As the Army grapples with changing the names of almost a dozen posts named for Confederate generals like Braxton Bragg and John Bell Hood, a task force set up to help the Navy improve diversity says some of its ships may have connections to Confederate or white supremacist ideologies.
A report released this week from “Task Force One Navy” offered a set of nearly 60 recommendations to enhance diversity and a culture of inclusivity in the service. Among the list was a call to modernize the process of naming ships, buildings and streets in honor of national and historical naval figures.
The task force was set up in the wake of the May 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer and the civil unrest that followed.
“As a Navy — uniform and civilian, active and reserve — we cannot tolerate discrimination of any kind and must engage in open and honest conversations with each other and take action,” said Adm. Mike Gilday, the Chief of Naval Operations.
The task force said there doesn’t appear to be a consolidated database of Navy assets that can be used to determine if the names reflect the Navy core values, according to the report.
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Any renaming effort in the Navy should focus on honoring “persons of historically underrepresented demographics, including racial minorities, women and enlisted members,” the report stated.
“This initiative is an opportunity to honor and name Navy assets for Naval heroes from all classes, races, genders and backgrounds,” the report states.
Navy ships that may face a name-change include the USS Chancellorsville — named after a battle widely considered a Confederate victory — and the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, a staunch segregationist and lawmaker who voted against the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
According to their report, the task force recommended focusing any potential name change on “persons of historically underrepresented demographics, including racial minorities, women and enlisted members.”
Adm. Gilday said the Navy had fallen short in the past by limiting opportunities for people on the basis of race, sexual orientation, gender or creed.
“Our Navy must continue to remove barriers to service and, most importantly, be a shining example of a workforce centered on respect, inclusive of all,” Arm. Gilday said.
Over the past six months, the team conducted almost 300 interviews and focus groups throughout the Navy and received comments and suggestions from nearly 900 officers and enlisted sailors.
Adm. Gilday said he was personally committed to the effort to move forward together towards meaningful, long-lasting change.
“Simply put, all sailors — uniformed and civilian — and applications for accession to the Navy must be treated with dignity and respect above all else,” he said.