Michael Rives joined the Foreign Service in 1950 and served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Brazzaville from 1963 to…
Captive in the Congo
Back to Diplomats and Diplomacy Captive in the Congo: A Consul’s Return to the Heart of Darkness “Hoyt’s book is…
A Trailblazing Visa to Apartheid South Africa
When Ulric Haynes joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1964 as the desk officer for Southwest Africa, the United States…
The Peace After Chaos—Genocide in Burundi
Welcome to Burundi For former United States Ambassador to Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe, Joseph C. Wilson IV, the…
Black and White: A Battle Between Segregation and Independence in Southern Rhodesia
During the Scramble for Africa (a period lasting from 1881 to 1914 that brought colonization of most of Africa by…
Documentaries for Diplomacy: African Cinema in the 1960s
When it comes to determining the world’s greatest films, we may focus on Italian giants of neorealism like Bicycle Thieves…
From Vice-Consul to Ambassador: The Story of William Swing’s Return to South Africa
When William Lacy Swing left Port Elizabeth, South Africa in 1966, he vowed to never return until the end of…
A Whole New World: Life as a New Foreign Service Spouse
Life as a Foreign Service spouse is constantly evolving, particularly for Foreign Service wives. While the State Department is now…
Only the Good Die Young—Attending Bobby Kennedy’s Funeral
Nineteen sixty-eight was one of the most chaotic years in American history. As the unpopular Vietnam War raged on, protests…
An Embassy in Brazzaville During the Time of Independence
Prior to mid-August 1960, the United States had limited diplomatic activity in the French African colonies. However, within a 48-hour…