Uncancelled – Nov 2022
We are very quick to cancel people. Even celebrities that died long ago are not safe. Cancel culture is nothing new. There is a story about a man named Zacchaeus who lived in a Palestinian city called Jericho around 30 C.E. Zacchaeus was a wealthy tax collector; the chief tax collector to be exact. The citizens perceived tax collectors as greedy, collaborators with the Roman government. Therefore, by Zacchaeus being a tax collector, he was helping to oppress his own people. He was a traitor, a literal sell-out! Therefore, the community cancelled him. Ironically, in Greek, Zacchaeus means “pure.”
Even though Zacchaeus had become very wealthy and wielded much power, he was still unfulfilled. He needed his community. One day, an influential religious leader came to town and served as a mediator between Zacchaeus and the community. He reminded both parties that Zacchaeus is still part of the family, regardless of what he had done.[1] As a result, Zacchaeus repented of his ways and offered to repair the wrong he had done to his people. The process of reconciliation had begun.
Being human is complicated. We all have the potential for great good and evil. At some point, we will all be the villain in somebody’s story, especially if you are in leadership. If we keep cancelling people at this present rate, who can stand? Instead cancelling people, we should be working on reconciliation. We can lovingly hold our family members accountable for their errors in judgement without excommunicating them. Afterall, does cancellation really help or does it create deeper resentments?
We will all be villains in somebody’s story; deservingly and undeservingly. I suggest when it comes to cancel culture, we treat others the way we want to be treated rather than how we think they should be treated.[2] Afterall, you could be next on the chopping block.
[1] Luke 19:9
[2] Matthew 7:12
One Body – Oct 2022
1 Corinthians 12:25-26
(New King James Version)
25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
I am guilty of what I am about to discuss.
At this past symposium, every time we took pictures, we could not just take a single service picture. We continued to divide ourselves into groups to take more photos: Divine Nine, HBCU, Athletes, Senior Officers, Baptist, Buddhist, Nation of Islam, etc. As of the writing of this article, plastered across the top of my Facebook page is a picture of my Spelman sisters and me. In the midst of the multiple photo sessions, I suddenly realized we have multiple affinity groups within an affinity group.
Where does it stop?
I started to get convicted about this as the days went on and, to be honest, it got ridiculous to me after a while. I noticed how some people did not fit into any of the myriad of groups we continued to break ourselves into and we started excluding each other. It made me wonder in what ways do we practice marginalization even within an organization that makes us feel marginalized?
I understand the history of the various organizations we represent and why they were created. They are institutions of empowerment for marginalized people. I understand why we need to celebrate and be proud of the Afro-Asian-Latina/o-Indigenous diaspora and all its components.
I know we are not a monolithic group. We are as diverse as any other group of people, which is what makes the world so rich, but we must be careful not to perpetuate the same unconscious bias and cronyism that has been used to justify discrimination.
We are all members of the Sea Services regardless of race, gender, faith, sexual orientation, or whatever way one chooses to be defined.
NNOA’s stated mission is:
To enhance Sea Service operational readiness by supporting recruiting, professional development, and retention in an effort to achieve a diverse officer corps that reflects the demographics of our Nation
The first line under our Guiding Principles states:
We are:
- A professional organization comprised of active duty, reserve, retired officers, and civilians that seek diversity and inclusive membership
If we truly want to embody diversity and inclusion then I truly believe we must be a unified, equitable body.
I am not saying it is wrong to celebrate the things that make us who we are. We can celebrate the internal diversity that we have. It is needed. We can be proud of the many cultures and institutions that helped shape us into who we are today. But it cannot be to the exclusion of others. All must feel like valued members of the body. All parts of the body are necessary, and one is not greater than the other.
When we are together as NNOA, we need to focus on being one body.
Just something to think about.
NNOA Celebrates 2022 INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY HOLIDAY
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is celebrated annually on the second Monday of October. First recognized in 1989 by the state of South Dakota to honor the rich cultures, lives and histories of Native Americans, President Biden signed a proclamation on 8 October 2021, officially recognizing it as a federal holiday. This holiday celebrates the contributions, traditions and resilience of native peoples of continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii.
Previously referred to as Columbus Day, for Native Americans, Columbus Day was a hurtful reminder, as it glorified the violent past, constituting 500 years of colonial torture, subjugation, oppression and genocide by European explorers like Columbus and those who settled in the Americas, the Caribbean and Hawaii. Indigenous Peoples’ Day draws attention to the pain, trauma, and broken promises that were erased by the celebration of Columbus Day. Before the arrival of European settlers, the indigenous people of the Americas maintained flourishing, self-sufficient, advanced societies and communities, sustaining life for thousands of years. Many of these vibrant and diverse societies were advanced in agriculture, architecture, astronomy, arithmetic and had written languages, leading to the creation of some of the most accurate calendars, almanacs and the abacus and many bustling urban cities. Indigenous people have served and continue to serve, in the United States Armed Forces, with distinction and honor. Some of the most celebrated, like Ira Hayes and the Navajo Code Talkers during World War II continue to be revered.
Commitment to Excellence and the Fair Treatment of All
By Lieutenant Commander R. Kamille Williams, U.S. Navy | September 19, 2022
“I am committed to excellence and the fair treatment of all.”
That is the last line of the Sailor’s Creed.
The word creed is from the Latin word credo which means “I believe.” The Sailor’s Creed is supposed to articulate what we believe as sailors. We are sailors first. We are not our racial, gender, or ethnic classification. We are sailors. Too many within the ranks hold onto their individual identities and tribes outside of the Navy. Even within the Navy, too many base their identity around their rating, community, and rank. There is not one cohesive sailor identity.