Advancing Diversity in National Security

Join us in-person at Princeton University for a fireside chat with Jalina Porter, former U.S. State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson, who will discuss the importance of advancing policies and practices that enable a more diverse and inclusive U.S. national security workforce and foreign policy establishment.

The benefits of a diverse workforce are well-documented, with research showing diverse teams are more creative, innovative, and better at problem-solving than homogeneous ones. But diversity is especially important when it comes to US national security and foreign policy, for which cultural competency and credibility both at home and abroad are essential. Yet, national security agencies and the State Department have long struggled to recruit and retain diverse workforces. From 2002 to 2018, the percentage of African Americans in the senior ranks of the Foreign Service fell from 7% to 3%. Upon taking office in 2021, President Joe Biden vowed to diversify America’s foreign policy and national security establishments, but challenges persist.

Porter is an American political advisor who served as the U.S. State Department’s Principal Deputy Spokesperson from January 2021 to June 2022. A seasoned communications professional, Ms. Porter previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives as Communications Director for former Congressman Cedric Richmond of Louisiana. She is a recipient of the prestigious Franklin H. Williams Award from Peace Corps headquarters for her lifetime commitment to public service and humanitarian work, and in 2021 she was honored on The Root 100 list as one of the top 100 most influential African-Americans.

Speaker:

• Jalina Porter, former U.S. State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson

Moderator:

• Amaney Jamal, Dean School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University