‘I Was Asked If I Stole My Car’: Black Diplomats Describe Harassment At U.S. Borders

By Jackie Northam

Tianna Spears joined the State Department in 2018, looking forward to the promise of a fulfilling career. She left after less than two years, and is one of a growing number to speak out recently about the special challenges faced by minority foreign service officers.

Former diplomat Tianna Spears says she was pulled aside 20-plus times crossing from Mexico into the U.S. “One time, I was told not to look at the officer in the eyes when I spoke to him,” she says.

(Image credit: Kennedi Carter for NPR)

Source: ‘I Was Asked If I Stole My Car’: Black Diplomats Describe Harassment At U.S. Borders