Ralph Bunche’s UN Armband
United States c. 1950
Dr. Ralph J. Bunche was a pioneering African American diplomat who shaped some of the most remarkable moments in the twentieth century. Born in the era of segregation and Jim Crow, Dr. Bunche spent his life engaged as a civil rights activist in the United States while working for peace in troubled regions around the world. In 1950, Bunche became the first African American awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating a cease-fire and securing peace between the new state of Israel and regional Arab nations. Bunche became UN Undersecretary-General for Special Political Affairs in 1955 and focused on decolonization and human rights issues. This UN armband is one that he wore while observing peacekeeping missions during the early years of the United Nations.
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Ralph Bunche's UN Armband. c. 1950. National Museum of American Diplomacy, https://diplomacy.state.gov/items/ralph-bunches-un-armband
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Ralph Bunche's UN Armband, c. 1950, National Museum of American Diplomacy, Washington, DC, https://diplomacy.state.gov/items/ralph-bunches-un-armband
APA Format
(c. 1950). Ralph Bunche's UN Armband [Object]. National Museum of American Diplomacy, Washington, D.C., United States. https://diplomacy.state.gov/items/ralph-bunches-un-armband
Learn More About Ralph Bunche
STORY OF DIPLOMACY
A Hero of U.S. Diplomacy: Dr. Ralph J. Bunche (1904-1971)
Dr. Ralph J. Bunche was a pioneering African American diplomat who shaped some of the most remarkable moments in the twentieth century. He played a major role in the formation of the United Nations, joining its staff in 1946. In 1948, he worked to mediate the Arab-Israeli conflict.