The
promise of esprit de corps and multicultural food sampling drew employees to
the Jan. 22 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Celebration at the U.S. Army
Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville.
To
honor King as an activist, humanitarian and leader of the Civil Rights
Movement, Huntsville Center celebrated, “Weaving Diversity into the Fabric of
America: We All Have a Place Beneath the Stars!” The event highlighted a
multitude of cultures including European, Hispanic, Indian/Native, African and
Asian Pacific American.
“Dr.
King sought to forge the common ground on which people from all walks of life
could join together to address important community issues,” said Angela Morton,
Huntsville Center Equal Employment chief. “He believed in a nation of freedom
and justice for all, and encouraged all citizens to live up to the purpose and
potential of America by uniting and taking action to make this country a better
place to live.”
The
ideas of unity, purpose and the great things that can happen when people work
together toward a common goal are just some of the many reasons we honor Dr.
King through service on this special holiday, Morton said.
Morton,
who sang gospel songs as part of the Huntsville Center Ensemble, said it was
phenomenal that so many people pulled together as a team to make this event a
success.
Chip
Marin, Installation Support and Programs Management director and keynote
speaker for the event, said unity and diversity can be seen throughout American
history.
“The
peopling of the United States of America is one of the greatest stories in all
of human history,” he said. “Over the years, and still today, a stream of
humanity crossed every ocean from every continent to reach the United States.
They came speaking every language, representing every nationality, race and
religion.”
However,
the road to diversity has not always been an easy one, Marin said.
“But,
like anything else worth achieving, the road to success must be challenged head
on, obstacles overcome and movement, little by little, made each and every day
toward achieving the goal,” he said.
During
the event, several Huntsville Center employees played music they had written,
sang songs and spoke to those gathered about their cultural achievements.
Matthew
Urbanic, a lead contracting officer at Huntsville Center, discussed his second-generation
Yugoslavian immigrant heritage and what it means to him to be an American.
“In 1921 when my grandfather crossed over the
ocean … he was awestruck by what he saw and like most immigrants, he made a
promise to be worthy of the citizenship he hoped to receive,” he said.
Because
of his grandfather’s promise, Urbanic said he made the same vow.
“He
wanted that his children would be worthy of their citizenship; he didn’t see it
as an entitlement he saw it as something to be earned,” Urbanic said. “Every
male in the Urbanic line has served their country. As part of my vow to my
line, I enlisted at the age of 17.”
Throughout
his life and service to his country, Urbanic said he learned that being
American is something worth earning and every citizen does it each day through
his or her choices.
During
the Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, Martin Luther King Jr. Day event Jan. 20,
Huntsville Center won second place in the Team Redstone Martin Luther King Jr.
Day display contest.