by Cedric ‘BIG CED’ Thornton
November 9, 2023
Happy Veteran’s Day!
With Veteran’s Day being celebrated on Nov. 11, AFRO News hosted a luncheon entitled “A Salute to Our Veterans” to recognize the many Black veterans who went to fight for the country, from World War II to the most recent battles that have taken place.
According to CBS News, the Tuesday, Nov. 7 event was held at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore.
“Honoring the sacrifice and service of our veterans is a year-round obligation, but today is a special day to celebrate their stories,” said Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper, CEO and publisher of the AFRO, in a written statement. “Through ‘A Salute to Our Veterans,’ we aim to bridge the generations of military heroism on display in the Black community.”
“We’d like to thank BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, Morgan State University, and Greater Baltimore Medical Center for their generous sponsorship of this event.”
The luncheon saluted the brave men and women who risked their lives to serve our country. Some that were honored included Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead (the adjutant general of Maryland and the only Black woman leading a state military), retired Maj. Edgar Brookings (a former AFRO general and circulation manager) and retired Col. Edna Cummings (Six Triple Eight Congressional Gold Medal champion and documentary producer).
“I didn’t get here alone,” Cummings stated. “Thousands of veterans and organizations stepped up and supported.”
The first annual “Salute to Our Veterans” was hosted by Frances Murphy Draper, the CEO and publisher of AFRO News. The publication was founded in 1892 by her grandfather, John H. Murphy Sr., a formerly enslaved Civil War sergeant who served in the military.
“We’ve got a lot of veterans here today, and we want to stop and say thank you for your service,” said Draper. “We have been honoring veterans almost the entire life of our 131-year existence.”
The event also acknowledged Morgan State University’s ROTC program and the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute’s Junior ROTC Color Guard treated attendees to a performance.
