Commemorate
Black History Month
This February, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) joins the Nation in observing Black History Month and celebrating the contributions of African Americans to our Nation.
As of June 30, 2021, the total VA workforce consisted of over 420,000 employees. The representation of Black males and females was higher than the Relevant Civilian Labor Force benchmarks. Since fiscal year (FY) 2019, the total number of Black employees has increased; while the proportional representation of Black males decreased slightly by 0.41 percentage point, the representation of Black females increased by 0.57 percentage point. The representation of Black employees in VA is largely concentrated in lower grade positions. In the leadership pipeline, Black males and Black females have lower than expected representation. In FY 2021, Black males represented nearly nine percent of the VA workforce; however, only 2.88 percent of GS-15s were Black males. Black females made up 16.34 percent of the workforce; however, only 3.26 percent of GS-15s were Black females (data provided by the Workforce Analysis Team, Office of Resolution Management, Diversity and Inclusion).
For more information, visit VA’s Black/African American Special Emphasis Program webpage or contact Ms. Tynnetta Lee, VA’s Departmental Black/African American Special Emphasis Program Manager.
From the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW):
Like many [V]eterans whose military service paved a path to success in civilian life, African American [V]eterans have used the experience and discipline they acquired in the military to attain prominent positions in the civilian world.
Here are some of the best-known African American celebrities whose contributions to popular culture and society began after their discharge from the armed forces…
Morgan Freeman enlisted in the Air Force in 1955, harboring dreams of becoming a fighter pilot like those he watched on film. His interest in flying led him to turn down a drama scholarship to Jackson State University in Mississippi prior to enlisting. While in the Air Force, [Mr.] Freeman was a radar technician and eventually rose the ranks to airman 1st class after nearly four years.
He left the Air Force in 1959 and turned his sights back on an acting career, eventually earning his first on-screen appearance during the 1964 TV soap opera “Another World.” [Mr.] Freeman has since gone on to become one of the most recognizable faces and voices in Hollywood, nominated for four Academy Awards and snagging the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2005 for his role in Clint Eastwood’s “Million Dollar Baby.”
Known as the founder of Motown Records in Detroit, Berry Gordy paved the way for what became a revered Motown sound that included pioneers of music like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson, and The Temptations. [Mr.] Gordy, however, spent his early life as a journeyman. He dropped out of school to pursue a career as a boxer, which was cut short after the Army drafted him to serve during the Korean War in 1951.
When his service ended in 1953, [Mr.] Gordy found himself an employee on an assembly line at the Ford Motor Company in Detroit. He began writing music then, which he parlayed into a career by borrowing $700 from his father to form his own company to make and sell records. Motown Records earned the distinguished honor of being the most lucrative and highest-earning African American business for more than 25 years. [Mr.] Gordy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama in 2016…
Before voicing Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” movie franchise, James Earl Jones joined the Army in 1953 following his time at the University of Michigan, where he excelled in the Pershing Rifles Drill Team and Scabbard and Blade Honor Society. He did basic training at Fort Benning, [Georgia], before attending Ranger school and helping [to] establish a cold weather training command near Leadville, Colorado.
Although [Mr.] Jones considered pursuing a military career, he [was] discharged from the Army as a [first] lieutenant and set his sights on acting. [Mr.] Jones’ acting career is draped in success, as he was just the second male African American actor to receive an Academy Award nomination for his work in “The Great White Hope” (1970). He also starred in critically acclaimed movies that include “Dr. Strangelove” (1964), “Coming to America” (1988), “Field of Dreams” (1989), “The Hunt for Red October” (1990), “Patriot Games” (1992) and “Clear and Present Danger” (1994). He’s received two Tony Awards, an honorary Academy Award, two Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award.
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