The Senate on Tuesday confirmed an African American man to serve as service chief in the US military for the first time, marking a historic moment for the armed forces, which seldom see people of colour among the top brass.
Vice President Mike Pence presided over the historic 98-0 vote to confirm General Charles Q. Brown Jr. to be chief of staff of the Air Force, a vote that came against the backdrop of a nation simmering with anger and sadness over racial injustice following the death of George Floyd and other black Americans at the hands of police.
A few days before his confirmation vote, Brown, who goes by C.Q., released a moving, deeply personal video, in which he said he was “full with emotion” for “the many African Americans that have suffered the same fate as George Floyd.” “I’m thinking about a history of racial issues and my own experiences that didn’t always sing of liberty,” he said in the video that was posted on Twitter.
He outlined being one of the only African Americans at his school and often being the only African American in his platoon, and later, in leadership. “I’m thinking about wearing the same flight suit with the same wings on my chest as my peers and then being questioned by another military member: ‘Are you a pilot?’” he said.
“I’m thinking about the pressure I felt to perform error-free, especially for supervisors I perceived had expected less of me as an African American. “I’m thinking about having to represent by working twice as hard to prove their expectations and perceptions of African Americans were invalid,” he said.
The US military has long been known for the lack of diversity among its leadership. According to the Pentagon’s latest figures, 18.7% of enlisted members of the military are black. But only 8.8% of officers are black, compared to 76.1% who are white.
