The "Air Force's Black Ceiling" is a view of diversity in the Air Force from one man's over 28 years in the Air Force. This view begins with his perspectives and insights as an Air Force Academy cadet and continues with his progression through company and field grade ranks. It also includes special insights gained while serving on the Secretary of Defense's Diversity Task Force as the Deputy Director of the Defense Business Practice Implementation Board. The author's view of diversity has been bolstered by face to face interviews with five former African American Air Force four-star generals and numerous current and former African American generals in the Air Force and the Army. The author's views are also influenced by numerous discussions with former graduates of the US Air Force Academy, his work with the Tuskegee Airmen chapters and his own detailed research into the biographies of former Air Force Chiefs of Staff and former Strategic, Tactical and Air Combat Command Commanders. The title might imply that the "Black Ceiling" has been put in place on purpose by senior Air Force leaders... the reader will find out that isn't the case. The reader however will find out that there are very distinct remnants of an intricate system of exclusionary development practices, cultural practices, stereotypes and biases that have served to keep the ceiling in place for African American men throughout the Air Force's existence.
Ivan is a seasoned author with over 30 published titles. His books are available on Amazon.com, and many are available as audiobooks on Audible.com. Ivan’s Christian books give Scriptural advice on such topics as being a Christian in the workplace, being a better father, discovering your purpose, finding the “Next” step in your purpose, God’s healing power, growing in confidence, recovering from brokenness and increasing your skills and abilities in any area. Several of these books and audiobooks are also available in Spanish. Ivan’s three exceptional books about diversity in the Air Force books have garnered rave reviews and are available on Amazon (one also on Audible). Ivan has over 25 years of experience consulting, conducting senior leadership off-sites, and strategic planning sessions. He served as Deputy Director of the Defense Business Practice Implementation Board. As the Deputy, he helped facilitate Task Groups for the Secretary of Defense comprised of senior DoD civilians and retired and active Fortune 500 CEOs. Ivan is also a singer/songwriter, actor, business consultant, and inventor. He is a retired Air Force officer with five adult children and resides in New York City. He graduated with military distinction and as the Outstanding Cadet in Organizational Behavior from the United States Air Force Academy in 1986 and earned his Master’s in Management from Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1995.
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Several months ago, at a book signing in Colorado Springs, two elderly white women asked me if my book, “The Air Force’s Black Ceiling,” was still relevant. “Black Ceiling” was written in 2016 and followed by two sequels, “The Air Force’s Black Pilot Training Experience” and “The Air Force’s Black Pilot State of the Union.” There are other sequels in the works. But the publication date didn’t prompt the questions.
Lieutenant General Richard M. Clark, Superintendent of the US Air Force Academy (USAFA) in Colorado Springs, is black. Former Air Force Chief of Staff (CSAF) and current Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, General Charles Q. Brown, is black. Lt Gen. Clark was the first black USAFA Superintendent, and Gen. Brown was the first black CSAF. The implication from the women was that there was no more black ceiling in the Air Force.
The Air Force became a separate Service in 1947. Gen. Brown became CSAF in 2020. The first blacks graduated from USAFA in 1966. Lt Gen. Clark became Superintendent in 2020. These overdue breakthroughs are very significant, but too many ”firsts” still have yet to happen. This year, Lt Gen. Adrian L. Spain became the first black Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations on the Air Staff in the Pentagon. There has never been a black general officer on the Tactical Air Command/Air Combat Command staff nor a wing commander at any of the “premier” fighter wings in the continental United States.
Book Excerpt
The Air Force’s Black Ceiling
Brigadier General Jeannie M. Leavitt became the Air Force’s female fighter pilot in 1994. In 2012 she became commander of the 4th fighter wing at Seymour-Johnson AFB, one of the Air Force’s premier fighter wings. In 2016 she became commander of the 57th fighter wing at Nellis AFB, another prestigious fighter wing with somewhat greater responsibilities. Black men became fighter pilots in the 1940s and none of them have commanded a premier fighter wing in the continental US. General “Fig” Newton came closest to this accomplishment by commanding the stealth fighter wing at Holloman AFB in 1993. There have been no black fighter wing commanders in the continental US since. All wings are not created equal. The wings that decorate the resumes of the ACC Commanders and the Chiefs of Staff are easy to identify and I will go into that in greater detail later in the next segment. Suffice it to say that the doors seem to have opened faster and to a wider degree for white females than for black males. That is an issue that is incredibly difficult but that must be faced squarely by the senior-most leadership levels of the Air Force if the perception of a “black ceiling” is to be eradicated.
