RAAUZYUW RUEWMCS0001 0302329-UUUU--RUCRNAD
ZNR UUUUU
R 302328Z JAN 09
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N00//
TO NAVADMIN
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UNCLAS //N05354//
NAVADMIN 035/09
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N00/JAN// 
SUBJ/OBSERVANCE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN/BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2009// 
RMKS/1.  THIS NAVADMIN ANNOUNCES THE OBSERVANCE OF AFRICAN 
AMERICAN/BLACK HISTORY MONTH DURING FEBRUARY 2009.  THE NATIONAL THEME 
FOR THIS YEAR'S OBSERVANCE IS "THE QUEST FOR BLACK CITIZENSHIP IN THE 
AMERICAS."  
2.  2009 IS HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT FOR AMERICA AND OUR DIVERSITY 
HISTORY.  FIRST, IT IS THE CENTENNIAL OF THE FOUNDING OF THE NATIONAL 
ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE (NAACP). 
ADDITIONALLY, JANUARY 20TH, MARKED A MAJOR MILESTONE WITH THE 
INAUGURATION OF OUR FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA. 
3.  BOTH PAST AND PRESENT, THE UNITED STATES NAVY HAS BEEN PRIVILEGED 
WITH NUMEROUS AFRICAN AMERICAN HEROES AND ROLE MODELS.  
OUR NAVY'S PAST INCLUDES HEROES LIKE PETTY OFFICER DORIE MILLER, A 
MESSMAN WHO SERVED WITH DISTINCTION IN USS WEST VIRGINIA DURING THE 
ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR AND EARNED THE NAVY CROSS FOR HEROISM.  
OTHERS ANSWERING THE CALL WERE LTJG HARRIET IDA PICKENS AND ENS FRANCES 
WILLS, THE FIRST TWO AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN ACCEPTED FOR VOLUNTEER 
EMERGENCY SERVICES (WAVES), AND PHYLLIS MAE DAILEY, THE NAVY'S FIRST 
AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMISSIONED NURSE.  60 YEARS AGO, WESLEY ANTHONY 
BROWN BECAME THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO GRADUATE FROM THE NAVAL 
ACADEMY AND ENSIGN JESSE LEROY BROWN RECEIVED HIS COMMISSION AS OUR 
FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN DESIGNATED NAVAL AVIATOR.  
A YEAR LATER, ENSIGN BROWN GAVE HIS LIFE AND EARNED THE DISTINGUISHED 
FLYING CROSS PROVIDING CLOSE AIR SUPPORT AT THE BATTLE OF THE CHOSIN 
RESERVOIR IN KOREA.  THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE THOUSANDS OF AFRICAN 
AMERICANS WHO HAVE ANSWERED THE CALL AND SERVED WITH DISTINCTION IN OUR 
NAVY.  TODAY WE HAVE FOUR AFRICAN AMERICAN 3-STAR ADMIRALS SERVING ON 
ACTIVE DUTY - THE MOST EVER.  
VADM DERWOOD C. CURTIS, COMMANDER NAVAL SURFACE FORCES; VADM ADAM M. 
ROBINSON JR., NAVY SURGEON GENERAL; VADM MELVIN G. WILLIAMS JR., 
COMMANDER, 2ND FLEET; AND VADM ANTHONY L. WINNS, NAVY INSPECTOR GENERAL, 
ARE AN INSPIRATION TO ALL. 
4.  OVER 94 THOUSAND AFRICAN AMERICANS SERVE TODAY IN THE NAVY'S TOTAL 
FORCE - ACTIVE, RESERVE, AND CIVILIAN.  THESE TALENTED SHIPMATES ENSURE 
OUR NAVY CONTINUES TO SUCCEED IN CHALLENGING MISSIONS AT SEA AND ASHORE 
AROUND THE GLOBE.
5.  ALL COMMANDS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF 
OPPORTUNITIES DURING AFRICAN AMERICAN/BLACK HISTORY MONTH, AND 
PARTICULARLY TO ENGAGE IN ACTIVITIES WHICH ENHANCE THE PUBLIC'S 
PERCEPTION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN/BLACK OPPORTUNITIES AND SUCCESSES IN THE 
NAVY.  PROGRAMS, EXHIBITS, PUBLICATIONS, AND PARTICIPATION IN MILITARY 
AND COMMUNITY EVENTS RECOGNIZING THE DIVERSITY OF OUR AMERICAN HERITAGE 
ARE EXCELLENT WAYS TO DEEPEN OUR COMMITMENT TO THAT LEGACY.  
PRESENTATIONS AND OTHER INFORMATION ARE AVAILABLE ON THE DEFENSE EQUAL 
OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE (DEOMI) WEB SITE AT 
HTTP://WWW.DEOMI.ORG/SPECIALOBSERVANCE/PRESENTATIONS_CATEGORY.CFM,
AND MANY OTHER RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE TO PLAN YOUR EVENTS.  
6.  COMMANDS ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO SUPPORT PARTICIPATION IN AFFINITY 
GROUPS SUCH AS THE NATIONAL NAVAL OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
(NNOA) - MORE INFORMATION AT WWW.NNOA.ORG; AND BLACKS IN GOVERNMENT
(BIG) - MORE INFORMATION AT WWW.BIGNET.ORG.  AWARD NOMINATIONS ARE 
ESPECIALLY ENCOURAGED, AND ARE A GREAT WAY TO GET YOUR PEOPLE EXTERNAL 
RECOGNITION.  MORE INFORMATION ON DIVERSITY CONFERENCES, EVENTS, AWARDS 
AND OBSERVANCES IS AVAILABLE AT THE NAVY DIVERSITY WEB SITE: 
WWW.NPC.NAVY.MIL/COMMANDSUPPORT/DIVERSITY.
7.  THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION IS LCDR ELIZABETH 
ZIMMERMANN, OPNAV N134, AT (703) 614-5392/DSN 225 OR E-MAIL AT 
elizabeth.zimmerman@navy.mil.
8.  RELEASED BY ADMIRAL G. ROUGHEAD, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.
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