Memorial Day 2021

You may notice that this note, and several others this year, recount an annual event. I will continue writing about these annual events each year because it encourages us to continually learn about each other and value diverse cultures, religions, and traditions. It is my hope that these messages help you feel a sense of belonging, if they describe your life or beliefs. And I hope they encourage you to talk to your fellow students and teammates about the rich diversity our College community offers.

On Monday, May 31, we will celebrate the federal holiday of Memorial Day.

Most public offices, organizations, and schools, including Henry Ford College, encourage employees to honor and celebrate this day with a paid day away from work activities. Like most institutions, we suspend classes so that students may celebrate.

Memorial Day honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. It is considered our most solemn national holiday. It is sometimes confused with Veteran’s Day (November 11), which honors all military veterans.

As a military-friendly campus, veteran-friendly employer, and gold-level veteran-friendly school, we are proud to welcome all veterans and active-duty military members and their families to our campus community.

For the past two years, I have distributed a detailed history and explanation of this important national holiday. I invite you to read about it on our website.

This year, while we are still in a pandemic, our country is starting to open up to more public activities. The Dearborn Memorial Day Parade has typically been one of the largest in the country, and is the oldest in Michigan. The parade has been canceled this year, but some other local communities are hosting public parades and other events.

Community connections are important. It has been difficult for all of us to cancel regular community gatherings and holiday celebrations for the past 15 months. Yet, we have proven, as a College and community, that we can work together through an unprecedented and difficult time. We have shown that we can sustain high productivity, positive morale, and best of all, support for student success, through a long period of sub-optimal conditions. In some ways, we have redefined what it means to be on the “front lines” of service. And, despite our nation’s political and social differences, we remain a free and democratic society today. We will emerge stronger because of what we have overcome.

This is something to be proud of as we commemorate this Memorial Day. I encourage you to enjoy a restful weekend as we come together – virtually or in person – to pay tribute to our service members who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and our society.

Russ Kavalhuna
President