In November 2008, I witnessed Barack Obama’s election victory at a U.S. Consulate General event in Guadalajara. What made it memorable was not just the convivial atmosphere but, most of all, the sheer joy on the faces of the Consulate’s Black staffers once the result was official.
Of course, diplomatic personnel are instructed to keep their political leanings private. But this outburst of elation had nothing to do with Democrats or Republicans. It was a spontaneous recognition of a historic moment that impacted them personally and affirmed their place in America’s story — and no senior official stepped in to temper their celebrations and tears.
Fast‑forward to this week, and one wonders how those same Black foreign‑service employees — if they still serve — feel now.
For the first time since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was made a federal holiday by President Reagan, a sitting president did not issue an official proclamation marking the occasion.
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