Shirley Temple Black

BEFORE YOU READ THE REST OF THE POST - I wrote this as an assignment for class. It's in the format of an essay (hence the bibliography and the footnote), but I thought writing it as a blog post would be an interesting change of audience. Anyway, you may proceed.

About two and a half weeks ago, on February 10, Shirley Temple Black passed away. She was 85 years old. Shirley Temple has been one of my favorite icons since I was a little girl. 'A Little Princess' and ‘Curly Top’ are still a couple of my favorite movies. When I was five years old, I took a dance class where we learned how to tap to 'On the Good Ship Lollipop' and we dressed up in polka dot dresses and curled our hair in ringlets for the recital. Everyone said I looked just like Shirley Temple. What I did not know about Shirley Temple, however, was that she wasn't just a sweet little girl, who sang and danced in the movies. She went on to be highly involved in politics, and also became a great diplomat.

Shirley Temple Black made movies throughout her adolescent years. As she grew older, the movies grew less and less popular; I'm guessing it wasn't quite as popular to watch a 12-year-old dance and sing, as a sweet little 4-year-old. Towards the end of her acting career she was married, at just 17 years old, to Joe Agar.  She had a baby at 18, but divorced Agar shortly afterward. When she was 22, she left acting and married Charles Black. Charles Black had a job at the Pentagon, and Shirley soon got involved in politics. She ran unsuccessfully in a special election for the House of Representatives in 1967.

In 1969, Shirley Temple was appointed as a delegate to the United Nations by President Nixon, which began her career in diplomacy. [1] In 1974, Vice President Gerald R. Ford assigned Shirley Temple as an ambassador to Ghana. She surprised the Embassy's officials when she arrived at her office in a Ghanaian outfit, a printed headscarf and gown (Way to win them over!). She spoke in depth about the economy, spoke in the local language, and befriended the women as sisters. (Levy, Claudia)

In 1989, Shirley Temple was assigned to Prague. Given the instability of the Czechoslovakian government at the time, it was surprising to many. An article printed at the time in the New York Times read: “If Prague were Rome or Paris, it would be easy to see George Bush's decision to ask her to be Ambassador to Czechoslovakia as simply a political reward for long, loyal service to the conservative Republican cause. But Prague is a difficult post that has usually been held by career diplomats with a background in Eastern European affairs.” Shirley surprised everyone when she handled her new post so well. She was optimistic and friendly, with a natural touch for combining and navigating politics and society. Because of her skill in these situations, she was able to go further than most diplomats would go. When Vaclav Havel, the Czechoslovakian President, went to the United States for the first time, Shirley Temple insisted on flying on the same plane. This way they could arrive together and she would be able to make the introductions between countries herself. (Rothman, Lily)

I never knew so much about Shirley Temple Black. Not only was she an adorable actress as a little girl, but she grew up to be even more awesome. She was clearly a great diplomat. She had the skill and the personality for the tough job. One can only admire her optimism and determination. She didn’t lose herself in the rough transition from childhood to adulthood; she blossomed and became a great role model to men and women alike. I can definitely learn from the great example she set.

1. Shirley Temple got her first ambassador appointment after Secretary of State Henry Kissinger heard her discussing Namibia at a party and, in her words, was "surprised that I even knew the word." (Shirley Temple Black, Beloved Child Actress, Won Praise in Diplomatic Career)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Levy, Claudia. "Shirley Temple Black, actress and diplomat, dies at 85." Washington

Post. The Washington Post, 12 Feb. 2014. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.

Rothman, Lily. "Ambassador Shirley Temple: Stories From the Crucial Role the Actress

Played in Global Politics." Entertainment.time.com. N.p., 13 Feb. 2014. Web. 3

Mar. 2014.

Whitney, Craig R. "Prague Journal; Shirley Temple Black Unpacks a Bag of Memories."

The New York Times. The New York Times, 10 Sept. 1989. Web. 03 Mar. 2014.

"Shirley Temple Black, Beloved Child Actress, Won Praise in Diplomatic Career." NY

Daily News. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2014.

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