s safety.
What made this event even more gripping was Caitlyn’s tone throughout her updates. She wasn’t panicked. She was composed. Even as distant blasts echoed through the concrete walls, she smiled gently and whispered, “We have to believe peace will come.”
Celebrities like Gal Gadot, who served in the Israeli military, showed support and emphasized how civilians on both sides are the ones who suffer most. Public figures including politicians, diplomats, and human rights activists weighed in, turning Caitlyn’s clip into a symbol of global vulnerability.
Back in the U.S., late-night hosts and news commentators debated the moment. Was it a modern-day war diary? Was it tone-deaf privilege? Or was it simply human—a celebrity stripped of luxury, facing a fear no fame could shield her from?
Amid the criticism, one thing was clear: Caitlyn’s update gave millions a personal look into what it’s like to be stuck in the crossfire of geopolitical chaos. Her message was universal—war is real, and no one is truly safe.
She later thanked Israeli defense personnel for their swift actions and praised the people she was sheltered with for their kindness. “There was no panic. Just humanity,” she wrote in another post.
As things began to settle, Caitlyn was finally escorted to Ben Gurion Airport under tight security. She flew back to Los Angeles and appeared on major media outlets to discuss her harrowing experience.
During a heartfelt interview, she said, “This isn’t about politics. This is about people. The children I saw in shelters. The elderly woman holding my hand. The hope in the eyes of the hotel staff, despite the fear. It changes you.”
In a time when conflict often feels distant or abstract, Caitlyn Jenner’s first-hand account pierced through the noise. It reminded the world that bombs don’t differentiate between the famous and the forgotten.
Her final message from the airport lounge, before leaving Israeli soil, was simple: “I’ll carry these memories forever. Pray for the region. Pray for peace. We all deserve it.”
Despite her celebrity status, Caitlyn found herself reduced to the same level of vulnerability as everyone else in that shelter. The walls that separated the public from the private life of a global icon came crashing down, both literally and symbolically.
At one point during the shelter-in-place order, someone recognized her and gently approached, not for a selfie, but simply to ask, “Is this your first time in Israel?” Caitlyn smiled and nodded. The conversation turned from fame to fear, and from politics to prayer.
She later said it was one of the most authentic conversations she’d had in years—no red carpet, no cameras, just two people sharing a moment in crisis.
The emotional toll of the night would weigh on her. In her reflection shared the next day, Caitlyn wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “When you hear bombs falling and realize no amount of wealth can protect you from it—only faith, and the people beside you, matter.”
As missiles were intercepted above ground, the shelter saw shared snacks, whispered reassurances, and even quiet laughter. One Israeli teenager started playing soft music from their phone—Caitlyn remembered the melody was “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. It brought some in the room to tears.
The glass of wine she held was not about luxury—it became a symbol. “It was a reminder that life continues, even under threat. We hold on to small rituals to feel human,” she explained later.
Media coverage around the world exploded. Her moment, intended to show resilience, was misinterpreted by some as performative. However, defenders of Jenner pointed out that she never intended it to be a political statement—it was an unfiltered human response to a terrifying situation.
Israeli news networks featured her brief clips, and Hebrew-language newspapers highlighted her gratitude toward the IDF and the civilians she met. Some Israeli citizens thanked her for not fleeing immediately like many foreign visitors had.
Caitlyn’s perspective gave international audiences a glimpse into daily life in conflict zones—where war isn’t just explosions, but the long silences in between, filled with fear, hope, and quiet strength.
Her celebrity status amplified the story, but the emotions she captured resonated with anyone who has ever faced uncertainty. Parents hiding with their children. Travelers stuck abroad. Locals adjusting to fear as a way of life.
Back home, her updates sparked broader conversations about how the media portrays war—often through filtered lenses. But in Caitlyn’s case, it was raw, unpolished, and emotionally honest.
The experience transformed her. She later expressed that despite the horror, she felt deeply connected to those around her. “You learn more about yourself in a bomb shelter than at a luxury spa,” she quipped with characteristic humor.
She also pledged to raise awareness for organizations helping displaced families and war-affected children in both Israel and Gaza. “No child should hear what I heard that night. Or live in shelters like that for weeks,” she said.
Though she was safely home days later, the psychological aftershocks lingered. She admitted she now jumps at sudden loud noises and finds herself thinking about those who remain in conflict zones, day after day.
Her story drew attention not just because it involved a public figure, but because it transcended fame. It was a portrait of shared humanity in crisis.
Global news agencies continued to dissect the moment for days. Some called it “a turning point in how we perceive war.” Others debated whether the wine glass dulled the seriousness of the situation or emphasized the absurdity of war.
In her final Instagram post from that trip, she included a picture of the bunker wall—where someone had drawn a peace sign using lipstick. The caption read simply: “Hope never hides.”
As the media attention faded, Caitlyn returned to her advocacy work and television appearances. But she continued to speak in private events and podcasts about the need to support civilians in conflict zones—not just with policy, but with empathy.
She’s now reportedly working on a short documentary that will feature her footage and interviews with the people she met during the ordeal. Proceeds are expected to go to humanitarian aid.
From fame to fear, from red carpets to concrete shelters, Caitlyn Jenner’s experience in Israel reminded the world that war respects no boundaries—but neither does compassion.
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