Soldiers, staff and visitors at William Beaumont Army Medical Center engaged in a passionate history lesson for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday during an observance held at WBMAC, Jan. 17.
The observance welcomed Dr. Michael Williams, director of the African American Studies Program, University of Texas at El Paso, who has a long history of researching and teaching social and political resistance movements, and civil rights struggles and conflicts.
During the observance, Williams discussed King’s use of language and his rise to leadership roles in the civil rights movements of the 60s.
“It’s a privilege and honor to be here and be part of this program,” said Williams. “(King) changed this country in so many phenomenal and important ways.”
For Pvts. Kyle Eckert and Nelly Galicia, both students of WBAMC’s Practical Nurse Course, the observance was their first formal exposure to diversity in the Army.
“It’s very interesting to learn and great to be exposed to,” said Eckert, a native of Bremerton, Washington.
“The observance is a really good opportunity for us as students because it gives us a different view of the military and what we fight for and what we enlisted for,” said Galicia, a native of Mission, Texas. “It helps your outlook a lot and makes you feel proud of what Soldiers are doing.”
According to the Army’s Diversity Office, understanding the diverse nature of the Army is essential for enhancing Army capabilities around the world and at home.
That notion is resonated in the 2017 presidential proclamation which states, “The arc of the moral universe may bend toward justice, but it only bends because of the strength and sacrifice of those who reject complacency and drive us forward.”
“One of his most important accomplishments was his use of words, to impact how people saw themselves and their mission of challenging inequality,” said Williams. “He truly understood that words do have meaning. All of his language was designed to foster and attain peaceful resolutions and to wake people up out of their sleep.”
When we talk about his legacy, his accomplishment, we talk about his oration, said Williams. More importantly, we’ll understand and know why it must always be a day on and never ever a day off.