Leading The Way: Major General Marcelite Harris Broke Barriers
NBC ID: MAAAAA49BP | Production Unit: Nightly News | Media Type: Aired Show | Air Date(s): 02/09/2019 | Event Date(s): 02/09/2019Transcript
Event Date(s): 02/09/2019 | Description: INT LESTER HOLT (00:26:53): Major general Marcelite Harris didn't envision making history, she just wanted to be the best, serving in the air force, repairing planes in Vietnam. She told an audience at the BET's 2010 award show she was determined to break barriers. STILLS Black and white photo of Harris Various black and white inset photos of Harris Harris INT MS: Harris on stage MS: Harris speaking MARCELITE HARRIS (BET) (00:27:08): I got to thank-- (00:27:10): It was wonderful. They said a woman can't do this job. Being told that I couldn't do a job just because I'm a woman, that's probably the silliest thing you ever heard. LESTER HOLT (00:27:21): She quickly moved up the ranks, becoming the first female aircraft maintenance officer and one of the first two women commanding at the Air Force Academy. By 1995, she was the first black woman to earn the rank of major general. Harris retired in 1997 as the highest ranking female officer in the air force and the highest ranking black woman in the Department of Defense. She worked in the White House under four presidents. Her daughter Tenecia remembers. GFX: US Air Force STILLS Various photos of Harris TENECIA HARRIS (00:27:51): When doors were closed because of the fact that she was a woman or a black woman, it rattled something in her because she just saw herself as a military officer doing a job that was in front of her. LESTER HOLT (00:28:04): Harris died in September at the age of seventy-five. On Thursday, this American hero who'd achieved her goal of being the best was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full honors. EXT DAY MS: plane in flight MS: horse drawn carriage carrying a casket MS: troops carrying a casket MS: woman crying MS: troops standing in a cemetery MS: troops folding a flag MS: soldier holding a flag TENECIA HARRIS (00:28:21): She earned it. She did that. She made that happen. And holy cow, that's my mom.