Marine Billboards Target Minority Groups

The Marines are targeting certain groups with a series of ads across the metro. Several billboard feature Hispanic and African American servicemen.  The marines say they're using them to build diversity within the organization.

One billboard reads "Celebrating Hispanic values and the Marines who act on them."

Maj. Richard Robinson, the commanding officer of Oklahoma City's recruiting station, said these values are honor, courage and commitment, the organization's core values.  But he also called on the commitment to family, honesty, and integrity, he said the Hispanic community shares.

"We're trying to draw similarities between the two organization so that we can maintain a connectedness to the America that we represent when we go overseas," he said.

Part of the diversity program, Maj. Robinson said, has Marines reaching out to community groups and student organizations.

"The nation is becoming more and more diverse, why not have the Marine Corps do the same thing?" said Brandon Oldham, an assistant director of student life at the University of Oklahoma.

Oldham also advises OU's Black Student Association, which has worked with the Marines for the past two years.

"When it comes to communities like ours... everyone kind of immediately thought of the battle, no one thought of the humanitarian work or how they go in and try to give to the underrepresented communities, things like that," he said.

Oldham said he likes what the Marines are doing with the billboard campaign and diversity program.

"I think it is working, but I also think its something that is going to be a slower process," he said.Marine Billboards Target Minority Groups

Posted: Tuesday, November 20 2012, 09:53 PM CST