FORT CAMPBELL, KY -- Well known for its unique presentations, the Blanchfield Army Community Hospital Equal Opportunity staff celebrated Black History Month Wednesday with an educational cast of characters highlighting a century of black life, history and culture.
On the heels of last month's Martin Luther King Jr. "museum experience," the EO team put a distinctive spin on February's National African American History Month. Also known as Black History Month, the observance is an annual celebration of achievements by black Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of African Americans in U.S. history. The concept of an annual observance began in 1915, a half century after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States.
"As we mark National African American History Month, we celebrate the efforts of many who went before us to bring about change," said Sgt. 1st Class Tina Davis, narrator for Wednesday's program. "We've worked for more than two months on today's event, because we didn't want to do this in a routine or traditional way. When we sent out a casting call, people knew to expect something different."
That casting call netted 15 "actors" who portrayed a variety of notable personalities including, musicians, poets, and a president. Michael "Air" Jordan, as portrayed by Capt. James Primm, set the "play" in motion, as he dribbled a basketball through the crowd while touting remarkable achievements as Olympic athlete, professional basketball player, entrepreneur and principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets. Capt. Mark Benton Jr. spotlighted his own dance skills as he tapped down the aisle as notable actor, singer, dancer and choreographer Gregory Hines.
Other BACH staff members highlighted cultural changes ushered in by Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou and others. A jaw-dropping performance by family member Mercedes Johnson left many in the audience asking for more of her Whitney Houston song.
"Black life did not always have a place in politics. Although the cloud of rejection and missed opportunity hovered for years, our renewed strength in the midst of adversity cleared a path leading us into office," Davis said as narrator while Maj. Arnold Talleyrand turned more than a few heads entering the packed room as President Barack Obama.
"An observance like this is very important, especially when we have young Soldiers coming in who may not be truly aware of these historical accomplishments. This is a diverse Army, and events like this heighten awareness of different cultures and provide something educational," Davis explained.
"We want to keep the EO program fresh so that people are excited about attending our observances," said Sgt. 1st Class LeCharles P. Thomas, charged with managing BACH's EO program.
"The idea for creating this play-themed event sprang from collaboration among many volunteers, and we couldn't be happier with the response."
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