ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. – First Army Headquarters hosted a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Observance here Jan. 18.
Though millions of Americans fought for the Civil Rights Movement, King is recognized today as a key figure due to his passionate oratory and non-violent civil disobedience.
Rev. Joseph Williamson III, the pastor-teacher of the Second Baptist Church at Rock Island, Illinois, was the event’s keynote speaker.
“Even today, we are the drum majors for justice,” Williamson said. “We are blessed to be a part of this wonderful celebration.”
Throughout his campaign for civil rights, King was arrested 29 times and received frequent death threats. Less than four years after President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the 1964 Civil Rights Act into law, King was assassinated.
The American armed forces have been a significant battlefield in the fight for racial equality in the United States In 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981, which officially ended segregation in the U.S. military.
“Troops of all races and backgrounds have served together ever since, even in some of the most austere and demanding circumstances,” Brig. Gen. Chris Gentry, deputy commanding general-support First Army said..
Soldiers, civilians and family members came together at the observance to celebrate the Army’s commitment to the values espoused by King.
“As we reflect here on the life of Dr. King,” Gentry said, “this post is an appropriate place to remember one of his most simple, yet powerful quotes: ‘Anybody can be great, because anybody can serve.’ Our military embodies this message.”
Date Taken: | 01.18.2017 |
Date Posted: | 01.19.2017 16:06 |
Story ID: | 220725 |
Location: | ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, IL, US |
Web Views: | 319 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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