The U.S. Coast Guard Academy hosted Eclipse 2019, its annual identity and inclusion event, April 5-6, featuring a keynote address by former Spellman College president Dr. Beverly Tatum.

Tatum, author of “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? and Other Conversations About Race,” spoke on the cycle of racism and its impact on everyone.

“It (racism) may not be our fault, but we all have a collective responsibility to interrupt the cycle. And that is the good news, the cycle can be interrupted. But not without intentionality. You have to be intentional about it. Because there’s so much momentum, it has a lot of momentum, it moves with or without your active participation,” she said. “But it can only be interrupted with your active participation.”

“We are in a position to shape our Coast Guard culture,” Academy superintendent Rear Adm. James Rendón said during the event, “and I tell you truly, we must each do our part to help drive this institution and our Coast Guard to a place of greater equity and inclusion.”

During Eclipse, the fifth deck of Roland Hall was renamed the Dr. Hallie E. Gregory Field House in honor of the first African American head coach at any U.S. service academy.

Several community members also received awards at the event, including New London Mayor Michael Passero (JoAnn Miller Community Award); Dr. Sharon Zelmanowitz (Merle Smith Pioneer Trailblazer Award); Lt. Cmdr. Celina Ladyga (Joseph M. Vojvodich Award), the Mathmatics Learning Center Team including Tim Fill, Susan Miller, John Lehet and Julie Shetterly (Coach Hallie E. Gregory Respect Award); Prof. Kathrine Krystinik (Francis Neal Humanitarian Award); and Dr. Jillian McCleod, Ellyn Metcalf and Richelle Johnson of the Equity Task Force (Manson K. Brown Genesis Award).