Sailors at Naval Medical Center San Diego paused to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. on Friday.
Standing in formation in the hospital's courtyard, sailors spoke about King's legacy and held a moment of silence during a wreath laying ceremony.
In a speech, Senior Chief Jemiko Price said the Navy's diversity shouldn't just be acknowledged, but embraced.
"The year 2024 demands that we confront any lingering shadows of inequality within our ranks," Price said.
Quoting King's wife, civil rights leader Coretta Scott King, Price said, "'freedom is never really won, you earn it and win it in every generation.'"
Price works at the hospital as the senior enlisted leader in surgical services. She said it was an honor to be asked to speak Friday.
"The Civil Rights movement is technically not over and even though it was a short time ago (and) our country has come a long way ... we're also a relatively young country," Price said. "It's important ... to remind us (of) this every year and make sure we reaffirm our commitment to justice and fighting for equality."
This year's Martin Luther King holiday comes amid a furor of anti-diversity rhetoric from influential figures on the right. Hospital director Capt. Elizabeth Adriano said people from around the world join the U.S. Navy — something that makes it stronger.
"It's not just diversity about the color of our skin," she said. "It's diversity of background, it's diversity of education, it's diversity of the way we think, the way we problem solve ... We've got folks here in our Navy on this campus who are from countries all over the world. They bring that diversity, as well as the diversity of gender, the diversity of age, the diversity of skin color — and all of those things work together to make us stronger."
Many San Diego area service members were able to enjoy three or four days off but Adriano said long holiday weekends are just not possible at a busy hospital. Even so, she said everyone could expect some time off to observe the holiday.
