The U.S. Coast Guard has just named its first Black woman to serve as flag rank in the armed forces branch’s 233-year history.
Captain Zeita Merchant was tapped into the role after serving for more than 20 years, according to a Coast Guard Atlantic Area report. She holds a degree from Tougaloo College, a master’s in public administration from George Washington University and a doctorate from the National Graduate School at New England Institute of Business.
Captain Merchant has long been known to be a highly sought-after expert in maritime safety, security and crisis management and formerly worked as one of the Coast Guard’s top emergency managers. She was later appointed to Commander in 2021 and oversaw all Coast Guard missions in the Port of New York and New Jersey, “one of the nation’s busiest port complexes spanning more than 6,000 square miles and 200 miles offshore to Albany, NY,” according to a Because of Them We Can report. “Now [Captain] Merchant has been promoted to rear admiral, the first Black woman in Coast Guard history to be selected for that rank or higher.”
Early in Captain Merchant’s career, she said “Everywhere I served I saw other women but they were juniors, there were no senior African American women in the Coast Guard at that point in time. So I really couldn’t see what I wanted to be.”
Representative Bennie G. Thompson, a congressman representing Mississippi’s 2nd congressional district, where Captain Merchant is from, applauded the military officer with a warm note on Twitter.
“It is with great pride that I recognize the accomplishment of Captain Zeita Merchant, a Jackson, Mississippi native and graduate of Tougaloo College for her selection to the rank of Rear Admiral in the U.S. Coast Guard,” Thompson tweeted.
In addition to Captain Merchant’s most recent feat, she holds “three Meritorious Service Medals, six Coast Guard Commendation Medals, three Coast Guard Achievement Medals, three Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medals and four Commandant’s Letters of Commendation.”
Congratulations Captain Merchant!
