Emma Vadehra
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Emma Vadehra
![MALABO, EQUATORIAL GUINEA - JUNE 26: Assistant Secretary of African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield attends to the 23rd African Union Peace and Security Council meeting in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea on June 26, 2014. (Photo by Amine Landoulsi/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/GettyImages-451246948.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1)
There are profound ripple effects from having a federal government made up of people who don’t look like or live like America — and it’s not just a matter of symbolism.