Ticker Tape

Jet, July 2, 2001 by Simeon Booker

Confidential: As the first Black secretary of state Colin Powell is being watched to see whether he will carry out his promise of increasing the number of Black ambassadors. No Black ambassador has ever served in England's Court of St. James or been assigned to Germany, Japan or France. There's no question about Powell's determination.

One of his first speaking engagements was to a combined array of former Black ambassadors and the current crop of foreign service officers ... Two years ago, Republicans in the Senate opposed Judge Ronnie White for a federal judgeship in Missouri's Eastern District on grounds that he was unfit because he opposed the death penalty. When Sen. Christopher Bond supported U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft's plan to name St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Henry Autrey for the same judgeship, the response was favorable. Judge Autrey has handled several high profile cases and is well respected, according to Sen. Bond ... With the UN conference against racism scheduled for this September in Durban, South Africa, the most explosive issue is reparations for U.S. slavery. Officials have warned that the U.S. certainly will not sign any documents and could unleash reprisals if African nations support U.S. Blacks in the effort. Angle: So far, no Black VIP has signed up as a member for the American delegation at the conference ... Dr. Condoleezza Rice, the president's national security adviser, will make her first speech to the members of the National Press Club on July 12.