The U.S. Naval Academy has announced the selection of the first Black female brigade commander in the institution’s 175-year history.
According to the academy, Midshipman 1st Class Sydney Barber
of Lake Forest, Illinois, will assume the leadership position for the 2021
spring semester.
Barber who currently serves as the 1st regiment executive officer, will become the 16th woman to have the leadership role since 1976 when women were first allowed to attend the academy.
The first was Juliane Gallina, who graduated in 1992. The
brigade commander is the highest leadership position, that of a midshipman
captain, within the brigade, and is the only “six striper,” a reference to
collar insignia worn on the midshipman uniform.
The brigade commander is responsible for the much of the
day-to-day activities and professional training for the Naval Academy's more
than 4,400 midshipmen. Barber was selected from a group of the top-ranked first
class midshipmen by a board made up of senior leadership staff, which
interviewed and reviewed the candidates' records.
Reacting to the appointment, Barber said;
“Earning the title of brigade commander speaks volumes, but the title itself is not nearly as significant as the opportunity it brings to lead a team in doing something I believe will be truly special. I am humbled to play a small role in this momentous season of American history.”
Barber is said to be a mechanical engineering major who
plans to commission into the Marine Corps following graduation. She is a part
of the Navy Women’s Varsity Track and Field Team and currently holds a record
for the outdoor 4x400m relay, according to the release.
She also serves as the co-president of the Navy Fellowship
of Christian Athletes Club and secretary of the National Society of Black
Engineers. She belongs to the gospel choir and the Midshipman Black Studies
Club. Barber helped create the Midshipman Diversity Team, which is working to
promote diversity, inclusion and equality among the brigade.
Janie Mines, who became the first Black woman to graduate
from the Naval Academy in 1980 also shared her excitement over the news. She
wrote;
"This bought me to tears. This young woman, Midshipman Sydney Barber, will be the first Black Female Brigade Commander at the US Naval Academy. 40 years later. Thank you Sydney! Love you!"
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