Ralph Bunche

Description

Ralph Bunche was an American political scientist, diplomat, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He was born on August 7, 1904, in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in a predominantly African-American neighborhood.

Bunche earned his bachelor’s degree from UCLA and his master’s and doctoral degrees from Harvard University. He was a pioneering African-American scholar in the field of political science and worked as a professor at Howard University for many years.

Bunche’s career as a diplomat began during World War II, when he served in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the precursor to the CIA. He later served as a mediator for the United Nations, playing a key role in negotiating armistice agreements during the Arab-Israeli War in 1948.

Bunche was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950 for his work in negotiating a ceasefire between Israel and several Arab states. He was the first African-American to receive the award.

In addition to his diplomatic work, Bunche was a vocal advocate for civil rights and racial justice in the United States. He was a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr. and served on the board of the NAACP.