West Point Cadet, Simone Askew, Breaks a Racial and Gender Barrier; New York Times, August 14, 2017

Emily Cochrane, New York Times; West Point Cadet, Simone Askew, Breaks a Racial and Gender Barrier

"On Monday, more than a decade after her pretend marches in the woods, Cadet Askew, now 20, led the freshmen Army cadets for 12 miles — the first African-American woman to hold the highest student position at the United States Military Academy. As the West Point corps of cadets first captain, the Northern Virginia resident will not only be at the forefront of every academy event, but she will set the class agenda and oversee the roughly 4,400 students.

“You’re selected for this role, that’s not the end of it,” said Cadet Askew, speaking Monday after she had finished overseeing the return of the freshmen cadets from their initial summer of training. “That’s just the starting line, and it’s more so, ‘Hey, what do you do with this role? What are you able to accomplish alongside your teammates?’ And I’m very, very fortunate to be around some awesome people.”

It is a significant step for West Point."