Equal opportunity in the U.S. Navy: Perceptions of active-duty African American women

The Navy’s Equal Opportunity/Sexual Harassment Survey has been conducted by the Navy Personnel Research and Development Center biennially since 1989. There are approximately 50,682 women serving on active duty in the US Navy today, out of a total force of about 249,639 active duty men and women. African American women currently compose 9.3 percent of all active duty Navy women officers and 30 percent of the Navy’s active duty enlisted women. It is consistent then that the largest concentration of enlisted African American women is in the field of administration, followed by medical/dental occupations, where 13.4 percent of the African American enlisted women are assigned. A Navy-wide message was issued to all commands soliciting their support in recruiting African American officers and enlisted personnel to participate in the focus group study. African American women in the focus groups raised concerns about the Navy’s commitment to equal opportunity.