UNCLASSIFIED//
R 142227Z JAN 08
PASS TO OFFICE CODES:


FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N00//
TO NAVADMIN
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
UNCLAS //N05354//
NAVADMIN 008/08
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N00/JAN//
SUBJ/2008 NATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH// 
RMKS/1.  THIS NAVADMIN ANNOUNCES THE OBSERVANCE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN 
HISTORY MONTH DURING FEBRUARY 2008.  THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR?S 
OBSERVANCE IS ?CARTER G. WOODSON AND THE ORIGINS OF MULTICULTURALISM.?  
THIS THEME REFLECTS THE NUMEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS CARTER G. WOODSON MADE 
TO PRESERVE AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY.  KNOWN AS THE “FATHER OF BLACK 
HISTORY”, WOODSON HELPED ESTABLISH THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF 
NEGRO LIFE AND HISTORY, THE JOURNAL OF NEGRO HISTORY, AND NEGRO HISTORY 
WEEK.  HE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING, “THOSE WHO HAVE NO RECORD OF WHAT THEIR 
FOREBEARERS HAVE ACCOMPLISHED LOSE THE INSPIRATION WHICH COMES FROM THE 
TEACHING OF BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY.”
2.  NUMEROUS AFRICAN AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES HAVE EMERGED FROM THE 
UNITED STATES NAVY AS WELL.  THEY INCLUDE VICE ADMIRAL SAMUEL L. 
GRAVELY, THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN NAVY FLAG OFFICER, FOR WHOM THE 
NAVY?S NEWEST ARLEIGH BURKE CLASS DESTROYER HAS BEEN NAMED; PETTY 
OFFICER DORIE MILLER, WHO WAS AWARDED THE NAVY CROSS FOR HIS HEROISM ON 
USS VIRGINIA DURING WWII; AND RETIRED MASTER CHIEF CARL BRASHEAR, WHOSE 
STRUGGLE TO BECOME A NAVY MASTER DIVER WAS RECOUNTED IN THE MOTION 
PICTURE "MEN OF HONOR."
3.  AS WE CELEBRATE THIS YEAR'S AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH, WE ALSO 
HONOR CAPTAIN KEN JOHNSON, USN, RETIRED, A TREMENDOUS NAVAL PIONEER WHO 
PASSED AWAY RECENTLY.  CAPTAIN JOHNSON, ONE OF THE ORIGINAL FOUNDERS OF 
THE NATIONAL NAVAL OFFICERS ASSOCIATION WAS DEDICATED TO THE 
RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT OF ALL NAVAL OFFICERS, 
AND PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN ACTIVELY RECRUITING AND SIGNIFICANTLY 
INCREASING THE NUMBER OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MIDSHIPMEN AT THE UNITED 
STATES NAVAL ACADEMY WHILE SERVING AS THE NAVAL ACADEMY'S FIRST 
MINORITY AFFAIRS OFFICER IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES.
4.  WHILE WE COMMEMORATE AND HONOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THOSE WHO HAVE 
GONE BEFORE, THIS MONTH INSPIRES US TO INCREASE OUR KNOWLEDGE AND 
AWARENESS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY.  PROGRAMS, EXHIBITS, 
PUBLICATIONS, AND PARTICIPATION IN MILITARY AND COMMUNITY EVENTS 
RECOGNIZING THE DIVERSITY OF OUR AMERICAN HERITAGE ARE EXCELLENT WAYS 
TO DO SO AND STRENGTHEN OUR COMMITMENT TO THAT LEGACY.
5.  ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH, AS WELL 
AS OTHER NAVY DIVERSITY INITIATIVES AND EVENTS, IS AVAILABLE AT THE 
NAVY DIVERSITY WEB SITE:
WWW.NPC.NAVY.MIL/COMMANDSUPPORT/DIVERSITY
6.  POINT OF CONTACT:  LT MATT HOOKER AT (703) 695-6203/DSN 225 OR 
EMAIL AT matt.hooker@navy.mil 
7.  RELEASED BY ADMIRAL G. ROUGHEAD, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.//

BT
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