Mediaboss Marketing

Al McCambry cited recent statistics reinforcing racial inequality while encouraging attendees not to become complacent with the state of the country.

NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY PANAMA CITY Al McCambry is disheartened by statistics on racial inequality, homicide rates and incarceration. He is not, however, giving up on America because that's not what Martin Luther King Jr. would have done.

Many of these reflections left me saddened and heavy-hearted. But I went back and listened to Kings speeches, and I believe all things are still possible, McCambry said Wednesday while giving the keynote address at Naval Support Activity Panama City's annual Martin Luther King Observance Ceremony.

McCambry, the workforce development dean at Gulf Coast State College, cited recent statistics reinforcing racial inequality,including the high rates of homicides, deaths by firearms and incarceration rates among African-Americans compared to other people.

These statistics should be as troubling to you as they are to me. So what next? We must choose to be dissatisfied with those numbers.

King was one of the greatest leaders in America and the world and had profound ideas, McCambry said, adding that althoughAfrican-Americans and other minorities have come a long way since Kings day, people should not get complacent considering existing shortcomings.

He also mentioned the recent deaths of several young local African-Americans, believed to be the result of neighborhood violence. He encouraged attendees to give young people positive male role models to look up to, along with emphasizing education instead of the high salaries commanded by athletes, to help bridge current racial disparities.

Complacency is dangerous, McCambry said. Lets not fall victim to TVs bling-bling.

The keynote speech wasnt the only remembrance Wednesday of Kings legacy. Along with a replay of the legendary news report of Kings assassination by Walter Cronkite in 1968, the Global Arts Society performed a musical and dance routine to commemorate his work.

Both the speaker and performers also were part of last year's ceremony at NSA PC. During his speech last January, McCambry discussed the equality among all races as envisioned by King and cited George Washington Carver, Charles Richard Drew and Thurgood Marshall as African-Americans who succeeded.

NSA PC and the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) Diversity Council, which had a hand in organizing Wednesdays ceremony, remain committed to creating a diverse workforce to ensure a crucial culture of innovation and inclusiveness, NSWC PCD Commanding Officer Phillip Dawson said.

We try to hire the best talent from across the country and across cultural, racial and gender lines, Dawson said.

Read the original:
NSA PC speaker: Follow Dr. King's lead to help today's youth - The News Herald