(Photo : Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla)
ANNAPOLIS, MD - MAY 23: The U.S. Navy Blue Angels aerobatic team flies over the United States Naval Academy Graduation and Commissioning Ceremony at the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium May 23, 2008 in Annapolis, Maryland. Founded in 1845, the academy will graduate 1037 1st Class Midshipmen, more than a thousand of which will go on to commissions in the armed forces.
Sydney Barber, Midshipman 1st Class, would be the first woman of color to become the brigade commander at the United States Naval Academy. She would hold the highest leadership position for the spring semester within the brigade.
First Black Woman as US Naval Academy Brigade Commander
Barber is the first Black woman to bear the top role of leading fellow midshipmen at the academy. Brigade commander is the highest leadership position within the USNA's student body.
It would be a historical move at the Naval Academy in Annapolis in 2021.
The woman from Lake Forest, Illinois would become the academy's first African American female brigade commander.
The position's term spanning one semester is selected through an application and interview process by the commandant's staff and senior leadership.
According to the release, Barber is a mechanical engineering major looking to commission as a Marine Corps ground officer.
Barber is the 16th woman chosen for brigade commander in the span of 44 years women have attended the school, reported FOX 8.
In 1976, women started to be accepted to the Naval Academy. Barber is the first woman of color to lead her peers at the academy in its 175-year-old history.
Barber notably developed a STEM mentorship program to assist young Black girls to hone their skills in the field.
In 1992, then-Midshipman 1st Class Juliane Gallina was the first female brigade commander. Galiana from the class of 1992 served in the position amid the fall of 1991.
According to Barber in a statement, "Earning the title of brigade commander speaks volumes, but the title itself is not nearly as significant as the opportunity it brings to lead a team in doing something I believe will be truly special. I am humbled to play a small role in this momentous season of American history," reported USA Today.
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Janie Mines, the first woman of color to graduate from US Navy Academy, took to Facebook by hastily congratulating Barber and sharing a photograph of her.
Mines wrote on Facebook, "This brought me to tears. This young woman, Midshipman Sydney Barber, will be the first Black Female Brigade Commander at the U.S. Naval Academy. 40 years later. Thank you, Sydney! Love you!"
With the first class of women inducted in 1976, Mines graduated from the USNA in 1980.
Barber also has overseen a networking breakfast to link current Black midshipmen with alumni. She also has been a pivotal part of the naval school's track and field teams.
She remarked in a video that women like Mines inspire her as role models and become her "wildest dream."
Ryan Chapman, Midshipman 1st Class, is the current brigade commander for this semester.
With 3 years of engaging in competitions, Barber is also on the Navy Women's Varsity Track and Field team. She is a US Navy Academy laureate for the outdoor 4x400m relay.
She recently merged a team of over 180 midshipmen, alumni, and faculty to further inclusion, diversity, and equity at the naval academy.
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