Yokota Warriors gather to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Katrina Menchaca
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Yokota Air Base, Japan --  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was remembered at a luncheon to honor his life, his accomplishments and his legacy, at the Yokota Enlisted Club here, Jan. 14.

More than 80 service members from Yokota gathered at the luncheon to hear guest speaker Lt. Col. Willie Holt Jr., 374th Maintenance Group deputy commander.

"It has been a long, hard struggle for equality in the United States," said Lt. Col. Holt. "Despite a government built on the ideals of freedom and the fundamental right of every man, there has always been resistance to fully embracing equality for all."

Lt. Col. Holt primarily focused his comments on the speeches of Dr. King as well as descriptions of pioneers in the Civil Rights Movement.

"His struggles and marches caused the change in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited racial discrimination in hiring practices and public services in the United States. Dr. King's 'I Have a Dream' speech [...] demanded an end to racial inequality and spoke of a hope for the future. The election of President Barack Obama, in many ways, is the culmination of Dr. King's dream," said Lt. Col. Holt.

Captain Tameka Alderman, 374th Airlift Wing Sexual Assault Response coordinator, agreed.
 
"We have come a long way since the time in which he was actively protesting and doing marches and speaking as a community rights activist," she said. "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a vital figure of the modern era. His lectures and dialogues sparked the conscience of a generation."

Staff Sgt. Nikeshia L. Williams, 374th AW Sexual Assault Response coordinator assistant, expressed, "Today is important to me because it's important that Americans get together and remember what Dr. King stood for. He stood for equality for all human beings no matter what race they came from, no matter what their culture."

The luncheon also included performances by Yokota High School students, and Airmen 1st Class Stephanie Russ, 374th Surgical Operations Squadron aerospace medical technician.