FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. – Martin Luther King Jr., leader and essential voice of the American Civil Rights Movement, was remembered and honored in an observance hosted by U.S. Army Garrison on Wednesday at Murr Community Center.
The enduring theme “Remember! Celebrate! Act! A day on, not a day off!” calls for Americans to transform King’s legacy into personal action through service.
“This observance is our national call to action,” said Col. Jarrod Moreland, garrison commander. “A reminder that we all deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.
“We all as a human race can do more together instead of divided.”
He added that King’s fight for inclusion, diversity and equality for all people continues today.
“The time is always right to do what is right,” Moreland said quoting King.
A proclamation signed by Maj. Gen. Anthony Hale, commanding general, U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence & Fort Huachuca, and read by Pvt. 2nd Class Mason Elmore, Advanced Individual Training Soldier, elaborated on the history of Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. King’s “leadership and use of non-violent methods to right wrongs of the civil rights era are why we celebrate this day,” the proclamation read. “His individual efforts, however, provide each of us an example of deliberate compassion for each of our fellow citizens.
“The success of our Army and the security of the United States depends on all of us to stand up for what is right. We cannot allow sentiments of racism or extremism to exist within our ranks in any form or fashion.”
During the civil rights movement, a momentous event took place on Aug. 28, 1963. The March on Washington was organized and attended by civil rights leaders such as Bayard Rustin, leader in social movements for civil rights, socialism, nonviolence and gay rights; A. Philip Randolph, American labor unionist and civil rights activist; and Martin Luther King Jr.
More than 200,000 people of all races assembled in Washington, D. C., for a peaceful march focused on civil rights legislation and establishing job equality for everyone. A highlight of the march was King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
The influence of King and other activists prompted Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The act ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
The act is considered a crowning legislative achievement of the civil rights movement.
Because of his dedication to making people realize “all men are created equal,” King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. At the age of 39, he is youngest person ever to receive this high honor.
“A common thread is interwoven between all aforementioned individuals and their civic actions,” said Ramona McCaa, guest speaker at the observance. “These Americans from diverse ethnic, socio-economic, religious, and perhaps even political backgrounds, are united in the common goal of securing basic civil rights for all their fellow countrymen and women.”
McCaa served 23 years in the U.S. Army and retired at the rank of lieutenant colonel.
“These Americans possess the fundamental belief and understanding as we do in this assembly today,” McCaa emphasized. “That the strength, resilience, prosperity and survival of our United States of America is deeply rooted in our diverse culture, our diverse ethnic backgrounds, our diverse religious affiliations, our diverse languages, our diverse political leanings, and our diverse philosophical perspectives.”
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Fort Huachuca is home to the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence, the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM)/9th Army Signal Command and more than 48 supported tenants representing a diverse, multiservice population. Our unique environment encompasses 946 square miles of restricted airspace and 2,500 square miles of protected electronic ranges, key components to the national defense mission.
Located in Cochise County, in southeast Arizona, about 15 miles north of the border with Mexico, Fort Huachuca is an Army installation with a rich frontier history. Established in 1877, the Fort was declared a national landmark in 1976.
We are the Army’s Home. Learn more at https://home.army.mil/huachuca/
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