November 14: Birthday of Condoleezza Rice (1954)
Prayer Idea
Pray for Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others who work in the State Department.
History Note
Condoleezza “Condi” Rice was born in 1954 in Birmingham, Alabama. Her father was a minister and teacher. Her mother was a church organist, and her grandmother gave piano lessons. Condi became a talented piano player, too.
Condi grew up in a segregated community, and one of her friends and classmates was killed in the 1963 Birmingham church bombing. Despite the challenges, Rice’s parents inspired her to believe that she could accomplish great things with her life.
Rice earned a doctorate in political science (becoming fluent in Russian) and became a professor at Stanford University. In the administration of Ronald Reagan, she worked as an advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Under George H. W. Bush, she was director of Soviet and East European Affairs on the National Security Council. In the 1990s, Rice returned to Stanford and became provost there.
After working as an advisor on the presidential campaign of George W. Bush, Rice became his National Security Advisor. In 2005 she became Secretary of State. During her tenure, Rice promoted the idea of Transformational Diplomacy. She said:
I would define the objective of transformational diplomacy this way: To work with our many partners around the world to build and sustain democratic, well-governed states that will respond to the needs of their people—and conduct themselves responsibly in the international system . . . Transformational diplomacy is rooted in partnership, not paternalism—in doing things with other people, not for them. We seek to use America’s diplomatic power to help foreign citizens to better their own lives, and to build their own nations, and to transform their own futures.
Since leaving public service, Rice has continued teaching, written books, given lectures, and served as a consultant. In 2022 she also became a part-owner of the Denver Broncos football team.
Because Condoleezza Rice spoke Russian, she could communicate with Russian President Vladimir Putin without a translator. This photo shows a meeting with Putin in Russia in 2006. Photo courtesy the U.S. State Department.
Learn More
In this interview, Condoleezza Rice shares what it was like negotiating directly with Vladimir Putin and reflects on the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
Find more resources at Homeschool History.
