List of Black American Ambassadors
Black Ambassadors 1893-Present: A brief overview
Less than 5% of all American Ambassadors in the nation’s diplomatic history, have been Black! This stark disparity underscores both the rarity and the remarkable accomplishments of those Black Americans who broke through barriers to lead U.S. efforts globally. The American Ambassadors Project focuses on telling the stories and educating the public about this small, but mighty group of Black American leaders.
Prior to 1893, leaders of U.S. diplomatic leaders carried various other titles and ranks including Minister or Envoy, with the former being the highest U.S. diplomatic rank prior to 1893. It was only in 1893, when the U.S. first began using the title and rank of Ambassador. President Glover Cleveland was the first to do so, that year when he appointed Thomas Bayard to be U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain.
Since 1893 there have been approximately 3,500 successful ambassadorial appointments, but only 166 of those have been Black Americans (less than 5%). As U.S. Ambassadors, appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as such, these Black American leaders have serves as official representative of the U.S. President in their place of service – whether a foreign nation or an international organization or key foreign affairs issues – and protected the health, welfare, and interests of all Americans under her/his responsibility.
The honor of being the first Black American U.S. Ambassador was bestowed upon Edward R. Dudley, a civil rights attorney and close advisor to future Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall. Dudley was appointed and serve as a U.S. Ambassador to Liberia in 1949.
On this page you will find a complete list of all 166 Black American U.S. Ambassadors, several of whom, would serve multiple ambassadorial postings. The page is constantly being updated.
1940's
1949
Edward R. Dudley (NCA) (Liberia, 1949-1953)
1950's
1950
NONE
1951
NONE
1952
NONE
1953
Jessie D. Locker (NCA) (Liberia, 1953-1955)
1954
NONE
1955
Richard L. Jones (NCA) (Liberia, 1955-1959)
1956
NONE)
1957
NONE
1958
NONE
1959
John H. Morrow (NCA) (Guinea, 1959-1961)
1960's
1960
NONE
1961
Clifton R. Wharton, Sr. (FSO) (Norway, 1961-1964)
Will Mercer Cook (NCA) (Niger, 1961-1964)
1962
NONE
1963
Carl T. Rowan (NCA) (Finland, 1963-1964)
1964
Clinton E. Knox (FSO) (Dahomey, 1964-1969); Dahomey is now known as Benin
Will Mercer Cook (NCA) (Senegal, 1964-1966)
1965
Will Mercer Cook (NCA) (The Gambia, 1965-1966)
Patricia Roberts Harris (NCA) (Luxembourg, 1965-1967)
Hugh H. Smythe (NCA) (Syria, 1965-1967)
Franklin H. Williams (NCA) (Ghana, 1965-1968)
1966
Elliott P. Skinner (NCA) (Upper Volta, 1966-1969); now known as Burkina Faso
1967
Hugh H. Smythe (NCA) (Malta, 1967-1969)
1968
Samuel C. Adams (NCA) (Niger, 1968-1969)
1969
Terence A. Todman (FSO) (Chad, 1969-1972)
Samuel Z. Westerfield (FSO) (Liberia, 1969-1972)
Clinton E. Knox (FSO) (Haiti, 1969-1973)
The 1970's
1970
