| Biography: Condoleezza Rice
With Antonia Felix
Author, "Condi: The Condoleezza Rice Story"
Monday, Dec. 2, 2002; Noon ET As National Security Advisor and a close confidant to President Bush, Condoleezza Rice is perhaps the most powerful and influential woman in the U.S. government today. Her current role follows a distinguished career as scholar, professor, provost and foreign policy advisor. "In forty-eight years, she has become a complex mix of artist and academic, corporate executive and university manager, mentor and political insider, and close friend of two presidents," says Antonia Felix in her biography, "Condi: The Condoleezza Rice Story." Felix was online Monday, Dec. 2 at Noon ET, to discuss the life and career of Condoleezza Rice. Felix is the author of thirteen nonfiction books, including the national bestseller, "Laura: America's First Lady, First Mother," "Andrea Bocelli: A Celebration," and biographies on Harry Connick, Jr. and Christie Todd Whitman. She has also edited a number of movie books including "Windtalkers: The Making of the Film About the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II" and "Pearl Harbor: The Movie and the Moment." A transcript follows. Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Arlington, Va.: As someone who voted for Al Gore, I must admit that I have admired the collective modesty of the Bush administration: with the possible exception of Donald Rumsfeld, president. With your biography of Dr. Rice and the new book(s) due out on Karl Rove, can we look forward to a new era of traditional Washington self-promotion among the Bush aides? Antonia Felix: It appears to me that one of the new facets of national campaigning is "the book," as evidenced by all the autobiographies that now appear. George W. Bush was no exception, with the autobiography that came out during his campaign.
In the case of Condoleezza Rice, I would agree that there is an air of modesty because she did not grant me interviews for this book. I sought out the closes sources possible, and I'm very satisfied with them, but I was not able to talk to Dr. Rice herself. Her press secretary told me that Rice's schedule wouldn't allow it.
Alexandria, Virginia: What words of wisdom do you have to inspire youth to succeed that didn't and don't have the opportunities and family structure like you had during your youth? Antonia Felix: I believe that Dr. Rice would encourage young people to seek out mentors and after-school programs that would enable them to get the opportunities they need to get to college. She launched such a program in Palo Alto, California, called "Center for a New Generation," which has given many young people just those opportunities. The help, the manpower, the opportunities are there if you go out and look for them. There are many people in this country who devote themselves to helping young people get a fair chance, so ask your school librarian to help you find such a program in your town.
Alexandria, Va.: I know she's an accomplished woman, but is it really time for a Condoleezza Rice biography? She's got a lot of living to go. Antonia Felix: It's definitely time for a bio on Rice, as she is one of our most prominent national figures and she has already lived such a fascinating life. There are several facets to her story, such as Rice the musician, Rice the child growing up in Birmingham in the 1960s, Rice the competitive athlete, Rice the scholar and provost, Rice the Soviet expert and advisor to two presidents. And last but not least, Rice the heir of a remarkable family legacy. So I think people who are interested in the current administration are curious about the NSA and will find a lot of interesting background in this book.
Washington, D.C.: Where was she educated? Antonia Felix: She received her B.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Denver and a master's degree from Notre Dame.
Washington, D.C.: Hello-
Could you please talk about the reasoning process behind Ms. Rice's decision to switch from Democrat to Republican in the early eighties? Antonia Felix: Rice was very focused on foreign policy, as that is her area of expertise, and although she had voted for Carter she was very disappointed in how he handled the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. She thought the administration was very weak in its attitude about the Soviet Union's capabilities as well as in its response, so she switched parties. She calls herself an "all-over-the-map" Republican, however, because she's moderate on some social issues and doesn't really fit the mold of a conservative on all counts.
