Johnnie Carson (born April 7, 1943) is a diplomat from the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

who has served as

United States Ambassador Ambassadors of the United States are persons nominated by the president to serve as the country's diplomatic representatives to foreign nations, international organizations, and as ambassadors-at-large. Under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S ...

to several African nations. In 2009 he was nominated to become U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs by President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

. He resigned in 2013 after four years in the role and following the resignation of Secretary of State

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

. He is currently a Senior Advisor at

Albright Stonebridge Group Dentons Global Advisors ASG, formerly Albright Stonebridge Group, is a global business strategy firm based in Washington, D.C., United States. It was created in 2009 through the merger of international consulting firms The Albright Group, found ...

and the

United States Institute of Peace The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is an American federal institution tasked with promoting conflict resolution and prevention worldwide. It provides research, analysis, and training to individuals in diplomacy, mediation, and other pea ...

Background

Carson was born April 7, 1943, in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, Ill. Carson is married, has three children, and resides in Reston, Virginia. He graduated from

Drake University Drake University is a private university in Des Moines, Iowa. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, including professional programs in business, law, and pharmacy. Drake's law school is among the 25 oldest in the United States. His ...

with a B.A. in History and Political Science in 1965 and later obtained a Master of Arts in International Relations from the

School of Oriental and African Studies SOAS University of London (; the School of Oriental and African Studies) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury a ...

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

in 1975.Biography of NIC members
. National Intelligence Council, United States Directorate of National Intelligence. (2008). Retrieved March 21, 2009. ''Note:'' as this text was produced by a federal agency of the United States government, it is considered

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. Portions may be used verbatim in this article''. Before joining the Foreign Service, Carson was a Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania from 1965-1968.

Foreign service career

Carson joined the United States

National Intelligence Council The National Intelligence Council (NIC), established in 1979 and reporting to the Director of National Intelligence, bridges the United States Intelligence Community (IC) with policy makers in the United States. The NIC produces the "Global Tren ...

as National Intelligence Officer for Africa in September 2006 after a 37-year career in Foreign Service. Prior to this appointment, Carson served as the Senior Vice President of the

National Defense University The National Defense University (NDU) is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level education, training, and professional development of national security leaders. As ...

in Washington D.C. (2003–2006). Carson's Foreign Service career includes ambassadorships to

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

(1999–2003),

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...

(1995–1997), and

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...

(1991–1994); and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the

Bureau of African Affairs In the United States government, the Bureau of African Affairs (AF) is part of the U.S. Department of State and is charged with advising the Secretary of State on matters of Sub-Saharan Africa. The bureau was established in 1958. It is headed b ...

(1997–1999). Earlier in his career he had assignments in

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

(1982–1986),

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label= Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalaha ...

(1986–1990),

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

(1975–1978), and

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

(1969–1971). He has also served as desk officer in the Africa section at State's Bureau of Intelligence and Research (1971–1974); Staff Officer for the Secretary of State (1978–1979), and Staff Director for the Africa Subcommittee of the US House of Representatives (1979–1982). Carson is the recipient of several Superior Honor Awards from the Department of State and a Meritorious Service Award from Secretary of State

Madeleine Albright Madeleine Jana Korbel Albright (born Marie Jana Korbelová; May 15, 1937 – March 23, 2022) was an American diplomat and political scientist who served as the 64th United States secretary of state from 1997 to 2001. A member of the Democratic ...

. The

Centers for Disease Control The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgi ...

presented Ambassador Carson its highest award, "Champion of Prevention Award", for his leadership in directing the US Government's HIV/AIDS prevention efforts in Kenya. Upon his departure from the assistant secretaryship, Carson was given accolades from the ambassadors of the ECOWAS countries, who together praised him for extraordinary efforts to bind the United States together with their countries.

Assistant Secretary of State

In March 2009, Carson was nominated to become U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs by President

. In February 2013, Carson said of the Kenyan elections that the US wasn't officially backing any candidate, but "choices have consequences," reportedly contradicting President Obama's office after Obama said the decision was "up to the Kenyan people." In March 2013, it was reported that Carson would be stepping down from his post after serving for four years. In May 2013, Carson joined the

as a senior adviser. Carson also serves on the Board of Directors of the National Democratic Institute. On January 15, 2015, he urged increased engagement with Nigeria for both the US and European partners, to assist in maintaining stability in the light of the upcoming

2015 Nigerian general election General elections were held in Nigeria on 28 and 29 March 2015, the fifth quadrennial election to be held since the end of military rule in 1999. Voters elected the President and members to the House of Representatives and the Senate. The i ...

, security problems in Northeastern Nigeria, and economic concerns regarding rising oil prices.Carson, Johnnie
"Nigeria: Top U.S. Figure Calls for International Action On Nigeria"
AllAfrica.com. Retrieved January 18, 2015

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Carson, Johnnie 1943 births Living people Alumni of SOAS University of London Ambassadors of the United States to Kenya Ambassadors of the United States to Uganda Ambassadors of the United States to Zimbabwe Assistant Secretaries of State for African Affairs African-American diplomats United States Foreign Service personnel 21st-century African-American people 20th-century American diplomats 21st-century American diplomats 20th-century African-American people