At the crossroads of freedom and equality: AEDC hosts African-American Heritage Month event

  • Published
  • By Philip Lorenz III
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  On Feb. 14, 150 people attended AEDC's annual African-American Heritage Luncheon at the Arnold Lakeside Center.

The 2013 African-American Heritage Month theme for the luncheon was "The Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 and the March on Washington in 1963."

Brig. Gen. Darrell Williams, U.S. Army Materiel Command chief of staff at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., the guest speaker at the event, emphasized the fact that "we are all Americans."

Referring to the changing racial demographic makeup of the U.S. population, the general said, "The armed forces also is a reflection of America - virtually every possible ethnic and religious group is represented. The military is a team of men and women from all over the United States, working together with a single purpose - to defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic and to maintain the fight for our freedom.

"Today's service members are part of a team with a unique character and identity, where each service member is judged by his or her performance, not by race, not by color or gender. It has been said that if society as a whole was just like the military, America would continue to be an even better place."

Williams said the Emancipation Proclamation "was a watershed event," which in time, helped pave the way for significant civil rights milestones, including the emergence of the Mumford Point Marines and the Tuskegee Airman during World War II.

"In a deeper sense, the Proclamation and the March on Washington clearly were about justice and equality for all," he said.

His message resonated well with many in the audience and on several levels.

Jere Matty, AEDC Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) educational outreach specialist, was particularly impressed by the guest speaker and what the opportunity to hear him speak could provide, especially for young people.

"I think it's really critical, especially for young folks, minority folks in particular..." Matty said, "because they can see that is certainly within the realm of possibilities, I think he is really a great role model. He is a super role model for any young person - minorities are very much under-represented in the STEM fields."

Sandra Burnette, an ATA technical specialist at AEDC's Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory, said attending events like the African-American Heritage Luncheon at AEDC are important to her for several reasons.

Over the years, she has enjoyed learning about the full spectrum of contributions African Americans have made to the United States throughout the country's history.

Burnette, who was in grade school in 1963 when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., gave his famous "I have a dream speech" in Washington D.C., said, "We've come a long way, but there's still room for improvement."

Impressed by civil rights role models like Rosa Parks, the black seamstress who challenged segregation by refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a public bus, Burnette said, "She was a brave lady. When I first started [working here] it was a challenge, but things have really progressed. Now there seems to be as much potential here for us as anyone else."

She said one highlight of this year's event included hearing Prakash Wright, the pianist for her place of worship, the Mt. View AME Church in Winchester, play music before the general gave his speech.

Burnette said the other highlight during the event was when General Williams spoke about an event he attended at the Emancipation Oak, located on the campus of Hampton University.

In 1863, the Virginia's Peninsula's black community gathered under the oak to hear the first Southern reading of President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, leading to its nickname as the Emancipation Oak.

The general was commissioned into the Army Quartermaster Corps in 1983 at Hampton University after earning his bachelor's degree in psychology.

"General Williams said they had a reunion there and just hearing about that document [the Emancipation Proclamation] and that the students could see that and put their hands on that tree where that document had been read - being where it had been read really stuck out with me," Burnette said.

Carl Hill, an ATA labor journeyman at AEDC's Model Shop, said attending events like the African-American Heritage Luncheon are a priority to him for two reasons.

"It is important to me, simply because of the fact that I am African American and throughout history and in my schooling there wasn't much on African American history," he said. "I grew up here in Middle Tennessee, in Sewanee. When I was a student in the Franklin County school system there was no black history.

"So anytime there's a lecture or promotion of African-American history - and it's really all American history - I try to take it in."

Milt Davis Jr., lead analysis engineer for AEDC's Air Force Analysis Branch, said events like the luncheon provides people with an invaluable way to celebrate America's diversity.

"It highlights the struggles and how far we've come as a nation - to embrace not only our history and our heritage - but to embrace that all people are Americans," he said. "We all have something to bring to the table. No matter what background you come from, everybody is important."

Jackey Gates, an AEDC human resources military personnel specialist and an African-American Heritage committee member on base, said she heard positive feedback from those attending the luncheon, both from surrounding communities and complex employees.

"The significance of observing and celebrating African American History Month to me is that I have been at AEDC for five years now and I have seen the men and women, military, and civilians, and the community come together to support this function," she said. "It is important to continue the observance because we need to continue to explore the history and culture of African Americans.

"We discover new treasure of stories about triumph of the human spirit, inspiring accounts of everyday people rising above the indignities imposed by prejudice. These stories are not only an important part of African American history, but an essential part of American history."