A Couple of Wonderful Days (1/19-1/20/09)

Some huge feelings are in motion for me currently and they center on the celebration of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, jr., and the inauguration of a new president, an African-American president no less. The feelings are pride and hope. I attended my first MLK March along with my wife, daughter, and a few friends right here in good old San Antonio yesterday on 1/19/09. And I absolutely loved the experience. Of course it wasn’t too hard to enjoy it all when God provided chamber of commerce weather for San Antonio in the form of sunny skies and temps in the 70’s. A crowd of 100,000 filled the 3 mile long march route. About two thirds of the way thru the route, from a high vantage point, I looked back at the crowd behind me and I do swear that there was indeed 100,000 strong. I was so proud that the really cool thing about the scene was that it was a crowd that represented many ethnicities, nationalities, and walks of life. Most in the crowd had come out to celebrate the life of the late Dr. King, his legacy, and the values he preached.

As I walked I could not help but remember what it was like to grow up with a pretty decent degree of freedom as a black kid but yet there was always the need to watch one’s back. I grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana during the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. From the news of the day I knew that racism was still quite rampant in the southern states. What I didn’t know at the time (although my dad and mom told me) was that my state was a supporter of (and some say the center of) the most racist and hate-filled organization of its kind, the KKK. There were still places in Indianapolis and Indiana in general where a black man was not welcome under any circumstances. That hurt so much to find that out, especially discovering it first hand. I’m not naive enough to think that either racism or the KKK for that matter has been erased, but I do think that in many ways some things have improved in my home state.

During my high school and college days in Indiana I had my share of scary and hurtful moments where I was called “nigger” and verbally threatened. That was especially true when my high school basketball team was on a roll to a 32-0 unbeaten state championship. We were in Columbus Indiana (ironically now regarded as a very welcoming and forward thinking place) in 1969 and beating a very strong Columbus Bulldog team when my team and I were subjected to taunts of “nigger” (by the way my team was 10 black guys, 2 white guys). It hurt to hear those ugly names but we actually used it as a rallying point and we dusted that team off nicely. Our coaching staff, all white men, ushered us off the floor quickly. All they could do was shake their heads in disgust and apologize for the actions of the crowds. Later in my college days at Anderson University I was dating a young lady who happened to be white and from the city of Anderson. She told me one day that she had mentioned to her folks that she was dating me and that I happened to be black. I was shaken emotionally when she tearfully told me that her dad said, “don’t bring him around here, I will shoot that nigger”. Needless to say that the relationship she and I had cooled off significantly after I received that bit of information. Thank God things have changed dramatically over the years. It doesn’t mean that some people don’t harbor resentment towards black folks, or anyone else different from themselves, they just may not make it public. I truly believe we still have a long way to go.

I mentioned those episodes because as I marched on 1/19/09 I thought of Dr. King and his associates being spit on, called vulgar names, beaten, and arrested for doing nothing more than exercising their right to march and protest the injustices of the times. Dr. King and his associates paved the way for me and the generations to come with their blood, sweat, and especially their tears. I don’t know what drove Dr. King to keep on pushing past the hardships, the obstacles, the red tape, and so forth. Many of us would have given up and stepped aside and let racism keep us down. I have to wonder whether we comfortable modern generations have enough strength and character to persevere thru such obstacles? I pray that we would do the same as Dr. King and rise up to protest injustice and strive to make things better for our future generations.

We welcome a new president today. I’m not foolish enough or starry-eyed enough to think that Mr. Obama can solve all of our nations woes, or appease the many desires of our nation (and many other nations as well) but I do think his ascension to the oval office is a very real glimmer of hope. It tells me that there is a substantial number of people, regardless of skin color, who believe that change is in the air, and it‘s a very good change. I’m not talking about the physical change in the person in charge of our nation. It’s more about people believing that there is no such thing as a second class citizen, especially in the case of skin color. Anyone can rise up to be whatever they believe they can be and they won‘t be held back because they aren’t white. It wasn’t always that way. Doors were closed, many were not allowed to shine in academics, athletics; or the arts – all due to the color of their skin. Today I have hope that my prayers to God will be heard. I support my new president and his efforts, and I pray that he will be led by his belief in God.

Thank you God for these days. Simply put, it has been a wonderful couple of great days.