Jerome H. Holland (NCA) (Sweden, 1970-1972)
Clarence C. Ferguson, Jr. (NCA) (Uganda, 1970-1972)
1971
Charles J. Nelson (NCA) (Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland, 1971-1974)
John E. Reinhardt (FSO) (Nigeria, 1971-1975)
1972
William Beverly Carter (FSO) (Tanzania, 1972-1975)
Terence A. Todman (FSO) (Costa Rica, 1974-1977)
1973
O. Rudolph Aggrey (FSO) (Senegal and The Gambia, 1973-1977)
1974
David B. Bolen (FSO) (Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland, 1974-1976)
Theodore R. Britton, Jr. (NCA) (Barbados and Grenada, 1974-1977)
Terence A. Todman (FSO) (Costa Rica, 1974-1977)
1975
NONE
1976
Ronald D. Palmer (FSO) (Togo, 1976-1978)
William Beverly Carter (FSO) (Liberia, 1976-1979)
Charles A. James (NCA) (Niger, 1976-1979)
1977
Andrew J. Young, Jr. (NCA) (USUN/New York, 1977-1979)
Richard K. Fox, Jr. (FSO) (Trinidad and Tobago, 1977-1979)
Maurice D. Bean (FSO) (Burma, 1977-1979)
Mabel Murphy Smythe (NCA) (Cameroon, 1977-1980)
Wilbert J. LeMelle (NCA) (Kenya & The Seychelles, 1977-1980)
David B. Bolen (FSO) (East Germany, 1977-1980)
William B. Jones (FSO) (Haiti, 1977-1980)
Ulric St. Clair Haynes, Jr. (NCA) (Algeria, 1977-1981)
O. Rudolph Aggrey (FSO) (Romania, 1977-1981)
1978
Terence A. Todman (FSO) (Spain, 1978-1983)
1979
Anne F. Holloway (NCA) (Mali, 1979-1981)
Donald F. McHenry (NCA) (USUN/New York, 1979-1981)
Horace G. Dawson (FSO) (Botswana, 1979-1981)
Mabel Murphy Smythe (NCA) (Equatorial Guinea, 1979-1980)
William Beverly Carter (FSO) (At-Large, Liaison with State & Local Government, 1979-1981)
The 1980's
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1980
Barbara M. Watson (NCA) (Malaysia, 1980-1981)
Walter C. Carrington (NCA) (Senegal, 1980-1981)
1981
Gerald E. Thomas (NCA) (Guyana, 1981-1983)
Ronald D. Palmer (FSO) (Malaysia, 1981-1983)
John A. Burroughs, Jr. (NCA) (Malawi, 1981-1984)
Melvin H. Evans (NCA) (Trinidad and Tobago, 1981-1984)
1982
Howard K. Walker (FSO) (Togo, 1982-1984)
1983
Arthur W. Lewis (FSO) (Sierra Leone, 1983-1986)
George E. Moore (FSO) (Benin, 1983-1986)
Terence A. Todman (FSO) (Denmark, 1983-1989)
Gerald E. Thomas (NCA) (Kenya, 1983-1989)
1985
Edward J. Perkins (FSO) (Liberia, 1985-1986)
Irvin Hicks, Sr. (FSO) (The Seychelles, 1985-1987)
1986
Cynthia Shepard Perry (NCA) (Sierra Leone, 1986-1989)
Edward J. Perkins (FSO) (South Africa, 1986-1989)
Ronald D. Palmer (FSO) (Mauritius, 1986-1989)
1987
NONE
1988
Leonard O. Spearman, Sr. (NCA) (Rwanda, 1988-1990)
George E. Moose (FSO) (Senegal (1988-1991)
John A. Burroughs, Jr. (NCA) (Uganda, 1988-1991)
1989
Ruth V. Washington (NCA) (The Gambia, 1989)
Howard K. Walker (FSO) (Madagascar & The Comoros, 1989-1992)
Johnny Young (FSO) (Sierra Leone, 1989-1992)
Cynthia Shepard Perry (NCA) (Burundi, 1989-1993)
Jewel Stradford Lafontant (NCA) (At Large, U.S. Coordinator for Refugee Affairs, 1989-1993)
Terence A. Todman (FSO) (Argentina, 1989-1993)
The 1990's
1990
Aurelia E. Brazeal (FSO) (Micronesia, 1990-1993)
Arlene Render (FSO) (The Gambia, 1990-1993)
Leonard O. Spearman, Sr. (NCA) (Lesotho, 1990-1993)
