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Naval Academy names its first Black female brigade commander

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November 9, 2020 at 6:03 p.m. EST
Midshipman 1st Class Sydney Barber will be the Naval Academy’s first Black female brigade commander. (MC2 Nathan Burke/U.S. Navy)

A Black woman will lead 4,400 of her peers at the U.S. Naval Academy for the first time in the institution’s 175-year history, officials said Monday.

As brigade commander, Midshipman 1st Class Sydney Barber will assume the highest leadership position within the student body, overseeing the day-to-day activities and professional training of her fellow midshipmen.