148 African Americans are part of West Point's Class of 2021

The United States Military Academy posted iconic photos to its social media sites this weekend in honor of the Class of 2021.

According to the "West Point - The U.S. Military Academy" photostream on Flickr, 995 cadets graduated at the graduation and commissioning ceremony at Michie Stadium in West Point, New York, on May 22. The class includes 240 women, 148 African-Americans, 78 Asian/Pacific Islanders, 88 Hispanics, and 10 Native Americans.

In attendance were commencement speaker Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, Acting Secretary of the Army John E. Whitley, and Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. James C. McConville.

Forty cadets in the Class of 2021 earned domestic scholarships to include the GEM, National Science Foundation, and Purdue Mil Research Initiative scholarships. They also earned international scholarships to include the Rhodes.

“In September of 2021, I will begin reading for a Master of Science in Sociology at Oxford," said Tyrese Bender of the Field Artillery Branch. "I plan to learn as much as I can about our diversity and how I, as a future Army officer, can contribute to the organization’s commitment to becoming a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and effective force.”

Tyrese is one of the two USMA officer cadets among the outstanding students who will start their studies at Oxford, England in October 2021. Evan Walker, an operations research major at the United States Military Academy, will start a Master of Philosophy program.

Secretary Austin graduated from the academy in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science degree and a commission in the Infantry. During his 41-year Army career, he commanded at all levels concluding his uniformed service as the commander of U.S. Central Command in 2016.

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point was founded in 1802 as America’s first college of engineering and continues today as the world’s premier leader development institution, consistently ranked among top colleges in the country.