Intelligence Community joins with Congressional Black Caucus to spotlight diversity
Students, representatives from across the Intelligence Community and a host of others gathered together for the Increasing Diversity in the Intelligence Community Summit and Career Fair at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C., Sept. 15.
The event, which was hosted by Congresswoman Terri Sewell and Congressman Andre Carson, was held in conjunction with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation 46th Annual Legislative Conference.
After a brief video greeting from Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, the event featured a panel discussion with Stephanie O’Sullivan, principal deputy director of national intelligence, John Brennan, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Lt. Gen. Vince Stewart, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and Frank Taylor, under secretary for intelligence and analysis for the Department of Homeland Security.
“Diversity and inclusion are essential to the IC’s mission success… We encourage everyone to apply — there is a place in the IC for all.”
- Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Stephanie O’Sullivan
After the panel discussion, Sewell and Carson moderated a question and answer session with the four distinguished guests.
O’Sullivan had words of advice for those in attendance, which included 50 students from Miles College, a historically black college located in Fairfield, Alabama.
“Don’t be afraid to be different,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to think differently. There’s an amazing range of skills, careers and opportunities within the IC. You can make a difference.”
While the IC consistently ranks among the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government, O’Sullivan believes there is still plenty of work to be done.
That’s because, even though the percentage of minorities in the IC increased from nearly 21 percent in Fiscal Year 2011 to approximately 25 percent in Fiscal Year 2015, the minority makeup of the IC workforce falls short in comparison to the rest of the federal workforce, which is 35 percent.
“We need to reach out and engage institutions and schools and inform them what the IC is and what the IC does. We need to make the Intelligence Community more accessible,” O’Sullivan said.
Before the summit concluded, O’Sullivan had one more message for those in attendance — especially students who might be unsure of what the future holds for them after graduation.
“We need to reach out and engage institutions and schools and inform them what the IC is and what the IC does. We need to make the Intelligence Community more accessible.”
- Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Stephanie O’Sullivan
“Diversity and inclusion are essential to the IC’s mission success,” O’Sullivan said. “We encourage everyone to apply — there is a place in the IC for all.”
Brennan echoed O’Sullivan’s remarks, saying that he doesn’t want everyone in the CIA workforce to “just look like me.”
“We don’t want to suffer from that group think,” said Brennan. “I need to make sure our organization has diversity in it, so that we can cover the world’s problems.”
Earlier this year, Clapper had the opportunity to speak on diversity, a subject he takes very seriously, during the Intelligence Community’s Women’s Summit.
“We’ve found that with almost all the major intelligence failures we’ve had, diversity of thought might have saved us. It’s mission-critical that we create an environment in which everyone thrives.”
- Director of National Intelligence James Clapper
Using the wealth of experience he’s acquired throughout his distinguished career, Clapper spoke about the importance of diversity in the IC, and didn’t mince words when discussing previous shortcomings.
“Over my 53-plus years in the intelligence business, I’ve watched women rise to leadership positions all around me,” he said. “And having women in leadership roles is more critical than people on the outside would think. We’ve found that with almost all the major intelligence failures we’ve had, diversity of thought might have saved us.
“It’s mission-critical that we create an environment in which everyone thrives,” Clapper added.
Diversity isn’t just limited to race or gender. And increasing diversity in the IC isn’t about political correctness or checking a box — it’s about getting the best qualified people into available positions and then, once they’re a part of the workforce, ensuring they’re treated with dignity and respect.
“People in our IC who belong to a minority group, whether that’s because of their national origin, native language, race, color, disability, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, need to feel welcome in our community, and they need to know they shouldn’t hide what makes them unique,” said Clapper during the IC Pride Summit earlier this year.
ODNI hosted an IC Leadership Summit in May 2016 that brought together Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity professionals, as well as members of the IC workforce to discuss how to build an African-American and Hispanic recruitment pipeline within the IC.
“We should represent our nation, and we must empower every member of our workforce, regardless of differences, because those are the right things to do,” he continued. “But we also have a business and mission case for why diversity and inclusion are essential.”
- Director of National Intelligence James Clapper
At that event, DNI Clapper said, “Whenever I have the opportunity, I talk about how diversity and inclusion are more fundamental to the Intelligence Community than to most other professional walks of life,” said Clapper.
“We should represent our nation, and we must empower every member of our workforce, regardless of differences, because those are the right things to do,” he continued. “But we also have a business and mission case for why diversity and inclusion are essential.”
Clapper went on to say the IC won’t reap the benefits of diversity unless “we foster a culture of inclusion.”
“Going public with our demographics is a significant step, but by itself it’s not going to improve minority representation in the Intelligence Community,” he said. “So if you need permission to think big or to think differently, I’m giving it to you right now.”
Four-time Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens once said, “We all have dreams. In order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort.” That quote resonated with Clapper, who closed his May 26,2016, remarks at the IC Leadership Summit by saying:
“There are young men and women out there who will bring those qualities to our IC workforce, if they feel like they have a chance to contribute to our mission. There are IC employees out there who bring those qualities to work every day and wonder, rightly or wrongly, if that’s enough. They need to feel they are valued, and to know that we can’t meet our mission without the unique qualities they bring to our Intelligence Community. We can give that to them.”
Those interested in additional information on careers in the Intelligence Community can utilize the IC job exploration tool or visit the Intelligence Careers website.
