Ralph Bunche

Activist, International statesman, reluctant black leader, scholar, and Icon, Ralph Bunche is one of the most fascinating figures in twentieth-century America. Bunche played a key role in international relations from the 1940s through the 1960s, first in the Office of Strategic Services and then as part of the State Department group working to establish the United Nations. Becoming the first black Nobel Laureate in 1950, he was subsequently named Undersecretary of the U.N. Charles Henry's penetrating biography restores Bunche to his rightful place in American history by illuminating Bunche's lasting service and his constant struggle over the relative importance of his racial and national identity. Bunche's Iconic status, like that of other prominent, mainstream black figures such as Colin Powell required a constant struggle over the relative importance of his racial identity and his national identity Henry's biography shines both as the recovered story of a prominent American, and a case study in the racial politics of public service.