One of Navy s first Black four-star admirals says military has work to do on diversity
Dan Lamothe, The Washington Post
Feb. 16, 2021
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Retired Adm. Cecil Haney served as commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and the U.S. Strategic Command, where he oversaw nuclear weapons.Washington Post photo by Michael S. Williamson
The young midshipman heard the question but kept walking as he neared a group of White students at the Naval Academy. You know, the only reason you re here is the quota system, right? one of them said.
Cecil Haney, a Black student from a Black neighborhood in the District of Columbia, did not respond. His family had warned him that he could face racism at the academy, and more than 40 years later, he remembers the remark clearly.