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Video Transcript

Amy
In honor of Black History Month, FBI Seattle Public Affairs sat down with Community Outreach Specialist Alhagie Manneh to learn about his unique background growing up in Africa, his path into the Bureau, and how he builds relationships in the community.

Steve
Public Affairs: Thanks for sitting down with me today, Alhagie. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?

Alhagie
Alhagie: Thanks for having me, Steve. My name is Alhagie Manneh. I am originally from The Gambia, West Africa. I'm from a tiny little village called Buniadu, which has 20 to 30 compounds. When I was growing up in a unique way of family life compared to life in the United States. But I am thankful that I transitioned through that experience and eventually ended up in the United States in 2001.

Steve
Public Affairs: Well, now, as an African American, could you tell us a little bit about why African-American History Month is important to you?

Alhagie
Alhagie: The role that African Americans played is tremendous, not only in music, in education, in invention, and in politics. African Americans have played so many important roles and were part of America's political socio-economic development.

Steve
Public Affairs: So coming to United States as an adult and from West Africa, what led you to the FBI?

Alhagie
Alhagie: Having graduated, I worked as a para-military officer and then finally was transferred to the police--I worked in the police department for another five years--before I eventually made the trip to the United States. I was opened to law enforcement security in all facets of life in the U.K., because The Gambia was a British colony. So I was exposed to that as a police officer.

Alhagie
So wherever you live in the world, you know about the FBI. I don’t care where you are, you know who the FBI is, you know the reputation, you know the capability, you feel the presence of the FBI. When I was in school, in high school, I had volunteer teachers from the United States. The Peace Corps volunteers from the United States.

Alhagie
We used to think they are FBI. We would say, “Oh, this Peace Corps, they are also FBI.” So FBI is a household name in every country. So when I moved to the United States, we did law enforcement background. I would tease that I would work for the FBI, even when I was in school I remember I went back to college, and my professor asked us a question.

Alhagie
“You are adults. You came back to school. What do you want to do with your life? What motivates you?” And my answer to that question in the classroom was I wanted to walk for the FBI. So it is the reputation that drew me to the FBI.

Steve
Public Affairs: So coming to the FBI, I mean, you're not a police officer here. So what is it that you do for the FBI here in Seattle?

Alhagie
Alhagie: Correct, Steve. I am a community outreach specialist for the FBI. That's my role. I started with an entry position as OST, operational support technician. And within two years, I was promoted to community outreach specialist. We support FBI’s investigative mission. It involves counterterrorism. It involves intelligence. It involves cyber. So what we do as community outreach is go out to different communities and then create awareness in regards to what some of the problems are, to create that awareness so that our community are protected.

Alhagie
For instance, I would work with the African-American community to create awareness on civil rights matters. I may be working another week with high school students to create awareness on cyber threats. So sextortion or cyber kidnapping or threats that students may face in the Internet. Protecting houses of worship, whether it is schools or whether it is business leaders, whether it is minority groups.

Alhagie
We are out there to represent the FBI in not only creating awareness but also creating connection between those communities and the FBI.

Steve
Public Affairs: Fascinating. In your role as a community outreach specialist, sometimes I imagine you encounter people that has never met anyone from the FBI. So how would you connect with someone like that?

Alhagie
Alhagie: One quick example is my own African-American community. We went there, myself and the civil rights team to do outreach. And from what I was told by the CEO, the day before we get there, he told his staff that, “Oh, the FBI are visiting today.” And two of his staff members call out. They say, “Oh, no, we’re not coming into work tomorrow. The FBI is going to be here.”

Alhagie
He asked them why. They said, “Well, they may download our cell phones.” We had a perfect opportunity to tell that community what the role of the FBI is, that we are in fact there to create awareness on things that affect only their business, but also the way they live, the way they interact, the way they raise their kids. Everything that we do is to make their lives better.

Alhagie
And beyond that, the FBI, that this is a popular belief or is a myth that the FBI automatically downloads your software as soon as you come into contact with them. But interestingly, the FBI has to have court warrants to even have access to even do a search. They have to have a search warrant. So we explain all of those basic factors to communities during our interactions.

Alhagie
And they have a better understanding, a clear understanding of what the role of the FBI is. And my background also gives me a unique opportunity. So I would use that West African community, for example. I'm from West Africa. My presence alone gives them comfort that he is one of us. My religious background, my geographical background, the languages that I speak all give them comfort that this is somebody that we can relate to, that we can talk to.

Alhagie
I will give you a second example. My parents were fishermen. My brothers were fishermen. I would wake up at 5 a.m. to meet them at the river by the river to help them transport their catches back to the village when I was little. So after the church service, we had an opportunity to gather together, meet and greet.

Alhagie
And I have never met a group of leaders from the tribe before. Most of them have never had the opportunity to even talk to an FBI employee before. So we were all in a unique situation. They never met the FBI, and we had never met people from that tribe. But one thing that helped us both connect with one another was my background, my fishing background, having come from a family of fishermen in Gambia, West Africa.

Alhagie
We were able to use that topic to kind of keep our conversation going. We were able to relate to one another as quickly as possible because we understood each other’s language about fishing. So back to your question. I am able to connect with different communities, whether it is tribal or religious or whatever. I think for the most part it's my diverse background.

Steve
Public Affairs: Well, what would you say to someone who is interested in working for the FBI who may feel there isn't a place here for them or that their background or skill set doesn't meet what we would need?

Alhagie: Yeah, that's a great question, Steve. I come from The Gambia, West Africa, a country of 3 million people. I'm from a small village with approximately 20 to 30 compounds growing up. So if I tell you that the FBI will give me an opportunity to work here, you wouldn't believe it. But that goes to show how diverse the FBI is, how everyone from all facets of life have an opportunity in the FBI.

Alhagie
The FBI is one big family. It's one big family. What you bring is your skill set, and there is a place for you, whether you are a special agent, whether you are a computer expert or an intel analyst, whatever you are. FBI employees come from all walks of life. You will find people who are originally from West Africa, people who are originally from Europe, people who are originally from Asia.

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Alhagie
We all--that is to protect American people, defend the Constitution of the United States, regardless of where you are from. This is what connects all of us together. We are all just one family. You will find people from all tribes and all races. I would welcome anyone who have interests to work for the FBI. It's a great place to work.

Alhagie
There is no other place like the FBI. The experience is just different. It's just one big family. Like I said, if it was not for that, I would never have the opportunity to come from a tiny little village of less than 30 houses to come to the United States and end up working for the FBI. If it was not for the FBI's diversity and their inclusion of all people who have the same vision and the same mission to protect and to defend.

Amy
We appreciate your joining us to recognize Black History Month. For more information about the FBI's Seattle field office, visit us online at FBI.gov/Seattle. You can also find us on social media on X, Facebook, and Instagram. Thanks for tuning in.