By Ashleigh Fields
AFRO Assistant Editor
afields@afro.com

Approximately 75 years ago, President Harry S. Truman desegregated the United States military, forever changing the landscape of defense by blurring racial lines and unblocking life changing opportunities for service members of color. 

This year, local non-profit Leave No Veteran Behind, invited everyone from soldiers from the front lines to high-ranking White House officials to discuss Truman’s transformative decision over seven decades later. Anthony Woods, secretary of Maryland Department of Veteran Affairs, Dr. James Dula, USAF Retired and Mieia Edmonds, a representative, Navy Federal Credit Union in addition to several others spoke during the “Impact Panel.” The topic of discussion was “Creating Veteran Pipelines Into Civic Solutions” with a heavy focus on veteran employment.

Featured speakers included Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX-18), Edna W. Cummings from the U.S. Army and a champion of the Six Triple Eight Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021 and Dr. William Rowe, Chairman of the 75th EO9981 Ad Hoc Committee EO9981 which was established as the President’s Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services.

 Photos courtesy of Leave No Veteran Behind

Eli Williamson (left) , co-founder/board president, Leave No Veteran Behind;Antony Woods, secretary of Maryland Department of Veteran Affairs; Julian Purdy, principal deputy assistant secretary for Policy Veterans Employment and Training Services, Department of Labor;Mieia Edmonds, representative, Navy Federal Credit Union; James D. Sydnor, D.C. member – Mayor’s Advisory Board on DC Veterans Affairs,Chief of Staff; Brigadier General Charles E. McGee VFW Post 341 and James A. Dula, Ph.D, Veteran Affairs director, Office of the County Executive, Prince Georges County speak to veterans in attendance.
Ret. Col. Edna Cummings, the researcher and advocate for the six triple eight infantry, gives the keynote speech with a focus on issues presently affecting veterans.
James D. Sydnor (left), D.C. member – Mayor’s Advisory Board on DC Veterans Affairs, chief of staff, Brigadier General Charles E. McGee VFW Post 341, Emanuel Johnson, Black Veterans Coalition; Julian Purdy, principal deputy assistant secretary for Policy Veterans Employment and Training Services, Department of Labor; Eli Williamson, co-founder/board president, Leave No Veteran Behind discuss economic opportunities for veterans.
Dr. James A. Dula currently serves as the Veteran Affairs director in the Office of the County Executive for Prince George’s County.
Dr. William Rowe is the Chairman of the 75th EO9981 Ad Hoc Committee EO9981- established the President’s Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services to recommend revisions to military regulations to implement this policy and published the founding ideals of a fully inclusive force in the “Freedom to Serve” report on May 22, 1950.

A fresh perspective has arrived at The AFRO-American Newspapers. Ashleigh Fields has been named the new assistant editor, bringing new ideas to the oldest Black-owned business in Maryland. Fields’...