Change requires more than platitudes. Learn about our country’s problematic and often sordid history of racism. Listen to them if they say they do not feel welcome, and then work to be more inclusive. The time is long past when we should have confronted racism at our institution. At USNA, some portion of leadership class/history class readings should be by authors of color. Naval Academy Alumni Association as a Distinguished Graduate in 2000, ... we are going to create the first unofficial blog for the USNA class of 1994. We are supposed to be morally courageous, and that means speaking up, especially when you come from a place of power. Out of the 221 positions, only 32 were held by women and minorities, including six African American men (2.7%). This was considered the “PC” version of the squadron name, which used to be the HS-6 Indian Maidens with a buxom native girl as our mascot to match… So… Yah…). The truth is, we could gather up everyone committing BIG racisms, we could wait until the “old generation” or “old white men” or “the South”, or whatever group we’ve identified as the carriers of racism, dies out, and racism would still exist. Today, marchers continue to fill our nation’s streets to protest the murder of unarmed black citizens by police, and the Naval Academy responds to vitriolic racism unintentionally broadcast by an alumnus. At the worst moments, I focus on the magnitude and complexity of the problems we face because they are everywhere, appearing intractable and destructive, and I cannot move with their weight. And therein lies the problem with BIG racisms. While the US Naval Academy Alumni Association does receive some funds from the purchase of these heirlooms, costs have been purposefully kept low to make them as affordable as possible. The people that we pay homage to on the Yard as building names and monuments and in our service are now a small part of who we are today and our growing history. In this submission, Jeannette Gaudry Haynie (USNA’98) recommends concrete steps that Alumni, Midshipmen and Leaders to address situational and systemic racism. Would my classmates have cheered, sat quietly, or actively stopped the cheering? If you want to name the Superintendent’s residence after a Superintendent, it will still honor a white man continuing the lack of diversity of naming on the yard. Your attitude and words will determine whether one of them reports harassment, bias, or any other of a myriad of problems they might be experiencing. Explore United States Naval Academy Alumni Association & Foundation's 19,526 photos on Flickr! We elect diverse leaders. Are we intentional leaders? USNA AA&F achieved a 143% return on investment in five years after implementing Blackbaud CRM, which provides them a new depth and richness of data. Change requires individual and group action. There are 2,000 grave markers at the Naval Academy Cemetery. In thinking about how we the Alumni of the US Naval Academy in collaboration with the Academy Leadership move forward following the racist and sexist statements of CAPT Bethmann in the midst of a huge anti-racist movement in our country following the murder of George Floyd, I’ve settled on a few highlights that require our immediate and intentional action as leaders amongst leaders. From 9am - 2pm the Alumni Association will host an Alumni Association/USNA Foundation Welcome Aboard picnic and expo on Sherman field at Hospital Point (Dahlgren Hall in inclement weather) where a relaxed atmosphere will allow you to interact with other parents and learn about the role of the Alumni … Don’t check and see if it is okay with them. It makes me feel insensitive and stupid. If you are on active duty, don’t wait for an incident to happen – make your position known without equivocation. I hope that we have all been thinking about what we can do as individuals, and what we want from our institution. What can the majority get away with that would destroy the career of a person of color or a woman? The Amy Coopers, the Tom Austins, the husband and wife duos, the never ending march of daily encounters where everyday white people enforce a system of violent racial domination. However, when the Civil War broke out, every sailor, soldier, and Marine had a choice to make – Loyalty to the Constitution or loyalty to their states and the institution of chattel slavery. As one our founding Sisters pointed out, we are #sisterhoodsowhite, with no women of color among our core contributors and only one among  our founders. How can we then stand idle in the face of centuries long discrimination our brothers and sisters of color endure, laid bare? Focusing on BIG racisms keeps our gaze trained outward, trying to catch the spectacular, instead of linking these acts to the greater system already existing around us. Make it part of the “Honor Courage Commitment” conversation. I can see the damage that continues to be done to people of varying races, genders, and sexual persuasions who valiantly raise their right hands to serve this great country and defend the constitution. Women at the Academy: Are They Measuring up? #BeatArmy but #BeatRacismFirst. And leaders speak up. Did I sit silently, ignorant and negligent, afraid to speak up because I wasn’t the target? Naval Academy spokesman Deborah Goode said the academy is investigating the matter. None of this is easy. As such, it needs to bake diversity into the system. This group is administered by very well informed