Honoring Diversity in the U.S. Navy

Every February, we celebrate Black History Month, recognizing the achievements of Black Americans. This past February, I wrote about the history of Camp Robert Smalls. Every time I write about a subject, I tend to find more subjects that need attention. In writing about this all–Black World War II training camp, I came across the story of an artist. Actually it was a story of three artists: Edsel Cramer, Isaiah Williams, and Hughie Lee-Smith. Assigned to Camp Robert Smalls in 1944, these three artists were given the task of creating morale-building art for the walls of the camp's recreation building. They created 12 murals depicting the legacy of Black Americans serving in the U.S. Navy from the American Revolution through World War I. Although these murals are lost to time, the story of their creation and their creators demonstrates a commitment to diversity in the history of the U.S. Navy. Read about Hughie Lee-Smith (navy.mil) and learn more about impact that this experience had on his career as an artist.