African-American Heritage Parade – May 24, 2009

(The following is an excerpt from the official Newark, New Jersey Press Release)

Newark, NJ – May 24, 2009 – Mayor Cory A. Booker, Governor Jon. S. Corzine, African-American Heritage Parade Committee Chairman Donald Bernard, Honorary Grand Marshals Reverend Levin B. West and Pastor Dolores A. Watson and other city, county and state dignitaries led the 43rd Annual African American Heritage Statewide Parade up Broad Street from Lincoln Park to Military Park today in New Jersey’s largest celebration of African American heritage.

Governor Corzine emphasized how important it is to pay tribute to our state’s African American Heritage and said, “I am so proud to be Governor of a state which is so rich in diversity. We have so much to be proud of and as a country we are still celebrating the fact that our first African American President Barack Obama is in the White House. Yesterday President Obama announced his plans to nominate former space shuttle commander and Retired Marine Corps.General Charles F. Bolden as the first African American Administrator of NASA.”

“Thanks to the leadership and determination of Donald Bernard, Sr. we are all gathered here today to honor our ancestors and remember the people who bled and sacrificed in order for us to enjoy the privileges we currently have,” said Mayor Booker. “Newark is a special city which goes back before the founding of our nation and many of Newark’s natives such as Master Chief Carl Brashear, Sarah Vaughn, and Paul Robeson stand out in history because of their extraordinary lives and the struggles they overcame to break the odds and move our country forward.”

After receiving a proclamation from Mayor Booker, Donald Bernard, Sr., who is now serving his 17th year as Chairman of the African American Heritage Parade and Festival committee said, “This profound annual gathering restores and instills culture, history and pride in the African American community through education and entertainment. It is with this in mind that we celebrate this year’s parade and festival under the theme ‘Communal Spirit, Love and Respect and Soul Connection’ because our committee understands that as we pay homage to our African past that we are fostering the antidote to this crisis in our community which motivates acts of violence and lack of unity.”

This year’s parade honored the late US Navy Master Chief Carl M. Brashear, who overcame both racial prejudice and the amputation of his left leg to become the first African-American master diver in Navy history, winning a dozen medals in his 31-year Navy career. Master Chief Brashear’s life became the subject of the Cuba Gooding Jr.-Robert De Niro movie “Men of Honor.” The late Master Chief Brashear was a Newark native and was represented by his family who marched in the parade, led by his two sons DaWayne and Phillip Brashear and his granddaughter, Lauren Brashear, who is a Newark Municipal Court employee.

Mayor Booker also presented a city proclamation to the family of Master Chief Carl Brashear and said, “The life of Master Chief Brashear should be an inspiration to us all and stands as an example for Americans of all generations because it speaks to the power of the human spirit.”

U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Phillip Brashear acknowledged that he was inspired by his father and the Tuskegee Airmen to follow his career as a military helicopter pilot, “It’s wonderful to know that my father left such a legacy that people still remember him three years after his death and still honor him for the life that he lived. I never knew my father had such an impact on people until the movie came out and it’s a tribute to our American society that we honor those who have paved the way for the lives that we are able to live today.”

DaWayne Brashear said, “My father always wanted us to do better than he did. His diving helped him to support the family but he encouraged us to go to college and get an education because when he entered the Navy he only had a 7th grade education. My father’s great advice for us when we were growing up was “Don’t let anybody steal your dream.”

Master Chief Brashear’s granddaughter Lauren Brashear is part of a select society that can christen naval vessels and serves as an adviser to the Master Chief Carl M. Brashear Foundation which hopes to bring the new interactive exhibit “To Dream to Dive” which chronicles the entire life of Carl Brashear to Newark sometime later this year.

The Honorary Grand Marshals were Reverend Levin B.West, Sr., Pastor of Grace Reformed Baptist Church and Pastor Dolores A. Watson of the First Congregational Christian Church for their many outstanding career achievements, and for his continuous, numerous contributions to the community. Parade Grand Marshall’s for 2009 are both selected by the AAHPC for their noteworthy and significant commitment to educational excellence for youth in the Newark community and abroad.

Highlights of the 43rd Annual African-American Heritage Parade can be seen on the City of Newark’s Municipal Government Television Station Channel 78. Please check program listings for broadcast times or call the Newark Non-Emergency Call Center at (973) 733-4311.