Zandra Flemister, first Black woman in Secret Service, dies aged 71

During her time at the Secret Service, Flemister guarded the families of US presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.

Microaggressions, ultimatums and hostile verbal comments against her peppered her experience at the Secret Service.

Beyond her own experience, she also described witnessing anti-Black racism from her colleagues. While working with the presidents of Senegal and Grenada during their visit to the US, Flemister heard her white colleagues use the N-word in reference to the leaders of the nations, which respectively are in Africa and the Caribbean.

Her career blossomed after she transferred to the foreign service. She would go on to become the supervisory consul general in Pakistan, and after that she earned selection to the senior foreign service in 2006.

By 2010, her symptoms were serious enough that she had to request retirement at the relatively early age of 59.