Greenbelt Manager: Merle Robbins
Wallops Manager: Brenda Dingwall
Goddard's African American Programs are directed towards identifying, analyzing, and addressing two primary areas of historical concern:
+ The underrepresentation of African Americans in the workplace, especially the absence of those in significant positions of responsibility and in the mid-level developmental strata of the organization; and
+ The identification and reformation of institutional and organizational barriers to recruitment, hiring, career advancement, immediate and long-term education and retention of African American employees.
Critical to the success of the African American Program is the African American Advisory Committee. This Committee, comprised of Goddard Employees, provides advice and counsel to the African American Program Manager, and all levels of Goddard management. You can link to the membership (representatives) of the Committee on the Navigation Bar to the left, or click: Representatives
GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER AFRICAN AMERICAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE (AAAC)
Authority
The authority of the Goddard Center Director establishes the Goddard Space Flight Center African American Advisory Committee (AAAC).
Purpose
The AAAC’s purpose is to inform and to make recommendations to all levels of management toward creating an environment that is conducive to the recognition, development, understanding, and utilization of the abilities, skills, and knowledge of African American employees.
Vision
A model workplace in which African Americans are visible, respected, and valued for their contributions that enable mission success.
Mission
Create partnerships within the GSFC community that fosters an environment of inclusion that ensures career progression of employees. To advocate strategies that result in management ownership of a process that attracts, supports, and retains African American employees.
Objectives
The committee is chartered to:
A. Provide advice, guidance, and recommendations to the Center Director in planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating the Center's affirmative action program on the employment and advancement of African Americans;
B. Serve as a focal point for the concerns of constituents on matters affecting their employment at Goddard Space Flight Center through personal contact with the Director, senior staff, and other officials of the Center; including, but not limited to the Senior Level Champion (as appointed), Directors Of;
C. Provide educational forums for employees, and managers on issues;
D. Work proactively with the constituent group and management to help resolve Center wide problems affecting constituents; and
E. Contribute to the development of action plans designed to address barriers to recruitment, hiring, advancement, or retention of constituents in the Center’s Affirmative Employment Plan.
The Initiative for African Americans encompasses many areas. Among those are:
Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
During the month of January, a variety of activities commemorate Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Past programs have featured the Honorable Walter E. Fauntroy, retired member of Congress who was the Director of the Washington Bureau of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the legendary human rights activist, Rev. Fred L. Shuttleworth visited Goddard. He was one of the five organizers of the SCLC with Dr. King 1957.
Black History Month
2007 National African American History Month
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America for National African American History Month
Space HOPE-A Goddard Initiative
Space Hope is a pilot Information Technology training program focused on locating, developing, and retaining skilled IT personnel for NASA. It offers core IT curricula instruction combined with on-the-job training in specific workforce skills. The program in based at Coppin State College, Baltimore, Maryland.
Council of African American Organizations (CAAO)
CAAO is a forum that allows representatives of the resident African American organizations to meet periodically to brainstorm information on the issues affecting the status of African American employees on Center. [Invited in this pilot are representatives from the AAAC, BIG, NTA, ATDG, AAWAG, BHC, GESTA and selected individuals.]
Center Director's Executive Imitative on African-American Employees
Goddard's Executive Management Initiative on African American Employees was created to address the huge discrepancy in the trust and perceptions of minorities, particularly Africn Americans, regarding systemic workplace ethics issues and the accountability of their management. Some major action by this initiative were surveying the African American employees to ascertain their hierarchy of concerns and needs, the stimulus for the formation of the African American Managers group, and a refocusing on Goddard's functions in OHR and EOPO.
African Development and Technology Group/Code 900-Howard University Pilot
This initiative identified research opportunities and/or projects where NASA technology could be applied or redirected to contribute to U.S. activities in African states. This effort led to the development of a pilot project involving a detailed Goddard employee whose role was to serve as a conduit of information and planning between Howard University and Goddard's Earth Sciences Directorate.
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