Celebrating Black History Month
In 1915, in a country still firmly latched onto segregation, Mable Broome became the first African-American Salvation Army officer commissioned in Chicago. She not only led the charge to include people of color in The Salvation Army, she also reinforced its commitment to award leadership roles regardless of skin color or gender.
With this legacy of empowerment without discrimination, The Salvation Army has continued to grow: welcoming officers from diverse backgrounds and serving nearly 25 million people each year in the US regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We take a holistic approach to Doing the Most Good where there is the most need, without discrimination, whether it be disaster relief, emergency assistance, substance abuse rehabilitation, or educational programs for children.
This February, as we celebrate African-Americans in history, we also honor the experiences of people of color in The Salvation Army today. To commemorate Black History Month, we asked a Salvation Army officer about his perspective on celebrating his race and ethnicity.
“God sees color. God created color. Color is beautiful.”