Darvin G. Bennett
Lead Equal Opportunity Specialist and Complaints Manager
SSC/NSSC Office of Diversity & Equal Opportunity
What does Black History Month mean to you?
My reference point for Black history takes me back to April 3, 1968, when my brother and sister stood outside in a pending storm at Mason Temple in Memphis to witness Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech. Then, that dreadful next day, my mother hurried home with the news that Dr. King had been assassinated not far from our Beale Street residence. Horror, sadness, fear, and unrest loomed over our city and in every community for days and months.
During this time, good people from other races, creeds, and colors throughout the nation started to stand against injustice. They marched and suffered beatings but did not waver in the fight for the justice and equality that could no longer be denied.
Who inspires you and why?
The person who inspires me the most is Dorothy Bennett-Cleveland. She was a doctor, caregiver, protector, educator, and counselor who laid an unshakable foundation for me. She demonstrated and modeled perseverance through circumstances and times that were not always favorable for Black people in 1930’s America. Today, I stand on her shoulders and still sense her loving push that causes me to continue to lean forward in hope for all humanity.
Building a Legacy of Achievement, Connection, and Knowledge
NASA Stennis and NSSC are proud to celebrate Black History Month and recognize the diversity of the workforce contributing to the success of America’s premier rocket propulsion test site.