James Patterson

Former U.S. diplomat and life member of the American Foreign Service Association. I reported from Brazil, Mexico, The Netherlands, Canada, the U.K., Chile, Venezuela, Peru, France, Argentina, and Washington DC. I write on foreign affairs, labor, and cybercrimes. Memberships include The Writers Guild, National Book Critics Circle, Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, California and New York State Societies, National Writer’s Union, Fraternity of Alpha Zeta.

Dad was a Korean vet who served with Alabama’s Army National Guard 1962-67 for the Cuban Missile Crisis, Selma to Montgomery March, integration of the Univ. of Alabama. I have a role as a reporter in 2015’s “Selma.” I contribute to Alabama Voices with The Montgomery (Alabama) Advertiser. My work appears in The Foreign Service Journal, Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, Philadelphia Inquirer, Christian Science Monitor, Des Moines Register, The Albany Times-Union, Indianapolis Star, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, New York Daily News, Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, The Writer, Agricultural History, Bloomsbury Review, Berkeley (CA) Daily Planet, Pueblo (CO) Chieftain, American Writer, many more.

My political battles are legendary. See New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/22/business/at-work-promotions-and-family-matters.html My reporting changed the personnel policies of the U.S. Foreign Affairs Agencies.

See https://glreview.org/supreme-job-blow-to-jesse-helms/ In this case, my reporting eventually led to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in favor of LGBT workers. After my encounters with Helms, my work appeared in Bay Area Reporter, Bay Times, [both San Francisco], San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner, Harvard Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide, The Hill, Washington Times, The Advocate, Raleigh News & Observer, many more.

See also

https://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/trayvon-martin-oscar-grant-and-birmingham-1963/

https://www.chieftain.com/article/20150110/NEWS/301109968

https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/opinion/2019/01/29/i-didnt-compromise-my-alabama-upbringing-hollywood/2706410002/

https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/opinion/columnists/2017/06/29/carol-ruth-silver-fateful-fearless-freedom-rider/439361001/

https://www.sfgate.com/books/article/Freedom-Rider-Diary-by-Carol-Ruth-Silver-5256987.php

https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/opinion/contributors/2015/01/08/selma-role-recalls-fathers-courage/21456239/

https://www.al.com/news/2015/01/being_cast_in_selma_was_therap.html