USNA Alumni and Reservists who are also USNA parents and are very familiar with the military perspective on all things USNA. In the week following CAPT Bethmann’s statements and in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, I am privileged to read testimonials from several Alumni from classes 2019 thru 1980 that highlight that the presence of racism and sexism were not and are not unknown to the leadership of USNA, and many of those same people are now and have been leaders in the Alumni Association. Silence is concurrence. True change is rocky, painful, and humbling – and indeed this process is. Certainly, the members of the Alumni Association and the Academy leadership can see that our organization is not just and fair for all of us. Our institution is only truly strong and honorable if we hold each other accountable and live up to the values that we espouse. Deliberate staffing to ensure senior ranks include POCs (and more than a token few—I see no reason, for example, that one Battalion officer at USNA should not be female, one a PoC at all times). We should all be offended by unprofessional behavior. More than anything, our hope is to build on this solidarity, recognize our own shortcomings, and learn to be better allies, leaders, and friends. The leadership of the United States Naval Academy (USNA) Class of 1969 recognized the importance of mentoring in achieving performance excellence. High school friends who haven’t spoken in years are connecting and reaching out to old classmates to discuss the deep impacts of racism and how to lead change and are working to do more. Current leaders exhibiting racist or sexist behavior must be immediately identified, advised, educated, and given a brief opportunity to make an about face and if they choose not to do so, they are no longer welcome to participate in the leadership of the Alumni Association, the Academy, and subsequently our armed services. Until that cover isn’t thrown, until the crowd doesn’t cheer and instead actively stands against hatred and bias, until we all shoulder the burden of pushing for equity and inclusion, real change will stall and the status quo will triumph. The Naval Academy Alumni Association can provide Board Approved SIGs that do not already have a web presence with a WordPress based site at no-cost as a tool in your SIG leadership toolbox. And then we get up the next day to do it all over again. At USNA, remove the names of Maury and Buchanan, and actively engage the Naval Academy Minority Association in choosing the replacement names. For those attending camp for the first time, welcome to Annapolis, MD and Navy Baseball. The diversity of our officer corps does not reflect the diversity of our enlisted sailors under 60% of whom are white and including almost 20% African American sailors. Who we venerate demonstrates what we value. Situation. Many a female midshipman walking through T-court at the Naval Academy has heard a childish voice loudly proclaiming “look, it’s a girl one!”. Explore them today. News page for USNA News Center at USNA.edu. Blog; Contact M&A; United States Naval Academy Home. Would these same people excuse the behavior of a “nice guy” turned rapist? Do we truly lead with Honor, Courage, and Commitment to the mission of the Naval Academy and our Oath of Office? More people of color in the admissions process:  Blue and Gold officers, Admissions officers, Alumni Admissions Board members. If you are experiencing some trouble accessing the reunion registration page at www.usna.com , the following should help: But as someone who has agitated about “gender issues” for some time now, it energizes me to see the activity and the powerful, if at times clumsy, connections being made in the name of challenging racism and sexism. When beauty breaks through and shows the best of what we have to offer, we can find motivation to push and act and believe. It is so much a part of our everyday lives, that many remain ignorant of it. Continue recruiting efforts through the NAMA and USNA Women’s SIG for women and minority Blue and Gold Officers, Congressional nomination board members, and Alumni Association leadership positions. We cannot hide from this. I WILL NOT GET IT. Change requires individual and group action. With the country-wide awakening to and reckoning with ongoing racial injustice, we have daily examples of BIG racisms to gawk at and condemn. At some point you will be tempted to return to pointing out the daily spectacle of  BIG racisms in place of doing the hard work required for systemic change. Naval Academy Alumni Association & Foundation support the Naval Academy and its mission through engagement and philanthropy. Official Name: United States Naval Academy (USNA) Founded: October 10, 1845 Location: Annapolis, Maryland Number of Midshipmen: Roughly 4,500 School Colors: Navy Blue and Gold Mascot: “Billy” the Goat Education: 4 years We can do this again, and eventually (hopefully) the practice will no longer be required. It identifies dimensions of our history and culture that have allowed privileges associated with “whiteness” and disadvantages associated with “color” to endure and adapt over time.” That means that the discrimination so evident in BIG racisms is here in our neighborhoods, our workplaces, and in every aspect of our society. There will STILL be a chokepoint, since most elected officials granting nominations are not POC, so I have zero issues with quotas. By MCSN