 Hello everyone. I'm delighted to welcome you to this year's HPCU foreign policy conference. This is the 13th year the State Department has held this conference. We're thrilled you're all joining us because the United States needs talented, driven, dynamic young people to be part of our foreign policy and national security workforce. And that's where you come in. Historically, black colleges and universities have been raising up generations of American leaders for nearly two centuries. Some of our country's greatest leaders and thinkers are graduates of HPCUs and some of our greatest diplomats too, including Archibald Grimke, a Lincoln University graduate and American counsel to the Dominican Republic, James Weldon Johnson, a Clark Atlanta University alum, and counsel to Venezuela and Nicaragua, Patricia Roberts Harris, a Howard University grad, and the first black woman to represent the United States abroad as ambassador, and Ruth Davis, who graduated from Spelman College and was the first black woman to achieve the rank of career ambassador. They and many other HPCU graduates through the years have done extraordinary work to forge partnerships with other countries, to avert conflicts, to solve crises, to defend human rights, to foster cultural exchanges that have brought the world closer together. All of that and more is the work of diplomacy. It's an incredible field and you don't need a degree in international relations to make it your career. The State Department includes engineers and scientists, public health experts and social workers, teachers and artists. They all contribute to our mission of representing the United States around the world and delivering results that make life better for the American people. And we have strong relationships with HPCUs because they're producing America's future leaders and doers and we want them to come join us. Plus diversity makes team stronger and for the State Department it's mission critical. We represent the United States of America. We need a workforce that reflects who we are in full. That's why we've been working hard to make sure that the State Department is a place where people of all backgrounds, races, ethnicities, genders, religions and nations of origin are able to contribute and to lead. This is a major priority for us and we're carrying it across our workplace from recruiting and hiring to promotion and advancement to building a culture of inclusion and respect. Today and tomorrow you'll learn more about the day-to-day work of diplomacy. You'll see how we grapple every day with big questions like how to best support democracy around the world, how to protect the planet for our kids and grandkids, how to settle disputes peacefully and use our power responsibly, how to build a global economy that delivers for workers and creates opportunities for people everywhere at every income level and how to bring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic and make sure the world is better prepared for the next one. Maybe these are issues that seize your attention and imagination. They'll certainly shape our lives and futures and they're at the heart of our foreign policy. I hope you'll make the most of these next two days to learn more about this vital field and about what it's like to work at the State Department. We're here to answer all your questions so don't hold back and I hope you'll give serious thought to the contributions you could make to American diplomacy because what we do at the State Department goes to the heart of who we are as a country. Foreign policy is about the values we think are worth defending and the world and future we want to help build. One way or another that's something you should be a part of. Have a great conference everybody. Thank you Secretary Blinken for your opening remarks and hello to everyone. Also a big thank you to my colleagues in the Bureau of Global Public Affairs here at the State Department who have worked tirelessly in the face of COVID to make sure that this year's HBCU foreign policy conference is as dynamic and fruitful as it has been for the last 13 years that we've done this. It is a real honor to welcome you all here today to have the opportunity to address so many of our nation's best and brightest on a topic that requires nothing less than our best and brightest. Foreign policy is a challenging, ever-evolving field and it has an impact on each of us in our increasingly globalized and connected world. Foreign policy decisions made here in DC and in other capitals around the world affect our everyday lives and the lives of our families even if we don't always recognize those impacts. So besides the obvious matters of our security and our prosperity, foreign policy also affects the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the car we drive, and even the fuel we put in those cars. Since foreign policy is so fundamental to our everyday lives we must ensure that those making foreign policy decisions are both capable and reflective of the lives of everyone in the United States and that's where you come in. You and I both know well HBCU's record of producing many of our nation's top professionals and leaders. I was lucky to have worked for one of them when I was communications director to now vice president Kamala Harris on last year's presidential campaign. The contribution that HBCUs have had on our society is undeniable and we're eager to continue to bring that contribution here to the State Department and to our country's foreign policy interests. This conference has and will continue to serve as a vehicle for you all to connect with the Department of State and for us to connect with you. It is my hope that the partnership between our institutions grows stronger and ultimately that more of you will pursue a career at the Department of State whether here in Washington DC or at one of our 163 embassies across the world and so you can become the next generation of diplomats and global leaders. Whether you come to work with us or not though the Department of State is committed to engaging with you. The Biden-Harris administration appointed me as the assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Global Public Affairs which is dedicated to communicating storytelling and explaining our foreign policy to people. We're charged with informing diverse communities around our nation and around the world about U.S. foreign policy, democratic norms and values, and how the U.S. government is working on behalf of the American people. Our work in my Bureau covers press relations, digital content and web platforms, research and analytics, and media and public engagement, also social media strategy. So coming out of today please follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and even Snapchat that we recently got back on. Through our ongoing efforts and initiatives to do this type of outreach we seek to engage HBCUs on diplomacy and foreign policy whenever and wherever possible through several collaborative efforts that I want to take through quickly today. First we are doing targeted outreach to HBCUs. That's why you're all here today and we're so glad that you are. For example through our hometown diplomats program foreign service officers and civil servants who are HBCU alumni return to their alma maters to discuss their career and their work overseas. We want to give everybody sitting at campuses across the country a flavor of what it's like to work for the State Department and no better way to do that than firsthand. Those conversations are key for helping people connect the dots on why foreign policy should matter to the American people. And although I'm not an HBCU alumni myself I've been very privileged to visit many of your campuses during my time in politics and public service from fam you to Howard and I hope there are many more visits in my future just as I hope we get to hear from you. Second we are highlighting HBCU alumni who work for the State Department through our hashtag HBCUs at State Blog Series. Through these blogs US diplomats who graduated from HBCUs share their rich experiences working overseas to advance US foreign policy. They do so while connecting their on-campus experiences to their careers within the department. I encourage you all to read the latest hashtag HBCUs at State Blogs. They are truly inspiring and give you a firsthand look into what it's like to work at the State Department. Lastly a key component of our engagement with HBCUs is creating opportunities where we can listen to you, where we can hear from you and where we can learn from you. Diplomats often deliver speeches and other prepared remarks. It's part of the job description. It's important for us to share foreign policy and world views with audiences around the world. But what is also important and what often makes us the most effective is our ability to listen. So please remember that our hope for this conference is that it be a dialogue. I encourage you all to participate. We want to hear from you. We want it to be a chance for us to learn and grow from each other. We want to hear your ideas, your concerns and your critiques. With that I hope you all enjoy today and tomorrow's programming and that it strengthens your interest in and broadens your understanding of US foreign policy. I also hope that many of you will leave curious about a career in the Foreign Service or the Civil Service and look to learn more about opportunities at the Department of State. We want to make sure that our department reflects the best of our country and all of its diversity and all of its strengths. Our foreign policy and the ranks of the State Department will be enriched by the unique experiences and perspectives of HBCU students. Thank you all for your time today and I look forward to continuing this conversation.