Black In America: A Special Report

The Point  Women :
Susan Rice
COMPILED BY KEMBA J. DUNHAM, KATTI GRAY and WENDY L. WILSON

Age: 43
Home base: Washington, D.C.
Position: Obama foreign policy adviser

When Senator Barack Obama decided to run for president, he immediately looked to Rice, a former senior adviser on John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign, to help coordinate his foreign policy. Currently on leave from her position as a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a public policy organization, Rice builds a network of experts to give Obama insight on every aspect of foreign policy and national security. She shares Obama’s passion for ending the war in Iraq and the genocide in Sudan. Her role also involves speaking with voters and the press about his position on issues, such as renewing our commitment to American diplomacy and homeland security. “I sometimes hear older African-American women express concern about the safety of Barack and Michelle,” says Rice, who served as the assistant secretary of state for African affairs under former President Bill Clinton. "But they also readily embrace the point that you can’t let those who would intimidate us succeed."

 

Class Acts | Up-and-coming African-Americans and their working-class neighbors continue to clash. Can we all just get along? read full story »
40 Acres and a Mule | How reparations activist Deadria Farmer-Paellmann turned a one-woman campaign into a triumphant national movement read full story »
Women of War | Four sisters—a worried wife, a deployed soldier, a wounded warrior and a ready recruit—share their war testimonials and explain how it changed their lives for better or worse read full story »
An American Story | CNN's Soledad O'Brien traveled across the country, attending family reunions, visiting barbershops, and even going to prisons to explore the different facets of our lives read full story »
Death Sentence | Since 1980, the suicide rate among young Black men has doubled in poor and affluent homes read full story »
Arrested Development | ESSENCE explores why so many of our young kids are being treated
like criminals read full story »
Political Movers and Shakers | Meet the African-American women who influence and shape the 2008
presidential campaign read full story »
We've Come This Far By Faith | An associate general counsel integrates a southern school in 1965 read full story »
License To Kill | Far too many Black men have become victims of gun violence read full story »
Health Care 101 | Improve your health with these helpful tips read full story »
The History of AIDS | A 25-year timeline of AIDS in our community read full story »
The 2008 Bold & Beautiful | This year's courageous women who are setting historical precedents read full story »
The 2007 Bold & Beautiful | ESSENCE salutes Maya Angelou, Holly Robinson Peete and others read full story »
The 2006 Bold & Beautiful | Meet 25 of the world's most inspiring Black women read full story »
Most Influential African Americans of 2007 | ESSENCE pays homage to our inspiring leaders read full story »
Women of Influence 2007 | Meet 11 women who are revolutionizing the world read full story »
Who Killed King? | A new CNN documentary examines King's final hours read full story »
She Dreamed A World | We say good-bye to Coretta Scott King read full story »
Preserving the Dream | Dr. King's personal papers sell for $32 million read full story »
Dreams of My Father | Bernice King, talks about her father's legacy read full story »
No More Marches | Jill Nelson on why she has hung up her marching shoes read full story »

 

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
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Where is Maggie Williams?
4:30 PM | Salla
Where is Donna Brazille?
11:01 AM | Anonymous
I like Susan Rice and I also like Donna Brazille!1 :)
8:01 PM | Candice
How could you leave out Maggie Williams, Hilary Clinton's campaign manager? She is a Kansas City native who served as Hilary Clinton's Chief of Staff during Bill Clinton's administration.
10:37 AM | Adrianne
Some very important women were missed in the article i.e. Donna Brazile, Superdelegate and and Valerie Jarrett, an Obama top adviser
7:39 AM | Monica
What about Rep.Maxine Waters (California) & Rep.S. Jackson Lee (Texas)?
4:31 PM | Anonymous
i really thank essence for exspessing these issues so the world can hear. i'm from a white community and i don't regret it. cause iam a very diverse person i luv being around all types of people, but it just kills me that the media always tried to make me as an afircan american women look bad and peolple listen and watch and automatically put me in that sterotype i can feel it. not only just me but its hard for african american women to get a job in my community. the males are also targeted as criminals its probably never gonna end but by putting the issues out there like you are things are gonna definitly change thanks:)
3:53 PM | alexis warner
I lived In Missouri Columbia to be exact and Black professionals are few and far and in between here and there is know inspiring places are people to know unless they are white so essence keeps me sane.
1:20 AM | Suzanne Bagby
Keep up the good work sister Rice,victory is sure.
5:47 AM | Arinze Uchechukwu Christian
i love your online version. same quality as your print edition, if not better. thanks for the compilation of african women shapping policy issues in election 2008. i am sure they are many more. its good to see quality africans on both sides.
9:23 PM | tony ubah
Looks like a good line-up of information. Has anyone considerd looking at what's happening in regards to hiring withing the Obama campaign headquarters? The Anchorage office had 32 positions, as far as I know only one black was hired from out of state. When I submitted my resume, the women wouldn't even look at it...she told me I could not get a job there despite my many years of working in politics and political campaigns.

The biggest disappointment was when I complained about unfairing hiring practices, no one from Obama's national headquarters responded. It was like, oh well...we know we have the black vote...we'll let you volunteer all you want but forget about a paid position in the Alaska office. Obama's cool with me, but somebody needs to check his administration. If they're ignoring needs like employment, I don't expect that to change when they move into office.

1:01 PM | Phyllis Morrell
Lord, i love that lovely lady name rice. A strong asset to Obama, wish i had someone like that in my life.
2:20 PM | Anonymous
safety of Barack and Michelle,??? is a serious concern for all of us because the current administration is not above terminating anyone they fell is getting in their way.
2:30 PM | Anonymous
Sister Rice is truly a talent. I enjoy each time I hear her talk. She looks good and gets more attention than E.F. Hutton every time she speaks.
12:48 AM | charlesowens