Honoring and Celebrating Black Culture

I began working with the DoD in 2014, and have had a variety of government roles and positions since then.

Below is a piece I wrote during my time with the Recruitment Office at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, as their Recruitment Communications Program Manager.

The article was first posted to my LinkedIn on March 4, 2020, and the original piece can be found on here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/honoring-celebrating-black-culture-brittany-l-reid/

Honoring and Celebrating Black Culture

Written by: Brittany L. Reid, Recruitment Communications Program Manager
NGA Talent Acquisition Center

     The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is a passionate advocate for promoting diversity and inclusion throughout its workforce. The agency puts a lot of heart into ensuring that different demographics within the NGA family can promote their various cultures with a loud and prominent voice. 

     Most recently, the agency’s Black Advisory Council created a Black History Month Committee to acknowledge and honor the contributions of African Americans throughout the entire month of February.

     I had the honor of witnessing several of these engagements. Here, you will find several mini-articles recapping what I considered as some of the key highlights over the past month.

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…TO RISE AND CONQUER

     On Feb. 4th, NGA hosted a session entitled “And They Dared to be Bold,” which honored the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen and the Golden Thirteen. These Air Force and Naval branches of the military, respectively, were made of members who forged paths, broke barriers, and subsequently gave rise to augmenting racial integration and Black excellence.

     Two of the featured speakers at this engagement were Retired Air Force Col. Roosevelt Joseph Lewis Jr. and Retired Army Col. Christine B. “Nickey” Knighton. Although they had different backstories, together, they enhanced the flame of success by carrying the torch that was passed down to them from their military predecessors.

     Col. Roosevelt spoke of how all of his ROTC instructors at the Tuskegee Institute were original Tuskegee Airmen. He recounted tales of soaring across the Tuskegee Airmen’s original training grounds with Alfred “Chief” Anderson, who was also the chief flight instructor and mentor to the Tuskegee Airmen during WWII. Col. Roosevelt went on to recall how during those first flights with Chief Anderson, his thoughts shifted from, “I think I can do this,” to “I know I can do this,” to “I have to do this!” From that moment on, Chief Anderson and other mentors. helped Col. Roosevelt to continue conquering ‘rocky flights’—or obstacles. Overcoming those hurdles strengthened Col. Roosevelt’s desire to explore his newfound passion of being an airman. He went on to procure a multitude of achievements like serving the U.S. Department of Defense in five Pentagon positions, including the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

     Col. Knighton spoke of how she originally planned to be a Home Economics teacher. However, after attending Tuskegee Institute and winning three ROTC scholarships, there was no stopping the rise of her success! Col. Knighton recalled that once, she had to take a flight from Columbus, GA to Atlanta, GA, which had so much turbulence she actually considered never flying again! However, while attending summer camp at Fort Riley, Kansas, she was introduced to the different branches of the Military and experienced her first helicopter ride on the Chinook CH-47. It was then that she knew she wanted to go to flight school for the Army ROTC—an option she never would have experienced had she stuck with her first impression from that earlier flight from Columbus to Atlanta. Col. Knighton went on to achieve a plethora of accomplishments, including becoming the second African American woman in the U.S. Department of Defense and the first woman from the state of Georgia to complete aviation training. 

     I thoroughly enjoyed listening as Col. Roosevelt and Col. Knighton shared their past experiences, wisdom, and expertise. I believe the most influential lesson that resonated with me from their stories, is that building and leveraging a network of encouraging mentors increases the potential for one to take risks and overcome challenges. This, in turn, opens doors to new paths, new opportunities, new connections, and will only continue to cultivate one’s ability to grow and excel in more ways than one could imagine. One simply has to be open to trying new things and exploring limitless possibilities.

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THE FUTURE IS NOW: HBCUs

 

On February 11th, the agency recognized the value and significance of Historic Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The main focus of the event was to explore avenues for how the agency can further augment the STEM skillsets of future NGA talent.