This issue is further complicated by what Dr. Stephen Covey refers to as “scarcity mentality” or a “Lose-Win mindset” that says “there’s only so much pie to go around, and if you get some there will be less for me”. (Pearson S. , 2011) Unfortunately door opening to one may sound like door closing to another. Dr. Covey’s “abundance mentality” asserts that we can have a “Win-Win” view, an attitude that says “we can all achieve more together”, and “there’s plenty to go around and everyone can enjoy the plenty that we’ve been given.” (Pearson S. , 2011) What this might look like in the realm of fighter pilot and fighter pilot general officer diversity is door opening prior to and upon commissioning. A truly level playing field can only exist when the doors to become a fighter pilot are open upon commission and the doors to be mentored and developed throughout an entire career based on your ability are open more than they have ever been. At that point, under ideal circumstances, unusual doors would no longer have to opened because the regular doors would be open to all equally, despite race and gender or parents last name.
What Wing Do You Command?
I posed the following question on several social media sites: “how many black, active duty, CONUS fighter wing commanders have there been in the Air Force? I prefaced the question by saying that I had only known of one, General Lloyd “Fig” Newton back in 1993. The answer to the question had historical significance as it pertains to diversity. In Col McGee’s biography it stated that “stateside commands were not available to black officers in 1954. Chappie James broke the color barrier with a command at Otis Air Base near Boston in 1956”. (Smith, 2008) The Gen James reference pertained to command of a fighter squadron but I felt I had to point it out to identify whether there was any lingering relevance in 2016. The answer to the question is also a pivotal one because I believe it points to why the Air Force has had such as a scant number of black fighter and bomber Numbered Air Force Commanders. I could find no one who knew of any black fighter wing commanders in the CONUS since Gen Newton. The answer to the black CONUS fighter wing commander question led me to do some research. Specifically I wanted to see if I missed any black fighter wing commanders and to see if there was indeed a connection between serving as a fighter wing commander and being selected to become a fighter NAF commander. I decided to research the careers of all the Wing Commanders of the 1st, 4th and 20th Fighter Wings from about 1975 to the present. I chose these wings because they are some of the wings that I have previously referred to as “premier wings”. They have this distinction from me because of their support of combat operations in Iraq (under AFCENT/9th Air Force). I have also given them this distinction because of the success that the commanders of these wings have achieved.
From 1975 to 2016, eleven of the commanders from these three bases have gone on to achieve four-star rank and eighteen have achieved three-star rank—many of them NAF Commanders. The number of four-stars may grow as several of the three-stars are junior enough to be promoted. From 1st fighter wing alone have come seven four-stars (1 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1 Air Force Chief of Staff, 1 Commander of SAC, 2 Commanders of USAFE, 1 AFMC and 1 AETC Commander) and four three-stars 1 NAF CC, 2 HQ USAF Directors of Operations and 1 HQ USAF Inspector General. The 4th wing has produced three four-stars (including 2 TAC/ACC Commanders, I US Joint Forces Command Commander) and seven three-stars (including 5 NAF CCs). The 20th fighter wing has produced a four-star Air Force Chief of Staff and seven three-3 stars (including 3 NAF CCs).
There is no secret to greater diversity in the senior fighter pilot ranks of the Air Force. The path to success lies in plain view in the resumes of its most successful leaders. The Air Force does not have more black fighter pilot four-stars because of its dearth in black fighter pilot three-stars. It does not have more black fighter pilot three-stars because it does not have more black, one-star commanders of its premier fighter wings. It does not have more one-star commanders of its premier fighter wings because it has not done the work needed to identify and develop high-potential black senior captains and majors. I will show in great detail what this type of early identification and development this looks like for non-minority officers in the next segment entitled “Go Find Me a Major”.
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