NAS Pensacola Celebrates Black History Month

Photo By Bruce Cummins | PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Training Support Center (TSC) Pensacola's Personnel Specialist Seaman Peyton Harris presents speaks during the Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola Diversity Committee's Black History Month celebration Feb. 24. The hour-long program was designed to celebrate the achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history, has been observed annually since 1976. The NAS Pensacola Diversity Committee, an organization dedicated to highlighting cultural, racial and other group identifying characteristics, organized the hour-long program.  

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES

02.24.2023

Courtesy Story

Naval Air Station Pensacola

By Ens. Angelique Therrien
Naval Air Station Pensacola Public Affairs
PENSACOLA, Fla. – Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola service members and civilian employees celebrated a nationally recognized commemoration month Feb. 24 with a presentation and potluck luncheon.
National Black History Month, an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history, has been observed annually since 1976. The NAS Pensacola Diversity Committee, an organization dedicated to highlighting cultural, racial and other group identifying characteristics, organized the hour-long program.
“Diversity has opened the doors for the military to have more inclusion,” said Keisha Gainey, a Navy veteran and NAS Pensacola information technology professional. “Our militaries are made up of different backgrounds and cultures and recognizing this has allowed the military to be more receptive of people as a whole, to treat each other fairly and accept the different cultures and values which make us so much stronger.”
The event included presentations from Sailors on influential Black people in American history, with guest speakers providing historical synopses on desegregation activist Ruby Bridges; the first African American appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall; John Henry Turpin, one of the first African American Chief Petty Officers; and the first African American commanding officer of NAS Pensacola and U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron (The Blue Angels) Capt. (ret.) Keith Hoskins.
Additionally, NAS Pensacola Commanding Officer Capt. Terrence Shashaty spoke about the importance of diversity in the U.S. Navy ranks, citing examples of how he was personally influenced by culturally diverse leaders throughout his career, and encouraged younger service members to continue inspiring change.
“Take advantage of the history we shared here today,” Shashaty said. “Look back and figure out where mistakes were made and move forward and we’ll be in a much better place.”
NAS Pensacola, referred to as the ‘Cradle of Naval Aviation,’ supports the operational and training missions of tenant commands including Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC), the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT), Marine Aviation Training Support Groups (MATSG) 21 and 23 and is the headquarters for Naval Education and Training Command (NETC).

• Date Taken: 02.24.2023
• Date Posted: 02.24.2023 13:45
• Story ID: 439130
• Location: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, US