Scott AFB honors, remembers MLK Jr. Published Jan. 21, 2016 By Airman Daniel Garcia 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Scott Air Force Base recognized the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Jan. 14 with a luncheon held at the Scott Event Center. This year's theme of the celebration was, "Remember, celebrate and act; it is a day on ... not a day off." The guest speaker for the event, Lt. Gen. Samuel D. Cox, 18th Air Force commander, talked about King's struggle for equality and emphasized the need for diversity within the Air Force. "We want everyone's contributions ... everyone's talent," he said. "Today we need to ensure that everyone sees the U.S. Air Force as a place where they could live, work and thrive." First Lt. Nathan Christian, 375th Communications Group executive officer, said that the reason to celebrate King is because he helped make the life better for others. "On Martin Luther King Day, it's important to continue to work to make life better for those around us," he added. Pamela Dorsey, the emcee of the event said, "He [MLK, Jr.] is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using strategies that involved nonviolent civil disobedience to impact social change. Dr. King initially gained national prominence during the 1965 Montgomery, Alabama Bus Boycott, then later through letters and poignant speeches." She stated that following his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in August 1963, many northern states began to question the Jim Crow laws and treatment of African Americans. This resulted in the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination in publicly owned facilities. King also won the Nobel Peace Prize in the same year. While in Memphis, Tennessee, to lead a protest march with sanitation workers on April 4, 1968, King was assassinated on his hotel balcony. King was later posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. "He captivated audiences and moved a nation," said Dorsey. "For these reasons today I ask you all to 'remember, celebrate and act."