In 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Orders 9980 and 9981 abolishing segregation in the federal workforce and the U.S. armed forces.
For U.S. Army Technical Sergeant Cleophus Thomas, Sr., this meant that he was able to serve his country during the Korean War and feel that he would be treated equally. For his son, the orders paved the way for a 25-year military career that allowed him to hold leadership positions that he could never have held before the executive order—including leading one of the Army’s largest signal brigades and providing support to the White House Communications Agency under President Barack Obama.
As Booz Allen celebrates the 75th anniversary of this legislation and National Veterans and Military Families Month, Cleophus Thomas, Jr. reflects on this journey, the community he has found at Booz Allen, and the importance of continuing the work.