J. Steven Rhodes (NCA) (Zimbabwe, 1990)
1991
Charles R. Baquet, III (FSO) (Djibouti, 1991-1993)
Johnnie Carson (FSO) (Uganda, 1991-1994)
1992
Kenton Wesley Keith (FSO) (Qatar, 1992-1995)
Ruth A. Davis (FSO) (Benin, 1992-1995)
Edward J. Perkins (FSO) (USUN/New York, 1992-1993)
Irvin Hicks, Sr. (FSO) (Alternate Representative of the U.S. to the United Nations, with rank of Ambassadors, 1992-1993)
Joseph Monroe Segars (FSO) (Cape Verde, 1992-1996)
1993
Aurelia E. Brazeal (FSO) (Kenya, 1993-1996)
Edward J. Perkin (FSO) (Australia, 1993-1996)
Howard F. Jeter (FSO) (Botswana, 1993-1996)
Leslie M. Alexander (FSO) (Mauritius & The Comoros, 1993-1996)
Walter C. Carrington (NCA) (Nigeria, 1993-1997)
1994
Carl B. Stokes (NCA) (The Seychelles, 1994-1995)
Irvin Hicks, Sr. (FSO) (Ethiopia, 1994-1996)
Jerome Gary Cooper (NCA) (Jamaica (1994-1997)
Johnny Young (FSO) (Togo, 1994-1997)
Sidney Williams (NCA) (Bahamas, 1994-1998)
1995
Johnnie Carson (FSO) (Zimbabwe, 1995-1997)
Mosina H. Jordan (FSO) (Central African Republic, 1995-1997)
Bismark Myrick (FSO) (Lesotho, 1995-1998)
James A. Joseph (NCA) (South Africa, 1995-1999)
1996
John F. Hicks, Sr. (FSO) (Eritrea, 1996-1997)
Leslie M. Alexander (FSO) (Ecuador, 1996-1999)
Arlene Render (FSO) (Zambia, 1996-1999)
Sharon P. Wilkerson (FSO) (Burkina Faso, 1996-1999)
1997
Betty Eileen King (NCA) (UN/ECOSOC, 1997-2001)
George E. Moose (FSO) (UN/Geneva, 1997-2001)
Johnny Young (FSO) (Bahrain, 1997-2001)
1998
Charles R. Stith (NCA) (Tanzania, 1998-2001)
Elizabeth McKune (FSO) (Qatar, 1998-2001)
George M. Staples (FSO) (Rwanda, 1998-2001)
George W. B. Haley (NCA) (The Gambia, 1998-2001)
Robert C. Perry (FSO) (Central African Republic, 1998-2001)
Shirley E. Barnes (FSO) (Madagascar, 1998-2001)
William D. Clarke (FSO) (Eritrea, 1998-2001)
1999
Carol Moseley-Braun (NCA) (New Zealand & Samoa, 1999-2001)
Delano E. Lewis, Sr. (NCA) (South Africa, 1999-2001)
Diane E. Watson (NCA) (Micronesia, 1999-2001)
Gregory L. Johnson (FSO) (Swaziland, 1999-2001)
Bismark Myrick (FSO) (Liberia, 1999-2002)
Harriet L. Elam-Thomas (FSO) (Senegal, 1999-2002)
Sylvia G. Stanfield (FSO) (Brunei Darussalam (1999-2002)
Johnnie Carson (FSO) (Kenya, 1999-2003)
The 2000's
2000
Pamela E. Bridgewater (FSO) (Benin, 2000-2002)
Howard F. Jeter (FSO) (Nigeria, 2000-2003)
Sharon P. Wilkinson (FSO) (Mozambique, 2000-2003)
2001
Mattie R. Sharpless (FSO) (Central African Republic, 2001-2002)
Arlene Render (FSO) (Cote D'Ivoire, 2001-2004)
George M. Staples (FSO) (Cameroon & Equatorial Guinea, 2001-2004)
Francis X. Taylor (NCA) (At-Large, Coordinator of Counter-Terrorism and Director, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, 2001-2004)
Johnny Young (FSO) (Slovenia, 2001-2004)
Wanda L. Nesbitt (FSO) (Madagascar, 2001-2004)
Pierre-Richard Prosper (NCA) (At Large, Office of War Crimes, 2001-2005)
Roy L. Austin (NCA) (Trinidad and Tobago, 2001-2009)
2002
Aurelia E. Brazeal (FSO) (Ethiopia, 2002-2005)
Charles A. Ray (FSO) (Cambodia, 2002-2005)
Gail D. Mathieu (FSO) (Niger, 2002-2005)
