(Eglin Air Force Base,FL) – The Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance at Eglin wasn’t just an event to “honor a giant in history,” but also a call to “challenge the status quo.”
Words expressed by the guest speaker during the Jan. 14 luncheon at the Bayview Club, were carefully chosen to depict the character of the civil rights leader who pursued peaceful solutions to the unrest in American society in the 1960s.
“I would do a disservice to his legacy and the things he stood for if I were to stand before you today and give you a bunch of fluff,” said Chief Master Sgt. Chris McKinney, of the 33rd Fighter Wing here, who led the audience through a journey of MLK quotes and questions on if America has arrived to the dream MLK was envisioning.
His introspection began with an honest look at himself. The superintendent of the 33rd Operations Group admitted he ashamedly fell into the perils of complacency preached by MLK by not exercising his right to vote until the presidential election of 2004.
“When I saw the movie Selma and watched the brutality exerted against the old and young all to give me the right to vote, I cried,” said the 27-year veteran.
Complacency was something MLK said was an opposing force within his Negro community in a letter he wrote while he was imprisoned in a Birmingham, Ala., jail. He felt it led to insensitivity toward the problems they were trying to create solutions for.
“Today we do not deal with blatant segregation in the Department of Defense but how many people have grown complacent because things are ‘not bad’?, ” McKinney asked.
The speaker expressed the national effort for the 29th national MLK observance to be viewed as a day of service, “a day on, not a day off.” McKinney drew the audience’s attention to reasons why there is still work to be done to bring justice to their everyday environment as MLK’s dream envisioned.
“This is not solely about black versus white. This is about dealing with injustice whether black, brown or white, whether male or female, whether Indian, Asian or Latino, whether Christian, Muslim or Jewish,” said McKinney. “Injustice is injustice no matter how we slice it. We can choose to ignore it or overlook it but it still remains injustice.”
Like making his personnel choice to vote, the guest speaker asked those at the lunch gathering to make a personnel choice on how they would respond to situations they encounter daily.
“I submit to you that you have a sphere of influence that extends beyond the fence line of Eglin,” he said. “I submit to you that you have the power to plant seeds, nurture them and harvest the crop. If we all individually impacted one person over the course of the next year to challenge flawed thinking, whether that be complacency, white privilege and so on…imagine the momentum we can create. Imagine the positive energy we can create.”
Brig. Gen. David Harris, 96th Test Wing commander, echoed the chief’s thought-provoking comments.
“Reach beyond to treasure and foster the diversity in our ranks,” said the installation commander. “Those different insights are way more valuable than people who think like me.”
Stepping out of comfort zones to approach someone who looks different in an effort to listen and understand a new perspective was encouraged by both leaders at the annual celebration of the life and contributions of MLK.
“Neither one of us has to pretend there are not differences between us,” said McKinney. “I just need to provide you dignity and respect and you reciprocate the same. It’s okay for us to be different. Our diversity is the strength of our nation and our Air Force.”
Eglin’s Equal Opportunity office and volunteers facilitated the base event in honor of the national MLK Day of Service. In the program they listed a schedule of local events personnel can participate in during the weekend of the federal holiday. For more information, contact Justin Lee at (850) 883-2708.
Article by Chrissy Cuttita
Team Eglin Public Affairs
PHOTO (TOP): Chief Master Sgt. Chris McKinney, superintendent of the 33rd Operations Group, 33rd Fighter Wing, speaks to attendees during the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Luncheon at Eglin’s Bayview Club, Jan. 14. Eglin’s Equal Opportunity office and volunteers facilitated the annual base event to honor of the national MLK Day of service. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ilka Cole)
