Taye Diggs honors his father for Memorial Day with USAA partnership

Memorial Day weekend is here. Americans across the country and the globe will be preparing to fire up the grill and spend time together in honor of the holiday. But as Taye Diggs reminds us, Memorial Day, which falls on May 31 this year, is primarily a time of reflection and thanks to those who serve in the military and who’ve lost their lives in the line of duty.

Hidden Remote caught up with Diggs to discuss his partnership with USAA for their Memorial Day campaign educating Americans on the importance of the holiday and how they can honor fallen service members by visiting poppyinmemory.com.

The campaign seeks to provide visitors with various means to celebrate Memorial Day whilst keeping those who give their lives to military service at the forefront of their minds. From digital tributes to a craft project for the kids, it’s a campaign the whole family can participate in.

Diggs shared his own tribute to his father, Jeffries Leo Diggs, on Instagram. He planted a poppy in his memory and expressed his thanks to all who have served.

In our sit-down, Diggs also teased what’s up with Billy as we approach the All American season 3 finale and gave us a bit on what’s in store for fans of The Best Man franchise which will conclude with a limited series called The Best Man: The Final Chapters on Peacock.

Check out the interview with FanSided‘s Sabrina Reed below!

Taye Diggs speaks on honoring Memorial Day and provides the tea about All American and The Best Man: The Final Chapters

Hidden Remote: Memorial Day is upon us which means a lot of Americans are getting their grill menu together. They’re thinking about their cookouts, spending time with their family but the holiday also has a deeper meaning to it. Not just with the community of people we gather with, but also to honor those service members who have fallen. So, what does Memorial Day mean to you?

Taye Diggs: Thank you for asking. I had a father that served so early on in my life I was taught to respect this holiday. Obviously, still have fun, but we were all taught to respect and remember what this holiday represents. I’m very grateful for my father for taking the time to go over that with us.

He’s no longer with us but that’s one of the reasons why I’ve partnered up with USAA in leading an effort for everybody out there, amidst all the swimming and the barbecues, to leave a digital tribute for the folks that you know, or not, just folks that have given so much even their lives for this country that we live in.

Hidden Remote: If you don’t mind me asking, what branch did your father serve in?

Taye Diggs: Air Force.

Hidden Remote: Air Force?

Taye Diggs: Yes, Ma’am. Oh, before I forget. People can go to poppyinmemory.com to leave these digital tributes. This was news to me, I guess in World War I the poppy plant was made the symbol for remembering these people that gave so much. So last week, I took some time and planted my own little poppy and thought of my Pops and all the people that gave so much for what we can so easily take for granted.

It’s easy to get caught up in–I love holidays, I’ve always loved them but I think it’s necessary to just remember what these holidays represent. It doesn’t have to take away from the fun that you have, but you know it’s really easy to stray from what these holidays actually mean. So, I’m really grateful for USAA allowing me to team up with them to remind people.

Hidden Remote: Yeah, the poppy is a beautiful flower, and it’s a nice symbol to remember the service members we’ve lost in various wars since World War I. In fact, I like my background. It pops really nicely.

I’ve actually gotten a chance to check out the website myself. I like the various things you can do. Like the digital tribute you mentioned. Teaching children through creating a poppy flower themselves through arts and crafts. I wish it were possible to see the poppy wall mural in DC this year. It’s not, but the digital one is very beautiful with the historical facts that you mentioned.

Taye Diggs: Yeah, 100 percent. It’s always great to take the time and come into contact with these other people who share this situation where one of their loved ones have served and perhaps are no longer with us. It’s a nice bond. As I said before, it’s just nice to take some time to remember, that’s all. I don’t want to be heavy-handed but because of my personal experiences, I just think it’s great especially [for] young people.

I have an 11-year-old son. He’s right at the age where he actually listens, and I can see him taking it in. He’s now on the path that I was on when I was younger. That moment that you realize, oh, there’s a respect. When you realize that there are people out there who have given so much of themselves, so you can be who you are. It was great watching those wheels turn and [have] him get it.

Hidden Remote: Understand the gravity of it.

Taye Diggs: 100 percent. It’s not lost on him, so selfishly that was a great moment for me.

Hidden Remote: It was nice that you were able to share that with him and get to speak about your father as well. Which, I think that’s a great way for people, like you mentioned to make a video, whether it’s for a service member that they knew, family member, or just to speak about the troops and all that they give to American citizens across the world, and here, and in protecting us as they serve.

Taye Diggs: Absolutely. Absolutely.

Hidden Remote: Well, you know I can’t let you go without getting some information about All American which is one of my favorite shows on The CW. It’s excellent. We’re coming up on the season 3 finale soon, so can you give us anything about what’s up with Billy?

Taye Diggs: He’s been all over the place. He’s been in stormy waters. There’s going to be a moment of calm, a moment of peace where it seems as if all of his work, and all of his stress, all of it has paid off. And then he’s going to be hit by a tidal wave, and it’s going to have an effect on everyone.

Hidden Remote: Oh, so you’re going to break our hearts then is what you’re telling me.

Taye Diggs: I don’t know about breaking the hearts, but it’s like–ah, I can’t say. It’s somewhat of a betrayal in so many words. It can be considered a betrayal, and it forces Billy to reevaluate everything.

Hidden Remote: Okay, well I will take that nugget of information, and I will prepare myself for what is to come for Billy. One last question because this is about The Best Man: Final Chapters which is in development, so I know you can’t tell us too much, but should we be expecting?

Taye Diggs: I think another wedding. I think, if I’m being honest. Yeah, that’s all I can say. Another wedding. We’re shooting somewhere sunny. I think it’s a destination. I read the script so long ago and now everybody’s caught up in schedules and trying to figure out when we all can do this thing. But, it’s going to be great. This one is going to be very, very funny.

Hidden Remote: Well then I am very excited. So, we’ve got a betrayal on deck in All American and then we have a destination wedding for The Best Man: Final Chapters. That sounds great.

Taye Diggs: Alright, you got the goods. You got the…is it called tea? What’s it called?

Hidden Remote: It’s called tea. I got the tea.

Taye Diggs: You got the tea.