American diplomat Jean Wilkowski was an American history

 American diplomat Jean Wilkowski was an American history

trailblazer…with a path that included Zambia.  In 1972, she arrived in Zambia – and became the first American woman to serve as an ambassador anywhere in Africa.  During her four years here, she helped organize American musical legend Duke Ellington’s visit to Zambia and negotiated the first Food for Peace agreement, designed to provide food assistance and help grow the Zambian economy.  Ambassador Wilkowski first joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1944, only 22 years after women were first allowed to work for the U.S. State Department. Ambassador Wilkowski rose up the ranks to show the U.S. and the world that women can and should serve alongside men at the highest levels of government. 

#WomensHistoryMonth