Francis X. Taylor (NCA) (Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Diplomatic Security & Director, Office of Foreign Missions, With Rank of Ambassador, 2002-2005)
James I. Gadsden (FSO) (Iceland, 2002-2005)
James D. McGee (FSO) (Swaziland, 2002-2004)
Larry L. Palmer (FSO) (Honduras, 2002-2005)
Robin R. Sanders (FSO) (Congo, 2002-2005)
Joseph Huggins (FSO) (Botswana, 2002-2006)
Richard L. Baltimore (FSO) (Oman, 2002-2006)
2003
Harry K. Thomas, Jr. (FSO) (Bangladesh, 2003-2005)
Roland W. Bullen (FSO) (Guyana, 2003-2006)
2004
Jendayi E. Frazer (NCA) (South Africa, 2004-2005)
Margarita Ragsdale (FSO) (Djibouti, 2004-2006)
James D. McGee (FSO) (Madagascar & The Comoros, 2004-2007)
Joyce A. Barr (FSO) (Namibia, 2004-2007)
June Carter Perry (FSO) (Lesotho, 2004-2007)
2005
Roger D. Pierce (FSO) (Cape Verde, 2005-2007)
Pamela E. Bridgewater (FSO) (Ghana, 2005-2008)
2006
Cindy L. Courville (NCA) (African Union, 2006-2008)
Clyde Bishop (FSO) (Marshall Islands, 2006-2008)
Eric M. Bost (NCA) (South Africa, 2006-2009)
Gayleatha B. Brown (FSO) (Benin, 2006-2009)
Bernadette Allen (FSO) (Niger, 2006-2010)
2007
Barry L. Wells (NCA) (The Gambia, 2007-2009)
James D. McGee (FSO) (Zimbabwe, 2007-2009)
June Carter Perry (FSO) (Sierra Leone, 2007-2009)
Maurice S. Parker (FSO (Swaziland, 2007-2009)
Eunice S. Reddick (FSO) (Gabon & Sao Tome and Principe, 2007-2010)
Gail D. Mathieu (FSO) (Namibia, 2007-2010)
John L. Withers (FSO) (Albania, 2007-2010)
Robin R. Sanders (FSO) (Nigeria, 2007-2010)
Wanda L. Nesbitt (FSO) (Cote d'Ivoire, 2007-2010)
2008
John M. Jones (FSO) (Guyana, 2008-2009)
C. Steven McGann (FSO) (Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu, 2008-2011)
Marcia S. Bernicat (FSO) (Senegal and Guinea Bissau, 2008-2011)
Linda Thomas-Greenfield (FSO) (Liberia, 2008-2012)
2009
Gayleatha Brown (FSO) (Burkina Faso, 2009) [Did not serve under this appointment]
Nicole Avant (NCA) (Bahamas, 2009-2011)
Charles A. Ray (FSO) (Zimbabwe, 2009-2012)
Teddy B. Taylor (FSO) (Papua New Guinea, 2009-2012)
Alfonso Lenhardt (NCA) (Tanzania, 2009-2013)
Michael Battle (NCA) (African Union, 2009-2013)
Ron Kirk (NCA) (U.S. Trade Representative with Rank of Ambassador, 2009-2013)
Susan Rice (NCA) (USUN/New York, 2009-2013)
Bonne D. Jenkins (NCA) (Coordinator for Threat Reduction Programs with Rank of Ambassador, 2009-2017)
Ertharin Cousin (NCA) (USUN/Rome, 2009-2017)
The 2010's
2010
Mary Jo Wills (FSO) (Mauritius & The Seychelles, 2010-2011)
Beatrice Welters (NCA) (Trinidad and Tobago, 2010-2012)
Betty E. King (NCA) (USUN/Geneva, 2010-2013)
Bisa Williams (FSO) (Niger, 2010-2013)
Harry K. Thomas, Jr. (FSO) (Philippines, 2010-2013)
Helen Reed-Rowe (FSO) (Palau, 2010-2013)
Pamela Bridgewater (FSO) (Jamaica, 2010-2013)
Wanda L. Nesbitt (FSO) (Namibia, 2010-2013)
William Kennard (NCA) (European Union, 2010-2013)
2011
Suzan Johnson Cook (NCA) (At-Large, International Religious Freedom, 2011-2013)
Pamela Spratlan (FSO) (Kyrgyzstan, 2011-2014)
Susan Page (NCA) (South Sudan, 2011-2014)
Sue K. Brown (FSO) (Montenegro, 2011-2015)
