Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlton Philpot.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve attached two documents to your email.
1. My bio
2. A list of personal codes to live by. I use these when I conduct youth workshops.
My favorite personal quotes:
“As a people, we must not only read what is written about us, we must write what will be read.”
” Too often the histories of women and Blacks are written with invisible ink, AND WHEN it is OFTEN written with a ‘forked tongue’ pen.”
Spiritual Lesson: The Lord picks the most unusual people to do what he wants done, at the time the task is needed the most.”
“If the Lord selects you do something, He will give you the strategy to get it done, and at the time you need help the most, he will send the help you need. “
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As a 24.5-year Navy officer veteran, a 36-year volunteer Chairman and Project Director of the Buffalo Soldier Monument Committee, and a teacher and college associate professor, I have experienced many challenging moments And SITUATIONS DUE TO MY RACE AND GENDER. However, I DO NOT REGRET ONE SECOND the PATH I TOOK, INSTEAD OF becoming a medical doctor. MY PATH HAS BROUGHT many more enjoyable and meaningful moments, MY WIFE OF NEARLY 50 YEARS AND TWO WONDERFUL DAUGHTERS AND FOUR GRAND CHILDREN. I STRONGLY believe THAT ALONG THIS PATH I have BEEN ABLE TO MAKE AND MAKE MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTION to the military, military history, AND SOCIETY AS A WHOLE.
As a Black man, talking about discrimination and unfair treatment because of my race and gender is so common that I would like to skip this. It is like talking about how cold Antarctica is. You do not have to travel there to understand, BUT YOU KNOW IT IS COLD AND PENGUINS LIVE THERE. What I would like AT 81, I have learned not to focus so much on race and gender, but on the mutual benefit and what each of us brings to the table among the individuals I am around and work with. If it is mutually beneficial, then we move forward; if not, we go our separate ways.
My biggest struggle in the Navy and in civilian life was never ‘DISCRIMINATION,’ IT WAS DEALING WITH seasickness/car sick. I cannot read in a car or sit in the back seat. AS THE SHIP’S NAVIGATOR, THIS CONDITION ALLOWED ME TO DETECT CHANGES IN THE OCEANS WHEN I WAS BELOW DECK. Thus, I COULD AND MAKE COURSE AND SPEED ADJUSTMENTS AS NEEDED.
I loved being a teacher. My favorite job was as a professor in the first Junior Navy ROTC program at ONE of the 100 Job Corps centers worldwide. This was my most rewarding and enjoyable job ever. JOB CORPS IS A FEDERAL PROGRAM THAT TRAINS YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS. THEY COME INTO THIS PROGRAM AND GET H.S. DIPLOMA OR A GED, AND A TRADE. As a teacher of students from second grade through THE graduate level, you deal with the same product-student whose potential is your responsibility to develop THEIR valuable potential. As a volunteer for more than 36 years, I learned how MANY kind-HEARTED, AND GENEROUS people ARE. These two significant LIFE REALIZATIONS WERE AS BENEFICIAL TO ME THAN going to church.
FRANKLY, I have lost A GREAT DEAL OF faith in earthly religion (not Christianity), the news media, and Congress, but not the military. The latter consists only of rank-and-file individuals who still put serving this country over power and wealth, AND REGARDLESS WHO IS PRESIDENT.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’ve attached my bio for you to look over and my codes to live by. If I die before this interview, I have left this world better than I found it.
What’s next?
Once I complete the FINAL addition to the $250,000 6888th Monument AT FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS, which honors the 855 PREDOMINANTLY BLACK women of the WWII Central Postal Directory Battalion, I plan, if it is the Lord’s Will, to devote the remainder of my life to raising awareness and advancing a cure and treatment for individuals with the dreadful disease Sickle Cell. My first step is to raise $50 million, and I WILL partner WITH THE Saint Jude PROGRAM and OTHER primary medical schools to establish centers that provide life-extending treatment for children with Sickle Cell at no cost. NOTE: Mr. Tyler Perry produced a movie about this unique Battalion of predominantly Black women, including Mexican, Puerto Rican, and other Caribbean ethnic groups, and parents from Austria and Portugal.
GOALS: TO ENHANCE PUBLIC AWARENESS, INCREASE RESEARCH FUNDING, AND SUBSEQUENTLY FIND A CURE FOR SICKLE CELL. Why is my interest in Sickle Cell? I have a grandson with this dreadful condition. He had to have a complete blood transfusion in 2023. His most recent crisis attack was in Feb 2025. Maybe one day you can write an article about these conditions, AND HOW IT IMPACTS THE LIFE OF THE PERSON WITH THE DISEASE AND LIVES OF THEIR FAMILIES. The KEYS to prevention are AWARENESS and a simple Blood Test. Maybe if two individuals knew that either of them had the Sickle Trait, whether dominant or recessive, they might decide not to marry or have children. My wife and I did not have the blood, and I did not know she had the recessive Sickle Trait until my grandson was diagnosed. We then passed this trait to my mother. MY PLAN INCLUDES SOME OF THE FOLLOWING AREAS: LEGAL, POLITICAL, PARTNERSHIPS WITH CORPORATIONS, AND THE GOVERNMENT.
LEGAL/POLITICAL: PASSING LEGISLATION REQUIRING DAY CARE CENTERS, SCHOOLS, ATHLETIC PROGRAMS, EMPLOYERS, AND THE MILITARY TO HAVE POLICIES AND TREATMENT PROGRAMS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH THIS CONDITION. At the day care center he was at, he did not realize that a high temperature for such an individual should not be taken lightly.
I will also work to get legislators to pass laws and policies for day care facilities and at all educational levels to address AND TREAT individuals with Sickle Cell ADEQUATELY.
I would also like to work with Microsoft and Google to develop roadmaps across this country, showing where treatment centers are located, so a family with a child with SC can plan their road trips around these locations in case of an SC crisis.
I would also like to work with Congress and the President to establish an official department at HHS to address SC treatment, research, etc., just as they do for Cancer. There are promising treatments, but they are cost-prohibitive and not publicized. This is where working with Saint Jude AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT would be invaluable.
I want to work with Mr. Shaquille O’Neal, he is THE FIRST PERSON on my list to contact as soon as I finish the addition to the 6888th Monument. THE GOAL IS TO use his influence to get all the major sports leagues, UNIONS, OWNERS, AND PLAYERS to set aside a special day or time to highlight sickle cell, AS WELL AS MAKE AN ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION TO FUND A SICKLE WING AT MAJOR MEDICAL CENTERS/HOSPITALS ACROSS THIS COUNTRY.
Pricing:
- I do not understand what you are asking.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.womenofthe6888th.org. About the women in the Tyler Movie-Six Triple Eight. This helped awarenes but hamer the facts.
- Facebook: 6888th Central Postal Battallion
