Jackson woman becomes first Black female admiral in Coast Guard history. Read her story

Zeita Merchant's first uniform was a Girl Scout’s uniform. Her first oath had her promise to make the world a better place.

Today, Merchant wears a Coast Guard uniform and promises to serve the nation while commanding the Port of New York. Come April, Merchant will dawn a new uniform as she steps into the rank of admiral, the first Black woman to achieve this title in the Coast Guard’s 233-year history.

Merchant may spend her day-to-day life in New York, but her roots are planted firmly in Jackson, a city she still considers home.

Born in Chicago, Merchant moved to Jackson with her family in the mid-80s when she was in third grade. It was a homecoming for her mother, raised around Yazoo City, and her father, raised in Pocahontas. The couple had left for Chicago to escape the challenges of a late-60s Mississippi.

Merchant's family of five was tightly-knit from the beginning despite economic challenges. Her parents taught her and her siblings that values like family and community service were more important than money.

Merchant's education

Salutatorian of her class, Merchant left Lanier High School and went 10 miles away to Tougaloo College with the intent of becoming a doctor. Her undergrad degree in biology, however, did not lead to a medical career.

Nearing the end of her Tougaloo education, Merchant knew it would be difficult to afford medical school, especially with new debt adding to her undergraduate student debt.

Her career in the military started simply because she needed another option.

"Having a career and being on my own," Merchant said. "That was two of the things that I was really focused on at that point in time, and I wanted to do something different... I always had this passion for service, but I never thought it would be in the form of military service."

Merchant learned of Coast Guard's College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative, a scholarship that helps students in minority-serving institutions by covering tuition and paying a salary while the students train.

"When I heard about the scholarship program, I'm like, I don't know what the Coast Guard is, but I'll find out," Merchant joked. "And, the more I talked to the recruiter, it was really one of those things where I saw it as temporary, as an opportunity to kind of build my resume as well as have money in my pocket while I decided what I was going to do next."

The scholarship's obligation was three years. Those three years turned into 27 years, and Merchant's not done yet.

U.S. Coast Guard's mission

The Coast Guard's humanitarian mission was what pushed Merchant to stay on a path she never considered organic.

"When I got to my current job, it was one of those where at 20 years you can retire," Merchant said. "A lot of people ask me, 'Why did you join the Coast Guard?' But, I feel like the most important question is really, 'Why did I stay?' Because it's that impact that I was able to make. It's the work that we do, the missions that we do."

Looking back at her humble beginnings and that first Girl Scout’s oath, Merchant said it’s actually not that far-fetched that she ended up in the Coast Guard.

Breaking barriers occurred early and continued frequently for Merchant, who went from a majority-Black high school and graduating from a HBCU to serving in a historically white, male dominated organization.

"As I came up in the ranks of the Coast Guard, I saw very few people that looked like me," Merchant said. "Quickly, you go from trying to establish yourself within the male-dominated career field — and you're a minority not only as a female but also from an ethnic standpoint — and you really don't see yourself anywhere.

"Within a short period of time, I saw myself transition from this junior officer to this senior leader to where everyone was looking up at me because I was one of the few that people looked at and was inspired by from a female perspective and a minority perspective."

Merchant rose through the ranks rapidly. Even her consideration for admiral was uncommon given Congress confirmed her promotion in her 26th year in the Coast Guard; most aren't considered until their 27th or 28th year.

In several of her roles, Merchant set new precedents. She is the first minority to hold the position of captain of the Port of New York, a role she has served since 2021.

Mother and mentor

Merchant credits two women with her strong foundation of determination, drive and perseverance: her mother and her mentor.

One of Merchant’s mentors was Olivia Hooker, the first Black woman to enter the Coast Guard. Hooker died in 2018 at the age of 103.

Merchant said her historic promotion feels like a full circle moment going back to meeting Hooker as a junior officer.

"(Hooker) joined the military because she was fighting for women's rights to join the military service," Merchant said. "Specifically minorities, she joined to prove a point, not only that we can do it, but we can do it well. I'm just a living testimony to her legacy."

Merchant’s new role, rear admiral, begins with a commencement ceremony in late April. She’ll pack up her life and move for the fourth time to Washington, D.C. to work in the Coast Guard's headquarters. Merchant previously worked in the headquarters early in her career.

A typical day as captain of the New York Port, the nation's busiest, is hectic. Merchant spends her time in briefings on search and rescue missions, responding to ship fires and dealing with oil spills in the waterways.

The new job, Merchant said, is more strategic and visionary in nature rather than her current job which is more operational. She'll focus more on recruiting, retention, and retirement of Coast Guard members.

The recruiting and retention in particular are an exciting opportunity for Merchant, who said she's ready to tackle the historic recruitment lows currently seen in the military.

"I'm personally challenging myself as I step into this new role that we're really focused on the future of our workforce," Merchant said.

Steps in Merchant's career

Before moving to New York, Merchant carried out leadership roles in Houston, Chicago and Miami. Her first job in the Coast Guard was in New Orleans, an transition she said was easier given the city's proximity to Jackson.

While meeting challenging career milestones, Merchant continued her education just like she had planned as a Tougaloo graduate. She received a masters in public administration from George Washington University and a masters in quality systems management and doctorate in business administration from The National Graduate School of Quality Management.

In every step of her career, Merchant said she never felt satisfied.

"I really feel like this is God's plan and not my plan," Merchant said. "I couldn't even come up with this if I wanted to. My faith and my trust in him was what carried me this far, and I will continue to see what's next... this is another door that has opened for me, and the sky's the limit."

The fact that she's a historic first is still surreal, Merchant said. For her, the promotion goes beyond personal accomplishment; it's about the broader impact on those she can inspire.

When asked what she would tell a teenage Zeita at Lanier High, Merchant said, "We get in our own way because we think we do not deserve the best based on where we've come from.

"I would tell my younger self that you got to get out of your head, get out of your own way and the world is truly yours to conquer."

This message reflects a common theme in Merchants life, one that she strives to spread: growth happens outside the comfort zone.

"I wouldn't have been able to be successful if I didn't challenge myself along the way," Merchant said.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Coast Guard history: Jackson MS woman is first Black female admiral