Now the State Department is at it as well: “Equity Action Plan: U.S. Department of State” [PDF].
The State Department will engage high-level diplomatic partners and individuals worldwide from underserved racial and ethnic groups and other underserved communities to better assess and embed equity into U.S. foreign policies. Using a three-part strategic framework, the State Department will track progress and work with local stakeholders to reduce barriers hindering racial equity and support for underserved communities. In foreign assistance, the State Department will establish key reporting requirements and equity analysis tools to align priorities and operations around advancing racial equity and supporting underserved communities through international aid. Using these tools, the State Department will work with agency stakeholders to inform data-driven operations and programming that integrate racial equity and support for underserved communities into U.S. foreign assistance.
The State Department will embed intersectional equity principles into diversifying public diplomacy and communications strategies and expand recruitment for programming and exchange opportunities to focus on underserved communities. The State Department will also increase inclusive, equitable messaging to combat disinformation, which can sow discord among communities and undermine democratic norms. Using equity assessment tools to track progress, the State Department will build global support for the advancement of racial equity and support for underserved communities through partnerships and public diplomacy.
In consular services, the State Department will offer U.S. citizenship products with inclusive gender markers as well as reform and reorganize resources to provide more equitable, accessible consular services to U.S. citizens. Using ongoing strategic plans and product management tools, the State Department will monitor the status of updates to citizenship products and dedicate personnel and resources to operationalizing equity and support for underserved communities in consular services.
In procurement, contracting, and grants processes, the State Department will require new reviews under current federal contracting processes to provide greater, more equitable access to underserved and small business partners. The State Department will grow the industrial supply base by incorporating racial equity and support for underserved communities into agency contracting partnerships and the federal marketplace. The State Department will achieve this goal by using a data-informed methodology in concert with market research, internal business scorecards, and consultations with stakeholders.
I’m beginning to get a sense that “underserved” and “disinformation” may be on the conveyor belt to become the Current Thing. The only “stakeholders” I’d like to see are the ones trying to drive stakes through the undead who crank out this gibberish in their Foggy Bottom lairs.
The State Department provided overseas U.S. missions with messaging guidance, original video content, and official statements from State Department’s leadership on the one-year commemoration of George Floyd’s murder, the Tulsa Race Massacre, and Juneteenth.