Black Women Also Serve By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

Sept. 28, 2014

(TriceEdneyWire) —These past few weeks as our nation is fighting evil forces abroad, we’ve been so consumed by males gone wild, mainly athletes and police, that it’s easy to forget to acknowledge accomplishments of women and how, instead of acting like renegade thugs, women have and are still serving and protecting our country in many ways. The National Congress of Black Women, recently added to the number of things we do to make a difference in our community a committee to advocate for women veterans, with the hope of influencing public policy that will improve the quality of life for Black Women who served.

Recently I spoke for a rally on the Equal Rights Amendment. I heard women veterans speak out about how they’re treated once they leave the military.  We’ve already heard a lot about how they’re treated in the military.  I heard a Black female retiree talk about being homeless for 10 years after serving to keep us safe. Our nation failed her when she came home.

Several ex-military women told stories of the neglect of women in the military and after they leave. I’d heard some of these stories from one of our members, and decided it was time for us to do more. We formed a Veterans Committee to help women and their families.

Our committee acts as a catalyst for positive public policy and civic engagement. Our goal is work with legislators, community leaders and others to affect public policy for the good of Black women who’ve served in our armed forces.  As Black women come to be treated better, so will other women. That’s the way it’s always been. Think about the Civil Rights Movement. Our ancestors fought for our rights, but often others benefit more than we have.

Black females are represented in higher numbers in the military than in the civilian sector. Some see the military as an equal opportunity employer due to the fact that we typically earn less than others with the same level of education in the civilian labor force. Although, there’s been a sharp decline in enlistment over the past 10 years, some Black women have been able to reach powerful ranks that might suggest that structural barriers to the inclusion of Black women in the military are crumbling; modern policies send a different message.

As evidenced by recent military bans on certain hairstyles, there’s an overarching climate of bias that can be harmful to Black women. The stress experienced by Black females in the military may be a function of race, ethnicity, gender, class, rank, and/or varying degrees of resilience to bias against any of these identities. Though Black veterans are less likely to be screened for mental health problems, research has found that 43 percent of Black veterans suffer from PTSD and about 1 in 5 women experience Military Sexual Trauma (MST).

Women of all racial and ethnic groups report experiencing sexual harassment. Women in the military are specifically at risk for PTSD and other mental and physical health disorders.  Black women in the military are routinely exposed to sexualized harassment and exploitation—more than other women.

In growing numbers, Black women are entering the armed forces, and putting their lives on the line to serve our country. Some have died. Some have sacrificed their mental health. Of the 150,000 women who were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, 23 percent are Black.

PTSD is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after experiencing an event that results in psychological trauma. Many soldiers, especially Black women, are experiencing PTSD at alarming rates, and worse, our nation is ill-equipped to assist them in their struggle.  This must change, and it behooves us to seek to change this. Talk to your representatives about doing so.

(Dr. E. Faye Williams is President/CEO of the National Congress of Black Women. www.nationalcongressbw.org.)