Statement on Naval Academy Recruitment
April 16, 2009
Press Release
Washington, D.C.— Today, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), a member of the Board of Visitors at the U.S. Naval Academy and former Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, released the statement below applauding the Naval Academy for its recruitment efforts, which resulted in a 50 percent jump in this year’s applicants:
“America’s greatest strength as a nation derives not from the great weaponry of our military, but from our diversity and our mutual respect for one another. Diversity is not a problem or a challenge that must be managed, but a promise that exists in every single individual that can only be cultivated and fully realized through our collective commitment to assure fair treatment to everyone.
“Two years ago, the U.S. Naval Academy expanded its outreach efforts to ensure that its student body reflected the diversity of our nation’s population at large. Through the new efforts of the Office of Diversity and the Office of Admissions, the Academy has seen this year’s number of applications soar, and it will be admitting the most diverse class in its history.
“Our military service academies admit and train the very best of the best to lead our nation’s armed forces, and it is critical that recruitment efforts do not exclude any populations. I applaud the recruitment efforts of the Naval Academy, and I hope that its success will be replicated in the future by the other service academies and the U.S. military. By ensuring that our entire population is represented in our military and military service academies, we are building a force that is strengthened by its diversity and commitment to serve our entire nation.”
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