Black Women in Command

Black women have always served—often without recognition, often without authority, and too often without protection. Yet across the twentieth century, they forged paths into leadership spaces that were never designed for them.

In this episode of Rise to Command, we center the stories of Black women who navigated the dual burdens of racism and sexism while serving in the U.S. military, carving out space for command, credibility, and institutional change.

From segregated units and limited occupational roles to moments of breakthrough leadership, these women challenged deeply entrenched norms and reshaped what military authority could look like.

Drawing from oral histories, institutional records, and lived experience, this episode examines how Black women asserted leadership in environments that questioned their presence at every turn—and how their service expanded the meaning of command itself.

This is not just a story about inclusion.

It is a story about power, resilience, and transformation.

📘 Rise to Command: Black Military Officers’ Stories of Survival and Leadership from World War II through the Cold War is available now—pick up a copy to explore these narratives in greater depth.

Amazon link: 1https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Command-Military-Officers-Leadership/dp/0700638822/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2XX6G8W2S2Q1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.taP5OxkBOOjFIzOqiW6h9wEKMN1gOZNfaCqprE_CBFM.v1N5yNCzvqVvenWBVc8cYKSNCelpqIP4sfy2ZbM9vos&dib_tag=se&keywords=rise+to+command%2C+isaac+hampton&qid=1767550469&sprefix=%2Caps%2C105&sr=8-1

🎧 Listen, reflect, and share—because these stories matter.