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Home · News

Historic Number Of Black Women To Graduate From The United States Military Academy at West Point

A record-breaking number of 32 Black women are set to graduate from The United States Military Academy at West Point.
Historic Number Of Black Women To Graduate From The United States Military Academy at West Point
By Breanna Edwards · Updated October 23, 2020

There are 32 Black women who are expected to graduate from The United States Military Academy at West Point later this month, and when they do, they will be the largest group of Black women to do so in the institutions 216-year history.

“My hope when young Black girls see these photos is that they understand that regardless of what life presents you, you have the ability and fortitude to be a force to be reckoned with,” cadet Tiffany Welch-Baker, one of the graduates told Because of Them We Can.“In just a short while I met so many cadets that looked like me, and that offered me some comfort. I have been fortunate to have my sisters in arms, we have been fortunate to have each other.”

According to The Philadelphia Tribune, this is a far step in a good direction for the academy, which did not see a Black cadet graduate until 1877, some 75 years after it was initially founded.

View this post on Instagram

32 Beautiful Black Women will be joining the long gray line very soon. The Class of 2019 has the most black women in its class to every graduate from West Point at one time. This photo warms my heart #BlackGirlMagic 📸: Hallie Pound #WestPoint #USMA #blackgirlmagic #blackgirlsrock @goarmy @westpoint_usma

A post shared by Lela Victoria (@lelav89) on May 7, 2019 at 6:03pm PDT

This news comes two years after Simone Askew became the first Black woman to be appointed as West Point’s First Captain.

Just last year, Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams also made history as the first Black superintendent of West Point.

TOPICS:  Black Girl Magic black history darryl a. williams simone askew The United States Military Academy at West Point
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