     I spoke to one attendee, Mr. Harold Bell of Spelman College, who provided his overall opinion of the agency’s outreach efforts. 

     “NGA’s proactive outreach with colleges and universities is really impressive, particularly where their research grants are concerned,” said Bell. “They’re doing a great job building bridges to develop future workforce pipelines.” 

     The event also featured NGA employees who were HBCU graduates. Their presence served as a testament to NGA’s high-level involvement in elevating, recruiting, and retaining diverse, agile, and quality talent from a broad spectrum of minority institutions.

     This engagement reminded me of the time I spent at the 18th Annual Alfred Street Baptist Church HBCU Festival on January 25 and the connections I made while conversing with students who showcased an eagerness to work in the DoD or the Intelligence Community. On Feb. 11, I felt inspired as I witnessed NGA enthusiastically explore how to bolster its connection with minority institutions, like HBCUS. It was also exciting to hear fruitful discussion about providing more opportunities for prospective students from those institutions.

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FEEL THE MUSIC IN YOUR SOUL

     On Feb. 18, the agency continued to uplift the soul of black culture with an engagement entitled, “Celebrating Our Legacy and Embracing the Future.” The special guest was Mr. Henry Beecher Hicks II, President and CEO of the National Museum of African American Music.

     During the event, attendees discussed how African American music has not only influenced American culture, but cultures all around the world. Music is universal, and even the Director of NGA, Vice Admiral Robert Sharp, highlighted how it is through music that people can build and strengthen connections with each other.

           Guests were then encouraged to build and share their own playlist of their “Top 5 Black Artists & Songs” with colleagues as a means of strengthening partnerships within the workforce. 

           That said, I wanted to take the opportunity to share my Top Five Favorite African American Artists/Songs:

5) Can’t Touch This – MC Hammer

4) I’m Every Woman – Whitney Houston

3) For You I Will – Monica 

2) I’m a Survivor – Destiny’s Child 

1)   Run The World (Girls!) -- Beyonce

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DIVERSIFY, UNIFY, AND CHARGE FORWARD

     Finally, on February 26, the agency rounded out the month with a special session focused on the Power of Diversity and Inclusion. The segment featured Dr. Stacey Dixon, the first African American Deputy Director of NGA, as one of several panelists who represented the agency from across its multiple work sites. 

     Dr. Dixon spoke of how she believes success isn’t determined by a person’s race, but by what that person can contribute to the job. “I think about what I can bring to this role that others may not have been able to bring,” said Dixon.

     Other members of the panel supported her sentiment. They also expressed the importance of being open-minded and willing to learn more about one another in order to overcome common misconceptions and unconscious biases. In addition, the panelists discussed how we can better ourselves by taking tactics and resolutions discussed to address diversity and inclusion issues, and transforming those words into actions.

     I believe that, in the end, a person’s race, age, and gender should be the last thought in our minds as we work together to build a stronger future. What matters is the equipment that each one of us brings to help construct that future and make it a reality.

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     The events NGA hosted throughout Black History Month are just a small sample of the agency’s countless initiatives to elevate diversity and inclusion within its workforce. 

     The agency also takes steps to feature open positions on job boards for diverse demographics throughout the year. For instance, in February, NGA posted the following positions on the job board for the National Society of Black Engineers: Data Scientist, Data Engineer and Program Manager—and more positions are coming soon!

     Now, as I wrap up this series of recaps, I’d like to ask you, the reader, to consider a few thoughts:

- What do Diversity and Inclusion mean to you?

-What did you enjoy most about Black History Month 2020?

- Share your playlist! List your “Top 5 Black Artists & Songs” that you feel would strengthen your connections with friends and colleagues!

 Please reply in the comments section below!

 To learn about NGA and its initiatives to attain diverse, agile, and quality talent, and to view its current open job positions, visit www.intelligenceareers.gov/NGA.