People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)

From 2019 to 2022, I was stationed in Norfolk, VA. My ship was at the end of a pier shared with three other ships. Many days, I walked the entire length of the pier, from the security checkpoint to the quarterdeck of my ship, in uniform, in broad daylight, with plenty of sailors around and not one single salute. It was as if I was wearing an invisibility cloak.

I watched as other officers were saluted and chiefs greeted. Some sailors looked me in the eyes and still did not salute. If I was greeted, it was often with, “Good morning, chief.” Why was the automatic assumption that I was a chief?

On another occasion, while walking past a group of enlisted sailors who failed to salute, the chief walking behind me saw this and tore these sailors a new one. I stood there looking at the genuine confusion on their faces, and I could tell they honestly had not realized I was an officer.

Maybe it’s because I look young. Yeah… that’s it.

I constantly wrestle with these moments:

• Is it worth the energy to correct one sailor when there are about 20 more I may have to correct?
• Will I be perceived as a power-tripping “you-know-what” if I say something?
• What should I do?

In speaking with some of my colleagues, I have learned that this experience is not unique to me and is all too common among women of color. The struggle remains the same.

Over Christmas break, I watched Tyler Perry’s The Six Triple Eight, a movie about the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-Black and all-female battalion, in World War II. As I watched the movie and witnessed these women’s struggles, it resonated with me. These women faced discrimination not only because of their gender but also because of their race. Their struggles during a period in American history where minoritized people had far fewer rights are not unlike those of minoritized people today. The women of 6888 served during a time when that type of discriminatory behavior was permitted. That was the culture back then. Eighty years later, the culture is nearly identical despite the advances. People treat you how they see you if they see you.

We are a quarter of the way into the 21^st century. The time for a culture shift is now. In 2025, it should not be an anomaly to see people of color serving in leadership positions up and down the chain of command. In 2025, we should be at the point where we respect the rank, regardless of who’s wearing it. This culture of picking and choosing who and when to respect must end. In 2025, we need to be at the point where minoritized people in leadership are not the exception but the norm.