It has been 72 years since President Truman signed Executive Order 9981 ordering an end to discrimination in the Armed Forces. Since then, the military has been a leader in promoting racial equality and equal opportunity—though the results are far from perfect. A question we’d like to explore in our pages is: Has the military done enough? Where else can we make progress? How can the military serve as an even better example for the promotion and exercise of civil rights? We encourage our readers to reflect on the very sad and painful events of recent weeks—and write. We welcome articles and commentaries that can highlight additional areas where change should occur within the sea services—and to offer specific remedies—to ensure we continue to make progress on justice for all—regardless of race, creed, color, sex, or national origin. The job isn’t done.
Naval Institute Press
Whaling Captains of Color: America’s First Meritocracy. “In this engaging new volume, Skip Finley has written a comprehensive account of the more than fifty sailors of color who rose to captain America’s great whaling ships. Meticulously researched, Whaling Captains of Color provides an overview of the 200 years of industrial whaling, a profession in which a relative meritocracy existed. In addition, Finley provides a critically important analysis of the social and legal conditions on land which encouraged so many people of color to brave the dangers of the sea.”—Henry Louis Gates Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor, Harvard University. To get your copy, go to www.usni.org/press/books/whaling-captains-color.
Naval History
Long-time Editor-in-Chief of Naval History magazine, Richard Latture, recently stepped down and will be taking a smaller role as a part-time editor, contributor, and advisor from his new home in North Carolina. For 15 years, Richard has done an outstanding job bringing naval history to life in this high-quality magazine, and his work has been a big part of Objective 3 in the Naval Institute’s Strategic Plan: Preserve and Learn from Naval History. Over the past 3 years, Richard also took a leading role in getting the CNO Naval History Essay Contest up and running and making it a huge success. The new Editor-in-Chief is Eric Mills, who has worked at the Institute for more than a decade as a Proceedings and Naval History editor and contributor and manager of our Oral History and Memoir programs. I wish Richard all the best in his next chapter.
If you’re a Naval Institute member who has not yet subscribed to Naval History magazine, you’re missing out. But you can take advantage of a special summer offer now to get the world’s most authoritative and engaging periodical for readers interested in our nautical heritage. From the Age of Sail through the world wars to modern naval conflicts, every issue of Naval History brings the naval leaders, their battles, and the arms and armaments of the past alive. Go to www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history/subscribe and enter code “SUMMER10” for $10 off.
Until next month, stay safe and be well!
