The Museum’s permanent exhibition showcases a range of artifacts, archives and photos to document the history of Intrepid and display the humanity behind the hardware. This month, the exhibition received a refresh with new items and interpretation that highlight the diverse crew of Intrepid.

The updated exhibition now includes A Crew of 3,000, which discusses the range of backgrounds, races, and ethnicities that made up Intrepid’s crew. The crew of about 3,000 men came from communities across the country. Many were the first in their family to enlist, while others had a family history of military service. Some were immigrants to the United States. While most crew members were white, Black, Hispanic, Indigenous American and Asian American crew members served throughout Intrepid’s naval career (1943–1974).

The exhibition also includes Changing Policies, which shines a light on the continued discrimination people of color faced after integration and the Navy’s attempts to institute changes in the 1970s. In 1971, only 5 percent of the Navy’s enlisted members were Black—less than half the percentage in the other branches of the U.S. military. The Navy started programs to recruit more people of color and promote equal opportunity. At the same time, racial unrest rocked shore stations and ships, including Intrepid. These episodes drew attention to ongoing discrimination.