The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) has long stood at the forefront of advancing the global Black community. Since its inception in 1976, the Foundation has been a beacon of leadership development, policy advocacy, and public education. With a steadfast commitment to nurturing the next generation of Black leaders, CBCF is proud to announce an unprecedented collaboration with the University of Oxford—one of the world’s most prestigious institutions—aimed at shaping the future of foreign policy and national security.
The Program
This groundbreaking initiative offers full scholarship funding for two exceptional alumni of the CBCF Leadership Institute to pursue master’s degrees at Oxford. The scholars will not only immerse themselves in rigorous academic study but also contribute to practical policy development through the publication of issue briefs on pressing foreign policy and national security topics.
The goal is clear: to cultivate emerging Black political leaders with a global perspective, while diversifying the national security and foreign policy pipeline. By engaging with Oxford’s rich academic environment and the historic Magdalen College, this program underscores CBCF’s commitment to equity, excellence, and global leadership.
Meet the Scholars
The inaugural scholars, Emerald Garrett and Seth Washington, selected for the CBCF–Oxford program embody resilience, vision, and purpose. Both bring with them deeply personal stories of growth, gratitude, and a determination to ensure that they are not the last to walk through these historic doors.
Seth described the honor of being selected as “an immense responsibility to ensure that I am not the last.” For him, acceptance into the program is not the end of a journey, but the beginning of a greater responsibility. “With this enriching experience and opportunity provided by CBCF, there is much expected of me to perform at my highest ability. It is my privilege to not only give my best, but go above and beyond to extend the knowledge I obtained at Oxford to give it back and pay it forward to the community at large that made me who I am.”
Along the way, CBCF mentors showed up not only as professional guides but as family. A small but profound moment for Seth still stands out: being warmly embraced by CBCF’s Senior Vice President, Ms. Donna Fisher-Lewis, in the middle of his interview. “This display of concern, care, and love behind the scenes is what CBCF is really about,” he reflected. “It’s an extended family.”
For Emerald, this opportunity is nothing short of a full-circle moment. She recalls her start as an Emerging Leader Walmart Intern in 2017, when the Foundation helped her refine her professional presence and make the pivotal connections that launched her career on Capitol Hill. That experience laid the groundwork for years of service in House leadership and policy—experience that has now led her to Oxford.
“On a big-picture level, being the first CBCF alumna to complete this process is both indescribably exciting and humbling,” she shared. “It means a global recognition of the caliber of professionals and scholars that the CBCF produces. Completing this process signifies my responsibility to throw open the doors behind me for countless other CBCF alumni to continue in this pipeline.”
What excites her most about the Oxford experience is not only the academic rigor of the Diplomatic Studies Program but also the opportunity to collaborate with classmates who are mid-career diplomats and global leaders in their own right. She looks forward to contributing her insights on congressional leadership’s role in U.S. foreign policy, while also learning from her peers’ diverse international experiences.
Looking Ahead
Both scholars see Oxford as a launchpad for transformative growth—professionally and personally. They spoke of embracing new cultures, exchanging ideas with global peers, and stretching beyond their limits.
“I believe this program will unlock and create new levels of opportunity that I would not have otherwise earned,” Seth shared. “This journey and experience are bigger than me—it is for the future generation of leaders.”
Emerald added “My hope after completing the program is to serve as a Foreign Service Officer. The training and reputation of Oxford will open doors, but more importantly, I hope to reinvest what I’ve learned into others coming up after me. That is one of the primary ways I enjoy serving a purpose much larger than myself.”
A Legacy in Motion
The CBCF–Oxford partnership is more than an academic exchange—it is a testament to the Foundation’s enduring mission to empower, equip, and elevate Black leaders on the world stage. By opening pathways into foreign policy and national security, CBCF is not only advancing equity but reshaping the future of global leadership.
As the first cohort embarks on this historic journey, their words serve as both a promise and a challenge: to seize every opportunity, to give back, and to ensure that the doors they walk through remain open for generations of leaders to come.