Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at NSA Souda Bay

Team Souda commemorated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at an event hosted by the Multicultural Committee and Second Class Petty Officer Association and held at The Anchor on Jan. 18.

The ceremony included speakers from NSA Souda Bay who highlighted the life and achievements of King as an equal rights activist during the civil rights movement.

Among the speakers was Utilitiesman 1st Class Jamiah Shaw who quoted King’s “I Have a Dream Speech” during her presentation. Shaw told the attendees King’s influence encouraged the nation to stand up against racial inequality and allow diversity to reign in America and in the ranks of the Armed Forces.

“As I look over the sea of faces of my fellow brothers and sisters, we no longer have to dream,” said Shaw. “That dream has become a reality.”

In a Jan. 13 message to the Sailors and families of the United States Navy, the Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro told the fleet the Department of the Navy continues to bolster a cultural identity that values its Sailors based on their capabilities and aptitude. He assured those reading that the Navy is devoted to creating and maintaining a culturally diverse and all-around inclusive workplace environment with people of all backgrounds, races and beliefs to create a united front.

In his tireless work for equality, justice, and peace for all, Dr. King said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” NSA Souda Bay’s Commanding Officer, Capt. Odin J. Klug, reminded Team Souda that this question is one we should ask ourselves as we continue to work together to strengthen our community and care for one another.

“In the United States Armed Forces it’s about how hard you work and how much progress you make,” said Capt. Klug. “That’s the vision. That’s the legacy we are a part of.”