PASCAGOULA, Miss. -- The Supervisor of Shipbuilding Gulf Coast Equal Employment Opportunity Advisory Committee hosted an African American/Black History Month event on Feb. 20.
According to the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI), “Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing the immeasurable impact they have had on the history of the United States.”
In regards to this year’s theme, Black Migrations, DEOMI explains how the movement of people of African descent to new destinations and subsequently to new social realities in the United States led to “an explosion of opportunities in the arts, sports, science, technology, and politics.”
As the keynote speaker Cmdr. Robby Trotter, DDG 117 Precommissioning Unit commanding officer, focused on how the movements of black Americans ultimately reshaped the Navy while also stressing the importance of inclusion and diversity. He used the Freedom Riders, civil rights activists both black and white who rode interstate buses into the segregated south in 1961 as an example of how diverse teams create positive change. The Freedom Riders aimed to challenge the non-enforcement of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Boynton v. Virginia (1960), which declared segregation in interstate bus and rail stations unconstitutional.
“I say all that to say that Black History is not just only about black people, but many others who stood up for what was right,” Trotter said.
He went on to illustrate how the ship he will command, the future USS Paul Ignatius, truly reflects the theme of Black Migrations.
“[Ignatius], in November of 1967, recognized a shortage of black officers in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps and started an initiative to address this problem,” Trotter said. “He started his recruiting at black colleges.”
Through Ignatius’ efforts, the military gained a more diverse set of officers. Trotter’s own journey led him to Ignatius’ namesake ship.
“On Sept. 11, 2015 the keel was laid for his ship, and on July 27 this year, we will commission his ship in Ft. Lauderdale, and I stand before you as the first Commanding Officer of the USS Paul Ignatius and a graduate from a black college 52 years later. As I always say to my crew, none of us are here by accident.”
Trotter stressed how everyone has a role to play, and we will always be stronger together.
“In closing, I leave you with this quote, ‘Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in’,” he said, quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.