Photo By Todd Lyman | Jerry L. Brown Sr., back row in uniform, Terri A. Lewis, committee co-chair, and...... read more read more
KABUL, Afghanistan - A dozen U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic District – North (TAN) employees recently concluded an ambitious Black History Month commemoration. February activities included weekly movie nights, ‘Famous Black Faces’ quizzes with prizes for the winners, a poster contest, a silent auction and a celebration dinner. All events were linked by the month’s theme “At the Crossroads.”
Terri A. Lewis, co-chair with Colleen Shanklin, TAN’s equal employment opportunity specialist, explained the group’s goal, “Overall the group sought to introduce or illuminate the contributions of black Americans and celebrate achievement as a Corps team.”
“Individuals often ask me why we have these types of cultural events....what is the purpose? Understanding the differences that each of us as individuals have and learning about each other's backgrounds is crucial to personal growth. When we can welcome each other’s diversity we become more aware of our own. Not only do we become more aware we gain a sense of pride for the rich diversity that our nation embraces,” Shanklin said.
Lewis, a budget analyst for TAN and her home command, The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, Miss., declared the goal achieved. She said, “I learned that Eli Whitney is actually a white man! All of my years of life, I assumed he was black.”
The Whitney fact resonated with another committee member. Celeste Iverson, a TAN resource management program analyst from USACE Rock Island District, added, “I learned many things. I didn't realize that the inventor of the cotton gin, Eli Whitney, was a white man, and because of his invention it increased the demand for more slaves to increase the output for cotton.” Iverson served the committee as the information and design specialist.
Learning and knowledge permeated all events. During every Thursday evening black history-themed movie in February viewers were given quizzes with thumbnail photos. Winners who identified the most faces correctly received gift baskets. Curtis O. Morgan III, a TAN program analyst serving from Europe District in Wiesbaden coordinated the movies as a member of the committee.
The Black History Month Celebration dinner Feb. 22 was the committee’s main event. “I was honored when Ms. Colleen Shanklin, our EEO specialist, asked me to cook dinner for our black history month. On Feb. 13 our food service shift supervisor, Donald Gee, my Afghan afternoon shift cooks and I fed 273 people that night. Our menu consisted of prime rib, BBQ spare ribs, baked chicken, BBQ chicken, oven-cooked lobster tails, rice, mashed potatoes, collard greens, black-eyed peas, corn bread, brown gravy, lettuce salad, mixed vegetables, assorted cakes and sodas. It was a spread to see,” said Jerry L. Brown Sr., assistant dining facility manager. Brown was serving as dining facility manager during the event.
The committee transformed the k-span building into an elaborate dining hall decorated with purple table cloths, themed table runners, balloons and mementos. Walls were similarly adorned.
Kerment Goss, a TAN senior contracting officer from the Los Angeles District, led the audience in an invocation. Army Master Sgt. Stephanie Fortenberry from nearby Camp Eggers sang “I Know I’ve Been Changed” accompanied by Rudoph V. Berrien, Jr. on piano and members of an interdenominational choir from Camp Eggers.
The headliner for the celebration was Brig. Gen. Cedric T. Wins, deputy commander, police, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Training Mission-Afghanistan/Combined security Transition Command-Afghanistan. The general addressed the capacity crowd by discussing “The Road to Equality: Past, Present, and Future.”
He shared the many firsts he witnessed after having been graduated in 1985 from the Virginia Military Institute and commissioned into the U.S. Army. The general said, “I was afforded the honor to serve and study with noble men, African-American men. During my time there, in 1981, VMI appointed its first African-American first captain, the highest ranking member in the Corps of Cadets, Darren W. McDew. Now a lieutenant general in the U.S. Air Force, he still remains a mentor to younger officers frequently offering counsel by telling them ‘You don’t want a door closed for you because you didn’t want to try it.’
“As a second Lieutenant in the Army, The first African-American general I ever saw was then- BG Fred Gorden, who was appointed the first African-American commandant of West Point in 1987 and also the only African-American graduate of West Point in 1962. Humbled by the opportunity to become the next commander of West Point, when asked how he felt to become the first African-American commandant, Maj. Gen. (Ret) Gorden said ‘I'm the 61st commander, and I'm also black.’ Already having my career path in progress, seeing General Gorden allowed me to see what was once thought to be unachievable was actually quite possible. George Washington Carver said ‘where there is no vision, there is no hope,’ so the encounter of meeting Gen Gordon and others sparked a fire in me about the possibilities that existed and gave me hope. Throughout my career in the US Army, I have had the privilege to encourage and inspire a number of young people, many of whom were under my command. It’s a responsibility I take humbly but also seriously because of the many officers who took the time to leave an impression on me. Though we may not recognize it at the time, someone is always watching us. There is a person in this room right now who has likely inspired someone to push harder, accomplish a difficult task or strive to be more than they could have ever imagined.”
Following the general’s remarks he was presented a gift by TAN Commander Col. Alfred A. Pantano, Jr. and Shanklin thanking him for his speech.
LaSonya Doleman read a poem, “A Changer Change” by Vic Adex. Doleman, a member of the planning committee, is a senior contract specialist from Anniston Army Depot, Anniston, Ala.
She was followed by Johnny Grandison, a TAN senior project manager from Savannah District. Grandison sang “Change is Going to Come” to the packed house. Grandison was also an active member of the planning committee as the historical communications liaison.
Pantano and Shanklin offered closing remarks and acknowledge all who brought event to fruition. Brown stated, “The greatest thing this night was not turning the K-Span into a place where people can eat, but all nationalities-- blacks, whites, Korean decedents, Spanish decedents, local nationals of Afghanistan, I can go on and on about how many nationalities were present in one place in history. But singing together The National Black Anthem "Lift Every Voice and Sing" I honestly believe if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was alive he would be truly proud of these people on this night. I know he is looking down on us smiling. It was a beautiful night. I will cherish this tour for the rest of my life!”
Other committee members who worked selflessly to pull this month together included Maria Bock, from TAN engineering and Huntington District; Kim Diep, a staff accountant from Europe District; Kelly Green, an administrative support specialist/human resource assistant from the Fort Hood U.S. Army Dental Activity; Mattie Holden, a human resource specialist from Redstone Arsenal; and RJ Rayos, a TAN military administrative support specialist.
Deployment did not dampen enthusiasm for this commemoration.
| Date Taken: | 03.03.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 03.05.2013 11:31 |
| Story ID: | 102928 |
| Location: | KABUL, AF |
| Web Views: | 257 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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