Photo By Aimee Malone | Guest speaker Willie Larkin speaks to Fort McCoy, Wis., community members at the Black...... read more read more
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Guest speaker Willie Larkin spoke about the importance of learning about black history and paving the way for people of all cultures and backgrounds to achieve success during the installation’s Black History Month observance held Feb. 20 at Fort McCoy.
Black History Month highlights the contributions of black Americans and pays tribute “to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society,” according to www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov.
Larkin has a doctorate in agricultural education and is currently chief of staff to the president at Edgewood College in Madison, Wis. He’s worked in the senior levels of higher education for more than four decades.
Larkin said it’s important for people of all backgrounds to understand the contributions made by black Americans.
“You don’t have to be black to appreciate black history,” Larkin said. “When I look at the contributions of black America, it really says that people are not limited by their race or their color or their core culture.”
While Larkin’s experience is primarily in education, he said that one of the ways that wider society can learn from the military is in its ability to overcome differences in backgrounds and cultures in order to reach a goal. He said he always thought athletics was one of the best ways to foster such a cooperative spirit, but the military achieves similar results.
“The military is one of those areas where people kind of put aside some of those crazy differences, and they find a way to support each other and get jobs done,” he said.
All cultures and people can contribute to the success of the United States and deserve the opportunity to do so, Larkin said. Black History Month is one of many observances designed to highlight that fact.
“One of the things we have to do is set the stage for that to occur,” he said.
During Black History Month, the Army reflects on the contributions of African-American and black Soldiers. African-Americans have defended the nation since the Revolutionary War. They continue to serve the
Army with great honor and distinction and built a legacy of courage and professionalism, according to www.army.mil. The Army strongly
embraces diversity as a way to maximize individual talent, increase morale, and greatly enhance military effectiveness.
A timeline of contributions and profiles of notable African-American and black Soldiers are available online at https://www.army.mil/africanamericans/index.html.
The Black History Month observance was organized by the Equal Opportunity (EO) Office.
| Date Taken: | 02.27.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 02.27.2020 12:24 |
| Story ID: | 364037 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 34 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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