The U.S. Navy task force created to “combat discrimination” in the military branch suggested that all sailors take a pledge to “acknowledge all lived experiences and intersectional identities.”
“I pledge to advocate for and acknowledge all lived experiences and intersectional identities of every Sailor in the Navy,” the proposed pledge reads. “I pledge to engage in ongoing self-reflection, education and knowledge sharing to better myself and my communities. I pledge to be an example in establishing healthy, inclusive and team-oriented environments. I pledge to constructively share all experiences and information gained from activities above to inform the development of Navywide reforms.”
The pledge comes as a result of Task Force Navy One, which was formed in June to “address the issues of racism, sexism and other destructive biases and their impact on naval readiness,” a Navy press release said.
“As a Navy — uniform and civilian, active and reserve – we cannot tolerate discrimination or racism of any kind. We must work to identify and eliminate individual and systemic racism within our force,” the chief of naval operations, Adm. Mike Gilday, said of the task force. “That is why we are standing up Task Force One Navy, which will work to identify and remove racial barriers and improve inclusion within our Navy.”
In addition to the pledge, the report also details how Naval leaders can better relate to subordinates and peers.
“At the command level, we need to: a. Start a dialogue with your superiors, peers and teams and listen to their personal stories and experiences. If we have not directly experienced racism, sexism, ageism, or other forms of discrimination, it is often difficult to realize they exist,” the report said. “However, they do exist in our Navy and country, and it is our responsibility to eliminate them. b. Keep the conversation going. Practice inclusion every day by integrating Sailor and civilian perspectives in early stages of problem-solving and idea generation. In each meeting you have and problem you tackle, include all perspectives to gather varied points of view that will help you make the best decision.”
The task force also tackled issues relating to the treatment of gender minorities, updating ship and street names on installations, and countering hate speech.
“We must demand of each other that we treat everyone with dignity and respect. If you won’t do that, then our Navy is not the best place for you,” Gilday said. “We are one team, and we are one Navy.”
