Etiquette, Civil Rights and Diplomacy

The Highway to Diplomacy and Civil Rights — Route 40 played a role in the passage of the Civil Rights Act

Breaches of Diplomatic Etiquette and Protocol Cause of International Crisis

In the segregated State of Maryland, diplomats from newly independent African nations suffered a series of indignities during the 1950s and early 1960s. While traveling through Maryland, on their way from the United Nations to the White House. Newspapers in their respective home countries, railed against American racism whenever a diplomat was ejected from a “whites only” establishment.

The situation became so dire, the State Department was eventually forced to establish an agency just to deal with the discrimination against black diplomats. In an effort to solve the problem, the Kennedy administration argued that ending segregation was vital to winning the Cold War. Many believe this ultimately helped pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia