To: Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao
Oppose the Renaming of the USS Doris Miller
The US Navy plans to name an aircraft carrier in honor of Black war hero Doris "Dorie" Miller—an enlisted sailor who helped defend US forces during the attack on Pearl Harbor. It would have marked the first time a carrier would be named after an African American.
Black troops have fought in every major U.S. war while facing discrimination in uniform and at home. The military was formally desegregated in 1948, but Black officers have continually had to fight for the chance to lead. It is past time they were formally recognized for their service to our country.
But now, CNN is reporting that the Navy is considering renaming what would have been USS Doris Miller after President Donald Trump instead.
There has never been a time when we have named an aircraft carrier after a sitting president. It's totally unprecedented. Changing course to satisfy Trump's ego would be shamefully wrong. Join Color Of Change as we call on Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao to oppose the renaming of the USS Doris Miller after President Donald Trump!
Black troops have fought in every major U.S. war while facing discrimination in uniform and at home. The military was formally desegregated in 1948, but Black officers have continually had to fight for the chance to lead. It is past time they were formally recognized for their service to our country.
But now, CNN is reporting that the Navy is considering renaming what would have been USS Doris Miller after President Donald Trump instead.
There has never been a time when we have named an aircraft carrier after a sitting president. It's totally unprecedented. Changing course to satisfy Trump's ego would be shamefully wrong. Join Color Of Change as we call on Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao to oppose the renaming of the USS Doris Miller after President Donald Trump!
Why is this important?
This is bigger than one ship. This follows the renaming of a navy ship dedicated to pioneering gay rights activist Harvey Milk last year, as MAGA Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has pushed to re-segregate the military and erase all progress on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Under Hegseth’s leadership, Black military members have had their promotions blocked and been sidelined from appearing at public events.
This is about an administration that is dedicated to whitewashing and rewriting American history to maintain control over the present. From removing or altering portraits of former President Obama and other cultural imagery throughout federal buildings, to Trump’s explicit attacks on the Smithsonian, to renaming the USS Doris Miller, it’s all part of the same anti-Black, Project 2025 agenda.
The through line is clear: this administration is not simply changing what appears on the walls of federal buildings or on the hull of our military’s ships; it is actively attempting to reshape how Americans understand our history, whose stories are recognized, and whose contributions are remembered.
The through line is clear: this administration is not simply changing what appears on the walls of federal buildings or on the hull of our military’s ships; it is actively attempting to reshape how Americans understand our history, whose stories are recognized, and whose contributions are remembered.