Brianna Jones The U.S. To stay the course, perhaps we should place a banner over the entrance to our work places, or a sticky on our bathroom mirrors, or a yard sign between our tulips that says “Racism lives here,” an ever present exhortation to refocus our gaze and attention, and most importantly, our actions, to the system that surrounds us. These are cruel and tragic times that we are living through, times to despair that the social experiment that is America will not survive this test intact. Over the next week, we will be sharing our founding members’ responses to recent events. This despite the Naval Academy classes consistently starting each class from 1971-1998 with 5.5% African American representation and consistently reaching 7% or above in African American officer accessions since that time. What opportunities are offered and what are denied to our brothers and sisters of color? In this submission, Kate Glynn (USNA’98) recommends concrete steps that USNA and the Fleet should take to address systemic racism. Moments to rejoice in our shared humanity and to take inspiration from. Repeat it, again and again and again. Demanding professional behavior in the daily conduct of our business helps, but it is just a start. Mentor our young men and women to see and combat systemic racism – it is a threat to our national security. This is where and how change happens, with all of its raw and rough edges. To read the first part of this Bancroft Hall Blog Series, Home of the Midshipmen: Bancroft Hall Steerage Restaurant click the link below. Learn about the POC and the women who have served our nation in every war because they believed  in the nation’s ideals even though they recognized the flaws in its execution. Capt Bethmann’s actions were appalling and despicable, at best. Racism is thus a standalone, spectacular event, and, by its very nature, easy to spot, like the girl ones. The Naval Academy prides itself on being a top tier institution of higher learning. If POC and women aren’t attending your meetings, seek them out and find out why. The comments below the article condemned his actions and there was a lot of (justified) outrage and accompanying commentary,  but  the part that most intrigued me was that the anger never connected this individual issue to the systemic problems extant in the Academy and the Navy. The WordPress based sites have a very intuitive user interface for keeping the site up to date. The U.S. We must be humble. Naval Academy has a long and proud history of service to the nation and of producing some of the finest officers in the Navy and the Marine Corps. Remove names that celebrate Confederates. Diverse perspectives improve understanding and create better solutions, so the institution needs to introduce that diversity in all aspects of the Naval Academy – who it chooses to lead the Brigade at all levels; who it chooses as professors and what courses it chooses to sanction; what texts and tools professors use to teach; who USNA invites for Forrestal Lectures and other speaking opportunities; who organizations invite for conferences and panels; what universities we partner with for learning exchanges. Yes, for some time this will involve quotas. At the Naval Academy, that means determining how to find, recruit, prepare and grow those leaders. We are not merely products of our legacy instead we are authors of the legacy we leave for those that come after us. Glassdoor gives you an inside look at what it's like to work at U.S Naval Academy Alumni Association, including salaries, reviews, office photos, and more. “Look, Ma, a BIG racism.”. By all means continue to call out the BIG racisms, but, more importantly, do the uncomfortable and necessary work of turning both our gaze and concomitant action, inward. Naval Academy Alumni Association awarded the 2016 Naval Academy Alumni Association Distinguished Graduate Award to three alumni in a ceremony before the Brigade of Midshipmen April 1 in Alumni Hall. This 1- day professional development course will provide Alumnus with the knowledge … We are excited to welcome you back to ALCNS to join us in an upcoming programme organised collaboratively by NUS Nursing Alumni and ALCNS. This is a serious signal from senior leadership that racism, even casual racism in the name of tradition, will not be tolerated. My fellow Sisterhood members have shared concrete ideas for action, and other ideas are being discussed in the Women’s SIG and on the SAW pages. Chair fly your response. Work through anti-racist reading lists. It will be a long, difficult process to undo 400 years worth of injustice and inequality. Like pointing out the uniqueness of the girl ones and never linking that to a history of gender-based exclusion, we identify these acts as discrete, isolated examples of racism untethered from the roots of a larger system. At USNA, this should be a cornerstone of “Don’t bilge your shipmate.”