COLUMBUS, Ohio –
The American anthropologist and author Margaret Mead once said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
The Defense Federal Community celebrates National Black History Month in February to commemorate the contributions of African Americans to our nation. As part of this national celebration, the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity and the African American Employment Program joins the Department of Defense in honoring those who have inspired change.
The observance of Black History Month was established by Congress in 1986 by Public Law 99-244. A presidential proclamation released ahead of this year’s observance states, “We celebrate the legacy of Black Americans, whose power to lead, to overcome, and to expand the meaning and practice of Americans democracy has helped our nation become a more fair and just society… Black Americans’ struggles for freedom, equal treatment, and the right to vote; for equal opportunities in education, housing, and the workplace; for economic opportunity, equal justice, and political representation; and so much more have reformed our democracy far beyond its founding.”
The theme of this year’s observance, “Inspiring Change,” epitomizes the contributions of African Americans to challenging racial inequities and promoting opportunities for equal advancement within the African American community. The 2023 DOD Black History Month poster depicts North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University freshman (from left) Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, Ezell A. Blair, Jr., and David Richmond, on the second day of a peaceful sit-down protest they organized at a Woolworth Department Store in Greensboro, North Carolina. The use of nonviolence by these four college students inspired the Freedom Riders, groups of White and African Americans civil rights activists who participated in bus trips through the South in 1961 to protest segregated bus terminals, and others to take up the cause of integration and equal rights in the South.
The Greensboro Sit-Ins began when the four students sat down at a lunch counter inside Woolworth and asked for service. Their request was refused, and they were asked to leave. In response, they chose to remain in their seats. The protest lasted from Feb. 1 – July 25, 1960, and eventually led the department store chain to end its policy of racial segregation. The section of the Woolworth's lunch counter from Greensboro has a permanent home at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. All four were later awarded honorary doctorate degrees from North Carolina A&T in recognition of their contributions. In 2010, the members of the Greensboro Four were honored with the Smithsonian’s James Smithson Bicentennial Medal.
McCain went on to a 35-year career as a chemist. Blair worked for Greensboro Public Schools for thirty years after serving in the United States Army during World War II. Richmond was awarded the Levi Coffin Award for leadership in human rights by the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce in 1980. McNeil commissioned as a second lieutenant through the Reserve Officer Training Corps and served on active duty as a KC-135 navigator until 1969, spending considerable time in Southeast Asia flying Arc Lite support and Young Tiger missions.
McNeil retired in 2001 at the rank of major general in the United States Air Force after serving nearly 40 years. In his final assignment, he served as the mobilization assistant to the commander for Air Force Reserve Command Headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. His awards and decorations include Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with Silver Star, Southwest Asia Service Medal with Bronze Star, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.
The actions of the Greensboro Four continue to serve as an inspiration for change today. To learn more, visit https://www.defenseculture.mil for additional DEOMI products and National Black History Month Facts of the Day.
The African American Employment Program is commemorating Black History Month with articles and employee spotlights capturing the contributions of the African Americans to DOD and DLA Land and Maritime. If you would like more information or to join DLA Land and Maritime’s AAEP committee, contact the chairperson at Marlene.Drayton-stevenson@dla.mil, or coordinator at alphonso.meriweather@dla.mil.