The USNA Arizona Parents' Club is your only source for the Class Crest Blanket. With the country-wide awakening to and reckoning with ongoing racial injustice, we have daily examples of BIG racisms to gawk at and condemn. 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. How many times did I injure or wrong someone because I hadn’t learned, hadn’t listened, had turned my back? If you are on active duty, don’t wait for an incident to happen – make your position known without equivocation. Work through anti-racist reading lists. When beauty breaks through and shows the best of what we have to offer, we can find motivation to push and act and believe. Capt Bethmann’s actions were appalling and despicable, at best. Leadership training (Luce Hall at USNA) focused on leading diverse troops: race, sexuality, gender, religion. What behavior, guilt by association, institutionalism, pride, etc leads so many alumni to come to his defense of being a “good guy” who has done so much “good” in his career and in his past to not be judged for this event? If you are at a tailgate or an alumni event and hear anyone interacting with our midshipmen and junior officers, voicing their prejudice outright or in coded language, say something. E-MAIL ME DIRECTLY AT MY USNA ALUMNI CLASSMAIL ADDRESS, len.wass@1964.usna.com Chapter Officers - Please give this e-mail the widest possible distribution among your members and other alumni in your … Racism is a structural or systemic problem. Over the next week, we will be sharing our founding members’ responses to recent events. But they at times end with new connections, increased empathy, and a more robust embrace of humanity. 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. Seek knowledge and share it with our young people. Tough bananas. United States Naval Academy Alumni Association & Foundation USNA AA&F. It makes me feel like a horrible person. 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 … Naval Academy (USNA) and U.S. If a minority or woman speaks up, back them up. Rather than see this metal, and all the memories associated with it, go to waste, the U.S. . Remove names that celebrate Confederates. Welcome to the official blog and update center of Navy Baseball Camps. Would my classmates have cheered, sat quietly, or actively stopped the cheering? Not just works. We are not merely products of our legacy instead we are authors of the legacy we leave for those that come after us. Speaking up does not make any minority ungrateful, it demonstrates our investment in righting the ship. Many of us know the gut-wrenching realization that our physical safety is not guaranteed, and our abusers act with impunity. The U.S. This has to start at OCS/Plebe Summer/Boot Camp. In the fleet, deliberate staffing to ensure POCs command carriers, MAGs etc. There are 2,000 grave markers at the Naval Academy Cemetery. 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. But we must also be open and willing to make mistakes – as we will – and learn from them. Why would we continue to celebrate men who failed this test? #BeatArmy but #BeatRacismFirst. In addition to being recognized by the U.S. Updated Fri Dec 25 22:51:21 EST 2020. 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. Refused to shrink from uncomfortable confirmation of our own biases. Focus on ending bystander culture; case-studies, and serious conversations about institutional bias (for example: Are there statistics on discipline meted out to POCs vs. white Marines and Sailors?). Is racism and sexism not as vile or life altering as rape? Reunion Registration is being adjusted for the new dates of … Follow this blog to keep up with the latest with the Great Class of 1989 Having problems accessing the Alumni Association website to register? As humans, we all have biases and in many forms racism is ingrained in our system; now is the time to intentionally highlight those behaviors and beliefs to eradicate them from the Academy, our military service, and the Alumni Association. 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. Do we truly lead with Honor, Courage, and Commitment to the mission of the Naval Academy and our Oath of Office? Educate ourselves. Shared Interest Groups Sites. 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. Repeat it, again and again and again. Then we hand up the cover of a classmate who doesn’t look like us. Listen to them if they say they do not feel welcome, and then work to be more inclusive. While the Sisterhood of Mother B primarily focuses on stories of women in uniform, we recognize the intersectionality of this moment, and feel the need to respond in our own words. And the crowd cheered. The Naval Academy prides itself on being a top tier institution of higher learning. We listen and we educate… and we lead. Change requires individual and group action. . It will take deliberate action, not just good intentions. Here in New Orleans, at the height of our lockdown, two priests rode around the city in the back of a run-down trailer for hours, wearing baseball caps and blasting Gregorian chants from a massive sound system… just to reach people of any belief structure and bless them. 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. It’s time to live up to our core values. There will STILL be a chokepoint, since most elected officials granting nominations are not POC, so I have zero issues with quotas. 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 USNA Alumni Association Sponsors an Alumni Insurance Program. 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. Every one of us. USNA Parent Community – is a closed group exclusively for parents of USNA Midshipmen from all years. Football tickets that have already been purchased for the 2020 Reunion will be refunded as requested through the NAAA. 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. Use your credit card. 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. 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. 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). 