. We use every lever we can find to force inclusion if we have to. Do it  to encourage the conversations that come with those changes. In this submission, Beth Ann (Thomas) Vann (USNA’98) asks hard questions and presents concrete steps that USNA and the Fleet should take to address systemic racism. What can we each do today, tomorrow, and or the rest of our lives no matter where we are and what position we hold? Follow this blog to keep up with the latest with the Great Class of 1989 Having problems accessing the Alumni Association website to register? Details to follow. Many of us know the gut-wrenching realization that our physical safety is not guaranteed, and our abusers act with impunity. Football tickets that have already been purchased for the 2020 Reunion will be refunded as requested through the NAAA. We must continually ask ourselves “what are the policies, practices, and cultural norms that make up the scaffolding of institutional racism in this place where I am standing?” and then we must take action to root it out and reimagine our institutions. It sucks. To Normalize Minorities in leadership roles: Specific Changes to ensure POC aren’t disadvantaged today: There are so many ways to continue and strengthen your Naval Academy ties. Did I cheer at those moments, anxious to fit in and survive? We are having frequent, difficult conversations with our kids, our acquaintances, those we lead… some are incredibly humbling. We partner, we co-author, we embrace and learn from others, and we humble ourselves. But we must also be open and willing to make mistakes – as we will – and learn from them. Don’t do it quietly. But these times also offer flashes of promise and resilience. Read broadly. Work with NAMA and the Women’s SIG to determine which of our diverse graduates who have served our country with honor deserve their name on a building. There are so many ways to continue and strengthen your Naval Academy ties. Flickr Blog; Prints & Wall Art Photo Books Get Pro Save Cancel. In fact, one could compare themselves to the actions captured on video and think “I would never behave like that; therefore I am not racist” and go on about their lives. Every one of us. I suspect we focus so much on the spectacle of BIG racisms because it is far easier to condemn a problem external to ourselves — one that we can easily see in someone else, say a “Karen” or a “Becky”- and thus,  distance ourselves from the problem that entangles us all. And conversations are being led by women across the classes, from all backgrounds. Welcome to the official blog and update center of Navy Baseball Camps. The U.S. Know what you will say before it happens. I’ll get the details wrong… but the gist is that as one of her male classmates neared the top of Herndon, someone threw him a female bucket cover to place on the top. We, the Midshipmen and Alumni, are as much the institution as the bricks of Stribling walk and the walls and windows of Bancroft Hall. Actively mentor minority and women midshipmen and junior officers once they are accepted and commissioned. Subj: December 2005 Superintendent’s Report Refer to: Central Region Letter 22-05; December 13, 2005 *** PLEASE DO NOT HIT REPLY TO E-MAIL ME. This must be called out, highlighted, and discussed amongst us. While we should always teach and learn history as it occurred; it is time to take a look again at what and who is important to the development of our Academy and the Alumni Association. From our different walks of life, and our common service, we humbly offer our grief, our anger, and our suggestions for change. Many of us know the gut-wrenching realization that our physical safety is not guaranteed, and our abusers act with impunity. We must start with the understanding that racism is already present in whatever rooms we find ourselves and it is these, every day places (our kids’ schools, our wardrooms, our commands, etc) that require our attention and our action. Speaking up does not make any minority ungrateful, it demonstrates our investment in righting the ship. I understand the need for professionalism and decorum; those two behaviors do not prohibit us from being outraged at the behavior of one of our own and more importantly the in-your-face realization that racism and sexism are alive and “well” in our organization and our institution. Nor will we pretend that we are blameless in our fellow citizens’ plight. Women and POC, especially when junior, have to pick their fights lest they are labeled “too sensitive” or “unable to take a joke.” Prepare yourself for the unexpected racist or bigoted remark or the off-color joke. We are, after all, an organization that calls regularly on men to be allies, to not stand by as our sisters are mistreated. Make these choices intentionally to include the thoughts and perspectives of POC and women. Why would we continue to celebrate men who failed this test? And the crowd cheered. Source: Youtube/USNA Alumni Association & Foundation 4,000 studetns attend the Naval Academy in Annapolis. Reunion Registration is being adjusted for the new dates of … As leaders, as friends, as wives, as sisters, we all look back on moments when we should have said more. and Counting, 2019 Distinguished Graduate Award Medal Ceremony, Sisterhood is Support in Our Darkest Hour, Thoughts following the first Class of ’98 Women’s Brunch – September 2018, Sisterhood of Mother B Callout for Articles, Women for Navy Athletics Alumni Dinner 2018. More than anything, our hope is to build on this solidarity, recognize our own shortcomings, and learn to be better allies, leaders, and friends. How are we, the Naval Academy and the Alumni  Community, growing diverse leaders so that we can see a change in the years ahead? Then we hand up the cover of a classmate who doesn’t look like us. Connections, increased empathy, and what do we do, will not tolerated. Having their rights denied event, and Commitment to the Reunion POC ’ on! 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