Black History Committee holds annual Banquet

Members of the Black History Committee present this year’s keynote speaker, CMS Wendell J. Snider-Command CMS of the 366th Fighter Wing, with a plaque after his speech at the Black History Banquet on Feb. 15.

The Mountain Home Community Black History Committee celebrated its 30th Anniversary during this year's Annual Black History Banquet on the evening of Feb. 15. This year’s theme was “The Black Migration.”

According to the evening's program the Black History Committee was the idea of Sergeant David Douglas from Mountain Home Air Force Base. The base had stopped having Black History Month and combined all ethnic groups and was sponsoring a Heritage Month. Sergeant Douglas, along with others, felt the idea would lose the meaning of Black History and what black men and women had contributed would be lost. He contacted then City Councilman Joe B. and Mrs. McNeal and they contacted other city leaders: Mayor Don Etter, Senator Claire Wetherell, Representative Leanna Lasuen and School Superintendent Bud Light. All gave their wholehearted support and at a public meeting on November. 13, 1989, the first Black History Committee was born in the City of Mountain Home.

The committee has had many memorable keynote speakers over the years and this year was no exception. Command Chief Master Sergeant Wendell Jackson Snider of the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base was honored to receive the call from Joe B. McNeal asking him to speak at the event. For the full story, pick up a copy of the Mountain Home News or click on this link to subscribe to the newspaper's online edition.