The Memorial Day holiday is once more upon us and with it arrives ceremonies and programs that honor the military men and women who died while defending the United States.

In this week’s Free Press you will discover a Monday, May 29, Memorial Day program in Chesterfield County that will unveil a replica of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the iconic memorial inArlington National Cemetery which, since 1921, has provided a final resting place for one of America’s unidentified Word War I service members.

And in Downtown Richmond, the Virginia Department of Veterans Services will host Memorial Day ceremonies with high-ranking officials such as Virginia’s Secretary of Veteran And Defense Affairs and the Adjutant General of Virginia. Patriotic music will be performed by the 29th Division Band of the Virginia Na- tional Guard. Similar events will take place at three state veterans cemeteries.

Such ceremonies elicit all sorts of emotions whether attending them in person or observing them on television or social media. Pride, joy, pain and sorrow.

In observing these memorable moments, pleaseberemindednotonlyofthoseinthe military who sacrificed their lives for all of us. Remember, it was just three years ago, on Memorial Day May 25 when George Floyd lost his life in a battle against racism that far too many Black people, as Attorney Ben Crump points out in our front-page article, continue to experience daily.