Adrienne S. O'Neal (FSO) (Cape Verde, 2011-2015)
Frankie A. Reed (FSO) (Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu, 2011-2015)
2012
Makila James (FSO) (Swaziland, 2012-2015)
Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley (FSO) (Malta, 2012-2016)
Larry L. Palmer (FSO) (Barbados , St. Kitts and Nevis, 2012-2016)
2013
Reuben E. Brigety, II (NCA) (African Union, 2013-2015)
Patrick Gaspard (NCA) (South Africa, 2013-2016)
Tulinabo S. Mushingi (FSO) (Burkina Faso, 2013-2016)
2014
Brian Nichols (FSO) (Peru, 2014-2017)
Crystal Nix-Hines (NCA) (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization: UNESCO, 2014-2017)
Daniel Yohannes (NCA) (Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development: OECD, 2014-2017)
Dwight L. Bush (NCA) (Morocco, 2014-2017)
Eunice Reddick (FSO) (Niger, 2014-2017)
Michael Lawson (NCA) (International Civil Aviation Organization, 2014-2017)
Todd Robinson (FSO) (Guatemala, 2014-2017)
Cynthia H. Akuetteh (FSO) (Gabon and Sao Tome & Principe, 2014-2018)
Marcia Bernicat (FSO) (Bangladesh, 2014-2018)
Pamela Spratlen (FSO) (Uzbekistan, 2014-2018)
Robert A. Wood (FSO) (U.S. Rep to the Conference of Disarmament and U.S. Special Representative for the biological and Toxin Weapons Convention Issues with Rank of Ambassador, 2014-2020)
2015
Gentry O. Smith (FSO) (Director of the Office of Foreign Missions with Rank of Ambassador, 2015-2017)
Stafford Fitzgerald Haney (NCA) (Costa Rica, 2015-2017)
Carolyn P. Alsup (FSO) (The Gambia, 2015-2018)
Harry K. Thomas, Jr. (FSO) (Zimbabwe, 2015-2018)
2016
John Estrada (NCA) (Trinidad & Tobago, 2016-2017)
2017
Tulinabo S. Mushingi (FSO) (Senegal & Guinea-Bissau, 201-2021)
2018
Joel E. Danies (FSO) (Gabon and Sao Tome & Principe, 2018-2019)
Brian A. Nichols (FSO) (Zimbabwe, 2018-2021)
Dereck J. Hogan (FSO) (Moldova, 2018-2021)
2019
Natalie E. Brown (FSO) (Uganda, 2019-2023)
The 2020's
2020
NONE
2021
Linda Thomas-Greenfield (FSO) (USUN/New York, 2021-2025)
Michael Battle (NCA) (Tanzania, 2021-2025)
N. Nickolas Perry (NCA) (Jamacia, 2021-2025)
Tulinabo S. Mushingi (FSO) (Angola and Sao Tome & Principe, 2021-2025)
Sharon L. Cromer (FSO) (The Gambia, 2021- Present as of April 2025)
2022
Candace A. Bond (NCA) (Trinidad and Tobago, 2022-2025)
Jessica Davis Ba (FSO) (Cote d’Ivoire, 2022-2025)
John Nkengasong (NCA) (Coordinator of U.S. Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally with Rank of Ambassador-At-Large, 2022-2025)
Reuben E. Brigety, II (NCA) (South Africa, 2022-2025)
Robert A. Wood (FSO) (Alternate Representative of the U.S. for Special Political Affairs in the United Nations, with Rank of Ambassador, 2022-2025)
Timmy T. Davis (FSO) (Qatar, 2022-2025)
Yohannes Abraham (NCA) (Representative of the U.S. to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations: ASEAN, with Rank of Ambassador, 2022-2025)
2023
Evrin J. Massinga (FSO) (Ethiopia, 2023-2025)
Vernelle Trim Fitzpatrick (FSO) (Gabon, 2023-2025)
2024
Arthur W. Brown (FSO) (Ecuador, 2024-Present as of April 2025)