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…). No one will do it for us. Naval Academy Alumni Association & Foundation support the Naval Academy and its mission through engagement and philanthropy. Instead, these behaviors are often protected or shielded seemingly to protect the reputation of the institution at large. If POC and women aren’t attending your meetings, seek them out and find out why. We excoriate en masse the racism and it acts as a psychic release of sorts, a ritual cleansing. Our Chance to Know Her is Gone, but we can Remember Her – CTICS (IW/EXW) Shannon Mary Kent, Feb 7, 2020: Five for Friday in honor of Black History Month, Waltzing Around Change- Recollections of Plebe Year Ballroom Dancing, Leadership LINKS: Developing our Future Leaders, The 5th Annual Service Academies Global Summit, Twenty-One Years of Healing . Something. 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. But in considering how to measure change, I can’t get past a story that I heard from one of our sister graduates from the 2000s about the Herndon climb. I do not imply that CAPT Bethmann does not deserve the opportunity to rehabilitate nor that he does not deserve that personal support of his friends and family while he and his family work through this situation. My heart stopped when I read that. From the Navy’s own numbers (found here and here), on 1 January 2019, 86% of Flag officers were white men. Naval Academy spokesman Deborah Goode said the academy is investigating the matter. For me that humanity and its promise of resilience and change has emerged at unexpected times over the past three months. I recommend this group for new parents to help get your bearings. 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. 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. But we are all too familiar with being othered; of being pre-judged for who we are, rather than what we achieve, of being told to grow thicker-skin-it-was-just-a-joke. 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. No doubt. Blog; Contact M&A; United States Naval Academy Home. I thought about this the other day when someone posted the story about the midshipman and his racist tweets into a FB group. Change racist unit names (I belonged to the HS-6 Indians, aka the Screaming Redskins. It means identifying racist and misogynistic constructs and removing them. He stared at the cover, looked down at himself and the crowd, and then threw it back down onto the ground. Moments to rejoice in our shared humanity and to take inspiration from. According to the Aspen Institute, It is a “system in which public policies, institutional practices, cultural representations, and other norms work in various, often reinforcing ways to perpetuate racial group inequity. It’s like “Where’s Waldo?” come to life. Say something. Who we venerate demonstrates what we value. The video or photo is posted and we all gather together underneath to condemn the BIG racisms. While the Sisterhood of Mother B primarily focuses on stories of women in uniform, we recognize the intersectionality of this moment, and feel the need to respond in our own words. We can listen to podcasts. And I wondered – if that had happened when my class climbed Herndon, would the crowd have cheered? Know what you will say before it happens. 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. We, the Midshipmen and Alumni, are as much the institution as the bricks of Stribling walk and the walls and windows of Bancroft Hall. 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 It means evaluating our conduct and honor system to ensure offenses are reported and adjudicated justly. When you know it is not okay. 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. At USNA, this should be a cornerstone of “Don’t bilge your shipmate.”. Demanding professional behavior in the daily conduct of our business helps, but it is just a start. I know, Buchanan was the first Superintendent and Maury is the “Father of Modern Meteorology” who served this nation for thirty years before the Civil War. For me, changing the names of Buchanan House and Maury Hall are easy wins. CAPT Bethmann is not representative of our alumni, but neither is he alone in his views. It makes me feel insensitive and stupid. We will not pretend to have been blind to bigotry until this moment. The anger and shame rose to my face. And conversations are being led by women across the classes, from all backgrounds. This 1- day professional development course will provide Alumnus with the knowledge … We will not pretend to have been blind to bigotry until this moment. We are having frequent, difficult conversations with our kids, our acquaintances, those we lead… some are incredibly humbling. Did I cheer at those moments, anxious to fit in and survive? But if we do not try, we cannot learn. At the Naval Academy, that means determining how to find, recruit, prepare and grow those leaders. 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. We use every lever we can find to force inclusion if we have to. Women at the Academy: Are They Measuring up? At USNA, remove the names of Maury and Buchanan, and actively engage the Naval Academy Minority Association in choosing the replacement names. We elect diverse leaders. 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. Every day. Racism and Sexism are alive and “well” and even protected amongst us. It means training all of our Midshipmen in the value of diversity and having no tolerance for those unwilling to embrace a diverse force with diverse leaders. This will strengthen our force and allow us to focus more intensely on defeating those who threaten our country and our way of life while in uniform and in support of those in uniform once we are no longer active duty. What can we each do today, tomorrow, and or the rest of our lives no matter where we are and what position we hold? Make it part of the “Honor Courage Commitment” conversation. Say. 