TERRANCE TODMAN

Terrance Todman

In 1926, Terrance Todman was born in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Todman was born and raised in a shipping port community that housed many different ethnicities, traditions, and backgrounds. Later on, Todman served in the Japanese military for a few years, and he was shocked by how the Japanese and Americans misunderstood each other. Todman served as a channel between the two sides to correct the misconceptions between them. His determination to unite different cultures compelled him to enter the world of politics. In 1990, Terrance Todman was appointed to be a US ambassador for Spain, Chad, Denmark, Costa-Rica, and other nations.

Although Todman had many accomplishments, he was denied jobs because his accent wasn’t “100 percent American.” Despite this discrimination, Todman persisted, and eventually served in the United Nations Interim Program in India between 1957 and 1960. To educate himself about the cultures of the nations where he was posted, Todman learned various languages such as Arabic, French, Spanish, and Russian. Also, when Spain joined NATO, Todman was the U.S. envoy for the Spanish nation between 1978 and 1983. Todman also was considered as a possible candidate for Ambassador in South Africa.

Over four decades, Todman became one of the most prominent African American men of the foreign service due to his diplomacy. Such impressive achievements by Terrance Todman proved that a strong determination and a glowing passion for the work is critical to both success and change. Overall, despite discrimination, one can always persevere and achieve goals once thought to be unattainable. Terrance Todman was a prime example of this idea.

~Zoe '24, Carlo '23, Aaron '25, Molly '23

Sources:

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/mss/mfdip/2004/2004tod01/2004tod01.pdf  

https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/todman-terence-1926-2014/