Luncheon highlights Dr. MLK Jr.’s profound impact

In recognition of the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Scott Air Force Base held a MLK Jr. Luncheon on Jan. 12 at the Scott Event Center. The theme for this year’s event was, “I am who I am because of who we all are.”

The event provided insight of the Civil Rights Movement and showed the influence Dr. King had in the movement.

“It’s humbling to be able to take part in this 31st celebration of the MLK holiday. We’ve been doing this as a way to come together and to promote unity and harmony for 31 years. I’m also humbled to take part in this American tradition where we pause to recognize the life of a man that projected the values of what we all hold dear to us as citizens of this country,” said Brig. Gen. Stacey Hawkins, Director of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, and guest speaker for the event.

King, best known for using nonviolent disobedience for the advancement of civil rights, initially caught national attention during the 1956 Montgomery, Ala., bus boycott. He then later became famous for multiple letters and speeches.

Staff Sgt. Jordan Dimauro, 375th Civil Engineer Squadron and the emcee for the event, said, “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has inspired millions around the world. Born on Jan. 15th, 1929, he was a clergyman, activist, humanitarian, and leader in the American Civil Rights Movement.”

His legacy was also displayed through the works of local students. Three schools were highlighted for their participation in an essay writing contest about what King’s legacy meant to each of the students. Mason Clark Middle School, Shiloh Middle School, and West Jr. High School were each sponsored by a base organization. The organizations, which were comprised of the Company Grade Officers’ Council, the NCO Council, and the Chiefs’ Group, were responsible for selecting the best essay from each school.

The winners were Raven Spears from Mason-Clark Middle School, Rhylea Johnson from Shiloh Middle School, and Kayleigh Weilder from West Jr. High School. Each student was awarded with a gift from their sponsoring organization. They also received a C-21 tour from the 458th Airlift Squadron, and a tour of the 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron.

Each had their own reflection on the impact of King.

“Even on the days when I feel like my dreams may never come true, I think of the things Martin Luther King, Jr. had to do to have his dream come true,” wrote Weilder. “So, I keep fighting for my dreams, just like he did. I have a dream of becoming a teacher and receiving a bowling scholarship to Lindenwood University. What’s your dream? Are you going to fight for it? I am. Martin did. You should, too!”

For another, he was a reminder that progress involves supporting one another.

“This day should remind us that we don’t move forward by holding others back,” wrote Spears. “Dr. King moved forward and brought people with him instead of holding people back. It’s a day that reminds me to appreciate the diversity we children take for granted. It really inspires me to be who I am and work hard to achieve what I so graciously deserve. No matter what skin color I am or how I talk or even how I appear to some people. I am who I am and Dr. King is a man that helped me believe that.”

And for the third winner, King was the source of a ripple effect, one that created friendships and, quite possibly, her family.

“It’s a crazy thing to think how much one man can change the world. He has changed the whole world by bringing all the people together. He has made it possible for friendships and relationships, like marriage, to exist. Without him my parents possibly wouldn’t be together today. If one man can change the world like Martin Luther King, Jr. did, what could I do? Not just freedom, but the feeling of being safe, being loved, and not alone.”

The inspiration King had on the movement was felt across the nation, continues through the young generation, and also rings at Scott AFB.

In the summer of 1942, the 46th Aviation Squadron and 934th Quartermaster Platoon arrived at Scott Field to undergo basic training.

Both were segregated units. Units at Scott Field and other military installations remained segregated until 1948 when President Truman issued an executive order to end segregation in the armed forces. Later, Illinois became the first state to establish King’s birthday as a holiday.

King has not only affected our past; he continues to affect our present day and future.

Hawkins said, “The civil rights movement gave America a new birth to freedom. Without firing a shot, Dr. King changed a nation at its core. They banished the Jim Crow signs, they changed American politics, and they even fueled the women’s and student’s movement.

“Dr. King’s dream led to the liberation of people of all races and religions, brought full rights to women, and most recently over the past decade sparked the expansion of equal rights to gay, lesbian, and transgender Americans. We are all called in the spirit of this truly American holiday to continue towards the national tasks to sustain and to reach the fulfillment of king’s dream. The dream is not dead, it’s still alive and out there for all of us to grab onto. We continue to work towards a bright future and come together as a whole.”

To close out the event, Col. Laura Lenderman, 375th Air Mobility Wing commander, added, “We rise and fall together. Together we grow, together we succeed and together we lift. Dr. King embodied this philosophy and he changed a nation. For it’s in our togetherness that we find our strength as a military, community and a nation.”

This story was originally published January 19, 2017 at 1:47 PM with the headline "Luncheon highlights Dr. MLK Jr.’s profound impact."