2. Birth/Early Childhood
Born in Birmingham, Alabama
51% African, 40% European, 9% Asian or Native
American descent
Took French, music, figure skating, and ballet at age
three
Took piano at age 15
3. Young Adulthood/Education
Studied piano at the Aspen Music Festival and
School, after graduating from St. Mary’s Academy
in Colorado
Initial college major was piano, but didn’t have the
talent to play professionally
Took an international politics class taught by Josef
Korbel
Became interested in the Soviet Union and
international relations
4. Adversities
Her mother died of breast cancer
Grew up in a racially segregated neighborhood in
the South.
5. Accomplishments
First female African-American secretary of state
First African-American woman to serve as the National
Security Advisor, and second woman to have this job
Books: Germany Unified and Europe Transformed with
Philip Zelikow, The Gorbachev Era with Alexander
Dallin, and Uncertain Allegiance: The Soviet Union and
the Czechoslovak Army
Became the director of Soviet and East European
affairs with the National Security Council in 1989
Became special assistant to George H.W. Bush during
the dissolution of the Soviet Union and German
reunification in 1989
