On Tuesday, June 2, World War I veteran Henry Johnson will receive a posthumous Medal of Freedom award in a White House ceremony. The event will be streamed live in the Marvin Library Learning Commons atrium at 11:15 a.m. The event may be seen at www.whitehouse.gov.
In today’s edition, the Times Union described Johnson’s accomplishments as a war hero: “Johnson, who single-handedly fought off a German patrol in France during World War I, was one of the first Americans to be awarded the French Croix de Guerre avec Palme, the country’s highest citation for valor, and he received the American Purple Heart and Distinguished Service Cross posthumously.” Johnson was an African American who served his country when the military was racially segregated. His recognition for valor comes after decades of effort by friends and family, who received assistance from New York State Senator Charles Schumer.
The Dwight Marvin Library will continue its year of programming “Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle.” On Monday, November 2, Steve Sheinkin author of “Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights” will discuss his book, a World War II civil rights story about a group of African American sailors – many of them teenagers – who are assigned to load ammunition at Port Chicago, a segregated naval base in California. They are never trained to handle ammunition safely, and are constantly being rushed by their officers. When a terrifying disaster rocks the base, the men face the toughest decision of their lives: do they return to duty as ordered, or do they risk everything to take a stand against segregation in the military?
Details regarding Fall programs will be announced later this summer.
Published: Mon, 01 Jun 2015 12:26:55 +0000 by b.hazard