KING GEORGE, Va. –
As John Lewis, an American politician and civil rights activist, once said, “You must never, ever give in. You must never, ever give out. We must keep the faith because we are one people. We are brothers and sisters. We all live in the same house: The American house.” On June 14, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) commemorated its 2023 Juneteenth Freedom Day Observance at the University of Mary Washington Dahlgren campus.
NSWCDD Commanding Officer Capt. Philip Mlynarski provided the opening remarks about Juneteenth’s history and commented about the official signing of the bill for the federal holiday in 2021. Mlynarski quoted the proclamation and reminded the audience that “Juneteenth not only commemorates the past, it calls us to action today.”
Dr. Sherry Springs, an NSWCDD human systems engineer, then introduced the three panelist, Charita Mariner, Pastor Hashmel Turner Jr. and Eunice Haigler. A Q&A session followed the panel discussion with questions coming from the in-person and virtual audiences. More than 100 attended in person.
This year’s theme was community with an emphasis on unity. “I am so pleased to be with you all today. It's vitally important to be able to see such a diverse mix of people in this room,” said Mariner. “This is what freedom looks like, right? This is what unity looks like.”
Mariner is the President and CEO of CRJ Services Inc., C.C.’s Charita Closet and a strong community philanthropist and advocate.
Turner, a Vietnam veteran who previously served eight years in the Fredericksburg City Council, is a past president of the Fredericksburg branch of the NAACP and addressed the audience about the importance of the holiday.
“We have taken it one level to the next,” stated Turner. “This is our holiday of freedom, of liberation. It went from a local holiday to state and now is acknowledged nationally. We just want to embrace that celebration and share the knowledge.”
Haigler, a returning guest speaker for NSWCDD’s Juneteenth Observance, is a local historian, activist, advocate and the community liaison to former Commonwealth of Virginia State Legislator Joshua Cole. She rounded out the panel portion of the event, speaking on her perspective of the holiday’s significance.
Springs kicked off the Q&A session, suggesting the panelists share more details about the history of Juneteenth. She followed up with additional questions pertaining to their personal celebrations for the freedom holiday.
The goal of the event was to expand knowledge on the historical significance of Juneteenth Day and to discuss current community initiatives.
At the end of the Q&A session, several attendees came to the microphone to express their gratitude to the panelists’ knowledge on the topic. Some also shared their own experiences relating to the holiday.
“I really appreciated the diversity I saw when I looked out among the crowd,” said Haigler. “I can remember a time when that was not the normal. So just to look out into the crowd and see all of the people who came to listen from various backgrounds is amazing.”