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JBSA News
NEWS | Jan. 22, 2009

Lackland revisits MLK under new light

By Patrick Desmond 37th Training Wing Public Affairs

Team Lackland gathered around candle-lit tables to celebrate the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the "Revisting the Dream" commemorative luncheon at the Mitchell Hall ballroom Jan. 16. 

Keynote speaker Maj. Gen. Darren McDew, director of Public Affairs for the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, led the gathering by applying "I Have a Dream" to America's current social climate. 

Mirroring the late civil rights activist, the general began his speech, "I have a dream, today," and then offered a recommendation. 

He said, "To keep Dr. King's dream alive, we must breathe new meaning into 'I Have a Dream,' so that together as free people, Americans, we can realize a deeper and more profound dimension of the dream."
 
This dimension encouraged people to strive for greatness in their everyday lives. 

General McDew reiterated Dr. King's words, "not everyone can be famous but everyone can be great, because greatness is determined by your service." 

"I believe it's high time we took Dr. King's dream to the next level by doing our life's work to the best of our abilities," General McDew said. "Our greatness is determined by our service." 

The general exemplified the statement citing a chance meeting he had with a Lackland worker named Jerry, a man who takes pride in his job well. 

"You and I may never be called to be Dr. King or Jackie Robinson or Rosa Parks, but it is important for us to always do our best," he said. "Our fellow citizens will always remember with gratitude and respect. Those are the things that stay the same, that are priceless." 

General McDew traced the civil rights leader's dream to the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama. 

"His election demonstrates that we have in fact moved closer to realizing Dr. King's dreams," General McDew said. "Barack Obama reminds us that society has truly changed in remarkable ways. Here we have a man, elected to the highest office in this nation, the most powerful nation on the planet in spite of the color of his skin and truly because of the content of his character." 

With the inauguration of President Obama and Dr. King's birthday, the general reminded the audience "we must remember there is no Black America, White America, Latino America or Asian America. There is a United States of America. It is our collective responsibility to claim the birth right of our own world, then we can see the 'I Have a Dream' through the mind's eye of Dr. King." 

Weaving personal history with events of the 1950's and '60's such as the Montgomery bus boycott and the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, General McDew explained how one pastor's vision affected his own life growing up in the military, as he later became the Virginia Military Institute's first African-American captain of the regimental commander of Corps of Cadets. 

"I have now risen to the rank of major general because of God's mercy and grace, and the struggle of many civil rights champions like Dr. King and because of my fellow Airmen of all races," he said. 

Standing at the end of the chandeliered room, General McDew was a model for success learned from Martin Luther King and other role models in his life. 

"Dr. King understood that concepts like freedom and equality were the keys to unlock the door," he said, "but it was up to each individual to determine whether or not that door would open to reveal a small cramped closet or a grand magnificent ballroom." 

Capitulating the time and era during Martin Luther King's life, a slideshow featuring influential figures such as Rosa Parks was accompanied by the audio of "I Have a Dream," while Staff Sgt. Elsie Lengyon performed the national anthem and Tops in Blue sang hymns during the lunch. 

Closing the ceremony, Chaplain (Maj.) Marvin Williams led Team Lackland in the singing of James Weldon Johnson's hymn "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," followed by a benediction given by Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Michael Butler.