Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va. –
Lift Every Voice and Sing, adopted in 1919 by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) as the “Black National Anthem,” was a fitting opening song for Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s (NNSY) African American Employee Resource Group’s (AA-ERG) 3rd annual Black History Celebration Feb. 20. Located near the waterfront for accessibility, the workforce was graced with the beautifully full voices of engineers Brian Darden (Code 105) and Andre Johnson (Code 900T) when they sang the song. Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Zel Technologies, LLC (ZELTECH) Jack L. Ezzell Jr. was the speaker of the event.
Born and raised in North Carolina, Ezzell discussed his journey of joining the United States Air Force and later becoming a successful African American entrepreneur. Moving onto the struggles and prejudices he faced along the way, he made it clear that his intention was not to shame anyone for something others did long ago, but rather to help people understand the present, in lieu of his theme ‘Lest We Forget.’ “There’s a lot we can learn from examining our past,” Ezzell said. “It is useful because it can be used to understand where people are coming from today.”
Moreover, Black History Month exists to celebrate those who came before us and paved the way for the freedoms society has now. Ezzell said, “we are here to step back and recognize the many great gifts that African Americans have brought to our nation.”
Aligning with the shipyard’s C.O.R.E. value of Respect, Ezzell also encouraged others to listen to each other. “Engage with people of different perspectives from your own,” he urged. “Listen with kindness in your heart, not anger. If we listen to each other and treat each other with respect, we can find ways to solve the problems of today.”