Washington, D.C. (the best city in the world): I once read an article that Ms. Rice's father would not allow her to interact with other black children in her neighborhood. Is that true? Does Ms. Rice believe she could have accompolished what she has if she related more to her own heritage? Antonia Felix: Rice's father didn't prevent her from playing with her neighbor friends, but he and his wife certainly limited her play time. Condi was involved in many extracurricular activities and home studies when she was a child, such as ballet, French lessons, piano lessons (many hours of practice each day), etc., which cut into her free time. Regarding her heritage, she is very closely tied to her middle-class black neighborhood, Titusville, in Birmingham, and she is proud of having grown up there. The families that grew up around her all had that same goals of giving their children all the educational opportunities possible so they would be able to compete and thrive in the nation at large. It worked. Rice's experience as a black American is not exactly that of every black from Birmingham or elsewhere, but that would be impossible. Every family is different. Her parents' philosophy about growing up black in America was a well-defined one that focused primarily on education and self-reliance.
Washington D.C.: First, I would like to say that I am in awe of Ms. Rice's accomplishments and admire her family very much. I am interested in your impression of how Ms. Rice views her place in American society by reference to her identity as a Black American woman. While I know that sounds like a wide open issue, I think that it is an important one given some of the things that I've read about her. For example, her Washington Post Magazine profile indicated that Ms. Rice has adopted the distinctly upper middle class notion that seeking social change through direct confrontation of authority (the "marching" approach of the civil rights movement) was ill advised and unnecessary given that, in her view, segregation was going to collapse under its own weight in a few years anyway. As a black man, albeit a much younger one, that position seems to contain a smug ignorance of the fact that most of our people did not come from her level of privilege and thus did not have her level of hope for the future at the time they chose to place themselves in harm's way for her benefit. It also seems to ignore the fact that, of all African-Americans, it was people like her who most benefitted from the work of those young people who chose to march. As you well know from your research, blacks who adopt these types of positions (to say nothing of her non-traditional political affiliation) become somewhat questionable as to their loyalties and identity within black culture. Therefore, I am interested in any further insight that you may have into how she views herself as a member of the black American "sociological" race within American society and how she reconciles her beliefs with her identity. Antonia Felix: I believe that Condi Rice lives her life in the way she was raised -- to put all of her resources into her area of expertise, to continue to challenge herself and to give back. In this way she is very much her father's daughter. Yes, there are many in the black community who criticize her for not being an outspoken figure for black issues, just as they criticize Powell for the same thing. But I don't think many people know about the work Condi has done at the grass roots level to help black and hispanic children in California (her after-school program, Center for a New Generation), or her scholarship program in Birmingham. Just as her father had his own methods for nurturing black youth and helping them get into college, she puts much energy into that goal. For three generations, on both sides of her family, Rice's legacy has been that of self-reliance and education. That's the path they chose, and that's the path she is living out today. Is it fair to demand that every black American work to help their communities in exactly the same way, or that every prominent black American use his/her celebrity to undertake high-profile causes? With her work in CA and elsewhere, Rice is changing lives, and she certainly hasn't felt a need to advertise that fact. I think if Mr. Belafonte had known more about what she really does, he would not have been so harsh.
Maryland: Many black parents have the same goals for their children and meet them. Please don't make Ms. Rice's story sound as if it is so special. Black parents understand what extra curriculum activiites are, and are very involved in their childrens education. Ms. Rice is not a special black American woman; she is just an educated one. Antonia Felix: I think Rice would agree with you completely. She cringes when people appear to be surprised as her accomplishments, as if it's really something "for a black woman." That kind of patronistic attitude shows that we have a long way to go in our attitudes toward equality.
Washington, D.C.: How were you able to obtain the more personal information on Dr. Rice? Does Dr. Rice have extended family? Antonia Felix: I had interviews with many people who have been close to her at various times in her life, including her stepmother, life-long family friends, teachers and professors, colleagues at Stanford, etc.
Asburn, Va: Does she have her own family? Antonia Felix: Rice has never been married. She came close once, however. She was engaged to a member of the Denver Broncos football team back when she was attending the University of Denver. They broke off the engagement for some reason, which her friend would not divulge! Ever since she was a girl she has been obsessed with football (her dad was a high school football coach) and when she was very young she told her friends that she was going to marry a football player when she grew up. She has said that it doesn't appear that God has put that special someone in her life yet.
