CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Joseph Stith comes from a military family. His father and uncle's dedication to our country inspired him to join the armed forced in April 1995.
"In talking to my family about it, my dad said ‘well, if you’re thinking about military,’ because I had talked to him about it, he said, ‘go into the air force,'" Stith said.
Stith was stationed at Langley Air Force Base in Norfolk, Virginia. He was an aerospace ground equipment mechanic, which required him to diagnose and repair equipment used for military jets.
“There's a lot of long hours," Stith said. "What they require of you [in the Air Force] is nothing less than the best.”
Stith added that being a Black man in the U.S. military comes with an even greater responsibility.
"A lot rides on your shoulders, for those that will come after you," Stith said. "You have to give a lot of respect to those that went before myself. Being a black man or woman in the military, there’s a lot to live up to. And everything that you do, you should do with a sense or a spirit of excellence.”
He retired after 12 years of service. The Stith family said it was bittersweet, but it gave Joseph skills he could use for the rest of his life.
“It’s of the upmost importance that you do everything with integrity. Nobody can be effective by themselves as they are when they’re with a team that shares the same values," Stith said.
He and his wife, Katina are now known as entrepreneurs in the Corpus Christi community. Their business focuses on sharing their tradition and culture with soul food.
"It’s a legacy that we actually came from," Katina said. "Bringing people together for food was such a foundation for us when growing up, it was something that we wanted to be able to give back.”
Their soul food restaurant, PKK, is located at 213 S Chaparral St., in Downtown Corpus Christi. It is believed to be the only Black and veteran owned restaurant in the entire city. The Stith's said the food they serve doesn’t just taste good. It also preserves the roots of their culture, leaving behind a legacy.
“It’s the love that’s behind what we do, that we put on the table for other people," Katina said.
As we celebrate black history month and the outstanding accomplishments of our black veterans and the entire black community, Joseph said it’s important to acknowledge this month because Black history has been woven into our nation’s story.
“If we don’t do it, it won’t be celebrated. Black history is American history,” Joseph said.
The Stiths encourage people to support local—like a Black owned business or veteran owned business.
More Veterans In Focus stories are available here, along with resources for local veterans.
