At the sixth annual Prince George County Black History Month celebration at Fort Lee, Brig. Gen. Gwen Bingham gave credit to local African-American women who helped break down racial dividers and further the cause of integration.
"You don't have to go far to find African-American women who have contributed to the richness of our nation's history. African-American women who are strong, courageous, selfless and committed to a cause or causes bigger than themselves," Bingham said. "There are ordinary people who have done extraordinary things right here in Prince George County."
Bingham saluted leaders such as Sallie King, a housewife and mother of several children who in 1937 went straight to President Franklin D. Roosevelt to successfully appeal for a local school bus for black children after having been repeatedly turned down by local officials.
Bingham gave credit to Essie Bannister, the first African-American to serve on the Prince George School Board; to June Hill, the county's first black historian; and to Renee Williams, the first African-American woman to serve as assistant superintendent.
"And in the Tri-Cities area, how about our very own, the honorable Rosalyn Dance, blazing the trails in the Virginia House of Delegates? There are many more American women who could be recognized today for making a positive difference in the lives of many for our county and our country," Bingham said Saturday.
Bingham herself can be included in that list. As the first African-American woman to be commissioned quartermaster general, she is an inspiration for those who want to follow in her footsteps.
"I often say to my own soldiers, don't get mad when you fall short or someone mistreats you. Put that anger to positive use. If at first you don't succeed, try again," she said. "In the military, we say 'adapt and overcome.'"
Today, African-American women such as Bingham are the very fabric of the quilt of America and what this nation has stood for since its birth.
"We're so proud of each of you who have made and continue to make a positive difference in the lives of many," Bingham said.
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