Not only do I support him, so does my mentor Dr. Maya Angelou, she inspired a large number of my poems published in my poetry book "Essence of Black Beauty."
As a young black female enlisted and officer serving in the Navy for 20 years, at nearly every one of my Navy commands I was the only black female officer. Each of these experiences I wrote about in my diaries and poems. I titled my book Essence of Black Beauty because this is what I reminded myself of everyday, when my white male counterparts wanted to convince me that I was only there to fill a quota. Based on my prior military experience coupled with a post graduate degree, I knew was just as qualified as they were.
In my book Broken Silence, I discuss what my life was like "filling a quota". In the chapter titled "Being a black woman in a white man's Navy", I describe blatant prevalence of racial and gender inequalities that still exist in the Navy.
In my chapter titled "Good ole Boys Retaliate", I describe how I was fired from my job after I reported my bosses for defense contract fraud and how I was replaced by a white male defense contractor. Although he was qualified to do my job he was hired illegally, at the time he was hired he was a defense contractor and this illegal revolving door practice violated the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
After the DoD IG investigation was complete, proving the company he worked for committed violations of the FAR, he and a handful of other culprits were rehired as a government civil service employees. These guys love to keep evidence of fraud in-house!!
On a much brighter note, I wanted to share a letter Dr. Angelou emailed to President Obama which was posted on his campaign website. As always, my role model has such an eloquent way of reminding us "who we are, where we come from and how far we still have to go" on our journey in demanding racial, gender and social equality.
“Pretty or plain, heavy or thin, gay or straight, poor or rich”
By on
The great American author and poet Dr. Maya Angelou sent an email to Obama supporters this morning, urging everyone not just to vote, but to make sure your friends and family vote, too:
I am not writing to you as a black voter, or a woman voter, or as a voter who is over 70 years old and six feet tall. I am writing to you as a representative of this great country—as an American.It is your job to vote. It is your responsibility, your right, and your privilege. You may be pretty or plain, heavy or thin, gay or straight, poor or rich.But remember this: In an election, every voice is equally powerful—don't underestimate your vote. Voting is the great equalizer.Voting has already begun in some states that President Obama needs to win. So please use this handy tool to make sure your friends in those key states know where to cast their ballot. You will be doing them a great favor.As a country, we can scarcely perceive the magnitude of our progress.My grandmother and my uncle experienced circumstances that would break your heart. When they went to vote, they were asked impossible questions like, "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?" When they couldn't answer, they couldn't vote.I once debated with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. about whether an African American would ever be elected president. He believed it would happen within the next 40 years at the time—I believed it would never happen within my lifetime.I have never been happier to have been proven wrong.And since President Barack Obama's historic election, we've moved forward in courageous and beautiful ways. More students can afford college, and more families have access to affordable health insurance. Women have greater opportunities to get equal pay for equal work.Yet as Rev. King wrote, "All progress is precarious."So don't sit on the sidelines. Don't hesitate. Don't have any regrets. Vote.Go, rise up, and let your friends and family in early vote states know where they can vote today. We must make our voices heard.Your vote is not only important. It's imperative.Thank you,Dr. Maya Angelou
Syneeda why do you insist on teasing us, awaiting the release of your book? If your story is just as interesting as the stories you post to your blog, I can't wait to read about it. I'm more of a visual person, I would actually prefer to see a movie about your story. Anything surrounding sex, lies and corruption especially involving the U.S. military will sell millions at the box office.
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