Media Tip Sheets
In recognition of Black History Month, the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University highlights the critical gap in understanding the experiences of Black and African-American service members, especially in their transition from military life to civilian life. This research is described in the data summary titled “Lost Perspectives: Blacks and African Americans in the Military: From Service to Civilian Life.”
Key takeaways:
- There are more than 350,000 black and African American active duty and select reserve members.
- More than 2.4 million black and African-American veterans in the US.
- Of all post-9/11 veterans, 17% are Black and African American (this is higher compared to 13% for their non-veteran counterparts)
- 89% of those surveyed said that joining the military was a good decision; Nevertheless:
- 56% had considered “racial/ethnic discrimination” in their decision-making process, and 53% had “safety concerns regarding base/facility preferences because of my (or someone else’s) racial/ethnic identity.” my relative)
- 93% of respondents were proud of their service accomplishments; Nevertheless:
- 45% believe their racial or ethnic identity hurts their ability to get ahead at work
- 59% of black and African-American veterans who responded rated their job transition as difficult or very difficult
- For more information on the above and numbers related to employment, entrepreneurship and education, click here to read the rest of the data summary.
Rosalinda Vásquez Maury, Director of Analysis and Applied Research at IVMF, is the author of this data brief and is available for interviews upon request. She has been featured on CBS News, NPR Kansas City, Entrepreneur.com, Military Times, and more. Please contact Vanessa Marquette, Media Relations Specialist, at vrmarque@syr.edu if you would like to make an appointment to speak with her.
