The students of the Merze Tate Explorers were buzzing with excitement. They would interview a former U.S. Ambassador. More than a dozen youth teamed with volunteers and staff of Public Media Network on May 2, for an exclusive interview with Harriet Lee Elam-Thomas. The former ambassador was in Kalamazoo as part of her multi-city tour for her new book, “Diversifying Diplomacy: My Journey from Roxbury to Dakar.”

Students asked Elam-Thomas about her very first job (collecting nickels for the community pool), the most challenging part of being an ambassador, her favorite travel destination, and more. She shared how her career has led her to visit more than 50 countries around the world, and that her humble beginnings gave her the passion for helping others who come behind her.

“I was named Harriet after abolitionist Harriet Tubman,” Elam-Thomas said. “I feel, like Harriet Tubman, that I have helped bring others into a field they otherwise may not have had the support or opportunity.”

Elam-Thomas was the guest of retired Judge Carolyn Williams. Williams, the first African American female judge in Kalamazoo, was the host to her long-time friend while in town. In addition to the studio interview, Williams invited the Explorers to her home for an informal gathering to speak further with the ambassador.

“I think I know what I want to be now,” said Explorer Sanaa Olivacce-Shabazz. “I really like politics and want to be a translator, but also may consider becoming an ambassador.”

The Merze Tate Explorers is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping girls Explorer the Possibilities in life through the interaction of role models. The program has a strong emphasis on media and travel, to inspire them to share their experiences through print, photography, and videography.

The organization was founded in 2008 to continue the legacy of Merze Tate, a 1927 graduation of Western Michigan University. Tate went on to become the first African American graduate of Oxford University, the first African American female Ph.D. in Political Science from Radcliffe and Harvard University, and inventor, world traveler, professor at Howard University, and more.