Alexandria, Va.: Do you think that Condi Rice has, or could have aspirations for political office, particularly the Presidency? I happen to think that she would make a great president. Antonia Felix: Rice denies that she's interested in running for office because she's always been a policy person vs. a politician. But there are many people, especially in California, who would like her to run for office. And there's a lot of talk right now about the possibility of Bush asking her to be his vice presidential running mate in 2004 if Cheney steps aside. If that happens, and if they win, she would be the Republican front-runner for the presidential election in 2008!
Montreal, Canada: I can't help but wonder if Dr. Rice's view -- firmly gounded in Cold War dogma -- is anachornistic in today's environment. Her policies to put it mildly, are detrimental to international diplomacy and her "only in the interests of the U.S." principle is unilateralism with total disregard to international treaties and conventions. We are seeing the effects of this myopia today. Antonia Felix: A very interesting point is the change that has come over the administration since 9/11. Bush's foreign policy views, as articulated by Rice, do not resemble the same "power politics" of the campaign or of the early administration. There is more discussion of ethics and cooperation. I recommend N. Lemann's recent Rice profile in New Yorker magazine for an excellent discussion of this (10/14 and 21 issue).
Potomac, Md.: Has the word gotten back to Rice that she is seen by many people in the real world outside of the confines of the Washington political establishment as cold, unapproachable, icy, distant, unlikable and just generally unpopular? Because I can tell you for a fact that that is exactly how literally hundreds of people see her -- and they're men, women, white, black, young, older, even some Asians and Hispanics. In conversations about her, absolutely no one says words like "likeable," "warm," "friendly," "approachable" or "popular." And, no, I don't think this is a good thing. Where are the p.r. helpers? She needs one. Antonia Felix: This is a good point. In my opinion, part of her reserve stems from the fact that we see her on TV programs and at press conferences talking about very serious topics like terrorism and war -- subjects that don't call for a warm and/or perky presentation. That may be one explanation for the one-sided persona many people have perceived. As far as getting a PR person and beefing up her image, that hasn't traditionally been a priority of national security advisors . The vast majority of NSA's have been very low-profile, seldom seen or heard from outside of the White House. Kissinger was certainly an exception, and Rice is much more visible in her role than most have been but she does not do the celebrity circuit like other political figures. But we live in an age of celebrity and I'm sure Rice realizes that. We can make assumptions about why she doesn't have a PR machine behind her, but then, would we ask the same of a male NSA?
Visalia, Calif.: I understand that Ms. Rice has a deep Christian faith. What influence has her faith had on her life and career? Antonia Felix: Growing up the daughter of a Presbyterian minister, Condi developed a deep faith early in life. Her faith, as well as the examples of service and personal responsibility portrayed by her parents, are major aspects of her life. She recently remarked in a print interview that her faith played an important part after the 9/11 attacks because she knows that the "bottom won't drop out" completely, that she will always have strong inner resources.
Pittsburgh, Pa.: What distinguishing events, individuals, personal experiences can be attributed to Dr. Rice's outlook on world politics? Antonia Felix: One of the major distinguising events was her first encounter with Dr. Josef Korbel, an international studies professor at the University of Denver and the father of Madeleine Albright. Korbel was her motivation for going into international relations and becoming an expert on the Soviet Union. She was attracted to power politics, the Hans Morgenthau approach to foreign policy. Another major event was her work on the national security council during the first Bush administration, a time when the Soviet Union was falling apart. Rice had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put her knowledge into practice and write policy that helped define the U.S. approach to that part of the world. She wrote a book about it.
Washington, D.C.: Hi, Ms. Felix What is the most important aspect of the "Condoleezza Rice Story" that you would like the readers to grasp?
Antonia Felix: I think that all Americans have interesting stories to their lives and backgrounds, but Rice's story is particularly interesting because there are so many facets involved. I hope that my book give people more insight into Rice's family legacy and to the grass-roots youth work she has done behind the scenes.
Antonia Felix: Thank you, everyone, for all your questions. I regret that there wasn't time to get to them all. I appreciate your interest and I hope that my book gives you some insight into Rice's family legacy, her behind-the-scenes work for black youth, and many other facets of her life.
washingtonpost.com: That wraps up today's show. Thanks to everyone who joined the discussion.
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