A Lake Forest, Illinois, trailblazer is making history as the first Black woman brigade commander at the U.S. Naval Academy.
The academy announced Midshipman 1st Class Sydney Barber’s appointment on Nov. 6. She will supersede Midshipman 1st Class Ryan Chapman for the spring 2021 semester, and in doing so she becomes the 16th woman ever to take the role since women were allowed into the academy in 1976.