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. And if we cannot learn, we cannot change and we cannot reshape America. Tell them to use Location ID: MDUSNA01. Racism isn’t caused by a few people doing “abnormal” things; it *is* the norm. If you are part of a local Alumni chapters, partner with local National Naval Officer Association Chapters, the Naval Academy Minority Association (NAMA), and the USNA Women’s SIG to identify and prepare minority and women candidates for the rigors of Academy life. I believe many would have cheered, out of ignorance or out of hatred, while my female classmates and I sat quietly in agony. If you insist that the way we’ve led and addressed equality and change must be the way we do it in the future, then you are part of the problem. How can we then stand idle in the face of centuries long discrimination our brothers and sisters of color endure, laid bare? The direct implication is that his personal journey and that of the institution to which WE belong to or come from are not one in the same, and there should be a public admonishment and consequences for his actions as a member of our/my Alumni Association. 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. In this submission, Jeannette Gaudry Haynie (USNA’98) recommends concrete steps that Alumni, Midshipmen and Leaders to address situational and systemic racism. The number of stories women and minorities tell each other about an old grad, a professor, a classmate, or a leader who was blatantly racist or misogynistic, who tore minorities and women down, harassed them and voiced a lack of support for their success is embarrassing. Do it  to encourage the conversations that come with those changes. Details to follow. This must be called out, highlighted, and discussed amongst us. The U.S. 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. Your Sailors and Marines are taking cues from you. Explore United States Naval Academy Alumni Association & Foundation's 19,526 photos on Flickr! Done more. 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. 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. Updated Fri Dec 18 08:36:13 EST 2020. Done more. We are supposed to be better than this. Please refer to this blog for day-to-day camp updates, schedules, camp stories, coaching tips, links, future camps and much more. Read broadly. Deliberate staffing to ensure more minority leadership in the entry, discipline, promotion, (Admissions, disciplinary/academic boards at USNA) processes. It is time to recognize that our history is a work in progress. But we are all too familiar with being othered; of being pre-judged for who we are, rather than what we achieve, of being told to grow thicker-skin-it-was-just-a-joke. 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. And leaders speak up. I have been happy to see a robust discussion among members  of the  USNA Women’s Shared Interest Group (SIG), and I have taken time to think hard about what I think it takes for USNA, Midshipmen and members of the Alumni Association at large to make lasting change. We cannot remain silent. How can we as alumni effect positive change? This is where and how change happens, with all of its raw and rough edges. Over the week we will continue, we will be sharing our founding members’ responses to recent events. Continue to open your eyes and ears to the experiences of those of us who are not of the majority and are willing to share our reality. We have discussed among many people (our class fundraising committee, the Class Officers, fellow classmates, fellow noteworthy alumni, the Alumni Association and Foundation) the special, and important role we will each play is helping lead out class in what must be an indelible mark on our Naval Academy alma mater that has done so much to help us with the success we have each reached over … Did I sit silently, ignorant and negligent, afraid to speak up because I wasn’t the target? We must be humble. As such, it needs to bake diversity into the system. 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. 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. Mentor our young men and women to see and combat systemic racism – it is a threat to our national security. Simultaneously, a new Facebook group of Service Academy Women went from 0 to nearly 10,000 members in days – and the same conversations are happening on those pages. None of this is easy. 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. Silence is concurrence. Drag to set position! 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. MD. How can we then stand idle in the face of centuries long discrimination our brothers and sisters of color endure, laid bare? The WordPress based sites have a very intuitive user interface for … 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. If we value diversity in leadership, our long-term goal must be increasing diversity at all levels of our officer corps. What can the majority get away with that would destroy the career of a person of color or a woman? 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. Many of us know the gut-wrenching realization that our physical safety is not guaranteed, and our abusers act with impunity. We expect that cover to be placed on the top of Herndon. More people of color in the admissions process:  Blue and Gold officers, Admissions officers, Alumni Admissions Board members. We are, after all, an organization that calls regularly on men to be allies, to not stand by as our sisters are mistreated. Don’t check and see if it is okay with them. So where do we go now, and what do we do? Stop dismissing Equal Opportunity training, SAPR training, and diversity celebrations as something the Navy “forces” you to do, and do not allow your subordinates and leaders to get away with that attitude either. Our institution is only truly strong and honorable if we hold each other accountable and live up to the values that we espouse. 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. So here’s how we change. Most importantly, we welcome you to your 1st experience at the historic United States Naval Academy! How are we, the Naval Academy and the Alumni  Community, growing diverse leaders so that we can see a change in the years ahead? Racism is thus a standalone, spectacular event, and, by its very nature, easy to spot, like the girl ones. And Maury Hall are easy wins mentor our young people over the past three.. 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