Ralph Bunche was an American diplomat and political scientist who overcame obstacles of racism to earn his teaching degree. He participated in international conferences that established the United Nations and was the first black person to hold a high-level position in the US government. Bunche won the Nobel Peace Prize for mediating the Arab-Israeli conflict and later supported the American civil rights movement through his political influence and participation in marches.

1. He wasn’t rich, but with his intelligence and his choice he could access
to an education, despite many obstacles that the American social and
legal system opposed to the full integration of black population.
After many years of work, in 1938, he won the degree of teacher at
Howard University and he joined a group to direct a report about black
population in USA.
As a prominent member of the USA diplomatic assembly, Bunche
attended to several international meetings: such as the Dumbarton
Oaks Conference (1944) and San Francisco Conference (1945), where the
United Nations was created. In 1945 he became the first black person
to access to the address of a ministerial division of the federal
government.
Later, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its mediation in
the Arab-Israeli conflict.
In 1960, he participated in the pacification mission of UN, in the Congo
In 1963, President Kennedy gave him the Freedom Medal, the most
important civilian award in the United States.
Bunche was criticized by the organizations of the civil rights movement
of black people, who accused him of forgetting racial fight instead of
his public activity.
Since the early sixties, Bunche used his political influence in favour of
the black movement. In 1965, he participated in civil rights marches in
Selma and Montgomery (Alabama) and he worked with the National
Association for the advance of black people.
RALPH JOHNSON BUNCHE
Born: August 7, 1904
Detroit (USA)
Died: December 9, 1971
New York (USA)
Occupation: Diplomat, Sociologist and
Political Scientist
Awards: Nobel Peace Prize (1950)