Page 7 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt 2-19-16

Thunderbolt NEWS Feb. 19, 2016 7
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SPEECH (from Page 4)

Black History Month Observance Luncheon es, A. Philip Randolph, leader in the African-American Civil
Rights Movement, introduced the next speaker.
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at Club Five Six
“I recall Randolph saying, ‘Now let me introduce the moral
#FO#SVDFJTTQFBLFSt%FBEMJOFUPSFHJTUFSJT5VFTEBZ leader of our movement the reverend Dr. King J R,’ referring
Questions or to RSVP? Call Tech. Sgt. David Beasley at 623-856-6361. to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. All of a sudden the crowd went
crazy. He started talking and eventually spoke about this
Good oral hygiene starts early in life dream, and I realized even though I was young, I was at an
event that was important.”
by Staff Sgt. The dental team will visit Luke Elementary, the 56th
ERICA FARIA Force Support Squadron Child Development Center and While he didn’t know it back then, that speech would posi-
Youth Center during the month of February. tively affect him and many Americans. It came to have mean-
56th Dental Squadron ing as he faced discrimination early in his Air Force career.
For more information on proper oral hygiene, go to
Throughout National Children’s Dental Health Month, ADA.org or mouthhealthy.org. “When I came into the Air Force I had a really hard time at
the 56th Dental Squadron will sponsor activities to raise first working with people and being part of a team,” Bruce said.
awareness of the importance of oral health in youth. Courtesy graphic “During the first few years of my Air Force career, I saw a prob-
lem with race relations. We had riots at Travis Air Force Base
Developing good habits at a young age along with in California. Black people had taken over the dining facility.”
regular dental visits will help children have healthy
teeth and gums. Dental health issues can cause children In the beginning of his career, there was a program called
to miss hours of school every year, which is why the Social Actions, or what is known today as Military Equal
dental squadron would like to increase awareness about Opportunity, which deals with race relations and equal op-
oral health and foster the importance of good home care. portunity.

The 56th DS dental team recommends parents and With time, things got better even though to Bruce it seemed
children practice brushing their teeth together for two like a never-ending battle.
minutes twice a day as well as flossing once a day as soon
as teeth start to grow in. It’s also a good idea to clean “Sometimes they put blacks and whites in a room together
baby’s gums before teeth come in. Wipe the gums with to figure out why they didn’t like each other and what they
gauze or a soft wash cloth without toothpaste twice a day. could do to solve the problem,” he said. “Early in my Air Force
career there were a lot of growing pains with race relations,
DS also recommends getting into the habit of proper but over time, as we continued to dialogue, it got better.”
dental hygiene at home as soon as possible.
Bruce’s memories have helped form his current perspective
on Black History Month and what it means to him.

“Black History Month means a lot to me because it gives
black people an opportunity to share our history with others
to help them understand the sacrifices and contributions
we’ve made in building this country,” Bruce said. “So it’s not
an opportunity for black people to celebrate but for everybody,
including non-blacks, to learn about what has been done in
the black community.”

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