Photo By Sgt. Nikayla Shodeen | Sgt. Maj. Michael Bostic, of Bennettsville, S.C., who serves as the command paralegal...... read more read more
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed by President Lyndon B. Johnson with the influence of several civil rights leaders to include Dr. Martin Luther King; however, the law wasn’t solely about African Americans’ rights, but for freedom for all people.
During Bagram Airfield’s Black History Month Feb. 22, sponsored by Task Force Signal, the Air Force’s 455th Air Expeditionary Wing and 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), it was that very theme that resonated throughout the diverse crowd of attendees through their guest speaker, U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Michael Bostic, who serves as the command paralegal for Combined Joint Task Force-10 and 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry).
Bostic, who, as a military legal rep, seemed fitting as the selection to speak for the occasion, charged the room of service members to use their leadership role to influence laws, policies and regulations for positive change.
“The Civil Rights Act was passed 50 years ago through the influence of many political and community leaders. It prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin,” said Bostic, of Bennettsville, S.C. “Because of this influence, we get the opportunity to experience a society of diversity and freedom.”
For U.S. Army Master Sgt. Wanda Allen, of Oxford, Ga., TF Signal’s non-commissioned officer-in-charge, Black History Month observances isn’t just a history lesson on the struggles of African Americans, and it’s a lesson she passed to her children as well.
“This wasn’t just an African American fight for civil rights,” said Allen. “The message we should try to portray is that we didn’t get here by ourselves, but rather from other cultures that paved the way ... we have all come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.”
Bostic recognized the struggles of a young democracy and the lessons learned, but also paid tribute to the civil rights leaders and the influence they made through the years.
“My life, or should I say, ‘our lives,’ were different and made possible because of these pioneers and varying leaders of the past ... because of their reliliency and influence, we have an integrated society filled with diversity where we see people of all races, genders, and status working together for one cause,” said Bostic. “As a people, we must all teach our followers and encourage fairness and equality in each other.’
‘Only then will we be on United States of America, when there are no inequalities because of sex, race, religion, national origin or status. We cannot fix our past, but we can surely learn from or past. We can shape our future through our positive influence on others.”
| Date Taken: | 02.23.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 02.28.2014 04:29 |
| Story ID: | 121303 |
| Location: | BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF |
| Hometown: | BENNETTSVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Hometown: | OXFORD, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 107 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Bagram celebrates Civil Rights anniversary, by MSG Kap Kim, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
