Earlier this week, Defense Secretary James Mattis announced a very important and historic nomination, that of Marine Corps Col. Lorna M. Mahlock, who was selected to serve as brigadier general. If confirmed, Mahlock will be the first black woman to ever hold that position.
First Lt. Whennah Andrews of the U.S. Army National Guard tries to hide her braces while showing off her smile. But four years since first advocating against grooming regulations that barred soldiers from wearing natural hairstyles, her smile hints at relief over one of the final steps in the fight for acceptance.
Black women serving in the United States Army will now, finally, be able to wear their hair in locks (also known as dreadlocks) and twists, after an exhausting and what many believe, unfair fight over many years.
