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Pirate Task Force Commander First Black Female Rear Admiral Michelle's Missing Press

Help me with my OUTRAGE!!!

Rear Adm. Michelle Howard took command of the Navy’s counterpiracy task force with incredible timing: Within three days of her April 5 turnover with outgoing Rear Adm. Terry McKnight, Somali pirates attacked the U.S.-flagged cargo ship Maersk Alabama and took its captain hostage.

Howard said she expected to be handed a full plate.

The Navy Times Headline:

Task force commander has busy first week

Why is and has there been almost ZERO mainstream reporting that the REAR-ADMIRAL who commanded the US NAVY ship that killed and captured the “Somali Pirates” last month is 1) The first African-American female to command a US Navy ship and 2) The fact that the Rear-Admiral who was in charge of the US Navy operations that resulted in the safe rescue is the SAME AFRICAN AMERICAN female? No wonder mainstream media is almost dead! On top of corporate racism?

Such a fine opportunity to provide millions of youth with a very positive roll model wasted. Help me not let that happen!

You will be amazed at the number of google news hits about her (I saw one that NPR did). Some on blogs.

LINK From Navy so info was release: http://www.navytimes.com/news/…

Cross-posted at freeflightnewmedia.typepad.com


Categories: General.

/ 11 Comments

11 comments

  1. canadian gal

    a female and black????  can’t be.  i say we push for an investigation into the affair with committee’s and sub-councils.  there is no way that this isn’t a cover up.

  2. Chris Blask

    “First”s are not nearly the news they were when I was a pup, and that itself is a sign of the times.  It isn’t news that he’s a she and that she’s black because it doesn’t make a difference.  That’s kinda the whole point we’ve been advocating for lo these many years.

  3. Michelle

    I’m part of a Navy family, and I spent tons of times during the GE covering military issues here, there, and everywhere.  Military issues are just not “sexy” enough to receive a lot of MSM or even independent media coverage.

    Rear Adm. Howard is certainly an inspiration for a lot of women, especially considering how few women rise in the ranks of the military.

  4. hubiestubert

    is sort of a good thing in my mind.

    That she is competent and black and female shouldn’t really be news, in and of itself. That is sort of what we assume when we promote folks. That they will do their jobs, and do them well.

    That there isn’t press on this, means that we’re getting to the point where competence isn’t news. That we can have women in positions of authority, and it isn’t news that they’re competent is exactly what women have been looking for, for years. Acceptance of their competence. Same for the African-American portion of the show.

    It’s the dilemma of the chess playing dog. Is it stunning that the dog plays amazing chess, or that the dog plays chess at all?

    That there isn’t a ton of press coverage is exactly what folk have been looking for, for years. Assumption of competence and ability. Sort of like there isn’t a lot of coverage about how many gay and lesbian business owners in Northampton are doing well–and are married. That it’s a non-story is a good thing. It’s a sign that we’re not obsessing over race and gender, and are moving forward.

  5. HappyinVT

    it’s a snub because of her race and/or gender.  It appears, from the the news reports I’ve read, that the captain of the Bainbridge is the one who made the call that allowed the snipers to fire on the pirates.  It is the snipers who managed to get off three simultaneous incredible shots.  Those are who deserve the credit in my mind.  I never even understood why Obama got credit for giving orders that force could be used.  What else was he going to do?

    Now I will agree that it would be nice for someone to recognize Adm. Howard for having achieved the rank but not necessarily for any actions with regard to this specific incident.

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