Race STILL Matters

Did I see a comment that asked why does everything come back to race? Is this person blind? Race is still an issue in America and race is definitely an issue in the City of Lumberton. Our city is a microcosm of the things taking place in America. After the election of President Obama, there was the hope that our country has moved to post-racism. Unfortunately, the election of America's first black President has forced people back into their racial corners; waiting for the opportunity to put up their dukes and fight for their "cause." The truth of the matter is, racism still exist. There's a lot of division in the City of Lumberton and if you're not on board with their school of thinking, you're labeled as a trouble maker or as someone that's stirring the pot. One person in boxed me and asked why am I still blogging with the low number of votes I received. Really? Am I supposed to hang my head down low because others don't value the blood that was shed for our right to vote? James Earl Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael "Mickey" Schwerner and Vernon Dahmner gave their lives for my right to vote. To some of us, 1964 seems like a life time ago, but in reality, it was not that long ago that African-American were fighting for their right to vote. There were many lives lost fighting for the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and the Voting Rights Acts of 1965 and there were people from both races fighting for voter equality. Not surprisingly, during this time of a national push for equality, came the Mississippi White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, a splinter group created and led by Samuel Bowers of Laurel, Mississippi. As the summer of 1964 approached, White Mississippians prepared themselves for what they perceived as an invasion from the north. So, as I said, things have not really changed. There are individuals that want to keep people in their place; hoping they don't disturb the status quo. There's also this need to use scripture and prayers in an attempt to keep people in bondage. For instance, the other day, I posted a response to a prayer that seemed to ask for me to be silenced. Now, the prayer wasn't in tongues and there were other's that were ready to offer their interpretation. However, the person that posted the prayer never responded. As I said, if the prayer was asking to quell idle gossip, then it should have been stated. But don't come at me and tell me my interpretation of the prayer was wrong; it was my response and until the person that posted the prayer tells me otherwise, I will continue to believe what I posted. In the antebellum South, pastors and church leaders would use Genesis 9: 18-27 to justify slavery and as proof text that blacks were not only inferior but destined for slavery. We are a country that has been plagued by division and racism specifically among blacks and whites. There was also a plea that those that are in church every Sunday should stop all the division that is taking place in this city. We know that Sunday remains the most segregated day of the week. In many ways it’s one of the most obvious evidences that the sting of segregation remains. But we're supposed to look the other way and act like division does not exist. I am a man of African descent and my views and responses will reflect my history and encounters. I still remember the time a black woman was asked to leave a Main church in Lumberton because of her color. I remember the time when Strahan was elected and the business owner of Lumberton devised a plan to provide a better image for Lumberton by establishing an advisory council. They would hold ribbon cutting ceremonies and get news coverage; in an attempt to attract more business to Lumberton. However, this advisory council was more like a "members only" group (pun intended) because it was soon discovered that none of the black business owners were asked to join the organization. But there's no racial division in Lumberton. These types are instances are generally swept under the rug and we're supposed to look the other way. But I refuse to let these types of incidents go unchecked. I'm going to call a thing a thing. We can say we're about "New Beginnings" but everyone, including me, must realize that we can't have a my way or no way attitude. There are some that think they can wave the "I'm not racist flag" because they voted for a black mayor. The recent election remind me of the first time President Obama was elected. In an effort to show they're not racist, the Republican party rushed to appoint Michael Steel to head the RNC. They were like, look America, we're not racist, we have a black president too. Well, not really. What they had was a mouth piece they could control and that's much like what happened in Lumberton. They have a mouth piece they can control. Ben Winston got elected by promising to take Lumberton back; not forward. There's finally accountability at City Hall, thanks to Miriam R. Holder, and now, he wants to undo all that hard work and re-appoint those that caused a lot of the mess that plagued city hall. Is that the "New Beginning" they're touting? Unlike others. I will pray for those in leadership. It's no secret that I am a supporter of Mayor Miriam R. Holder. I know how she fought for this city and I know how she loves this city. She wants a better city not only for her children but for her grandchildren and her great grandchild. For those of you that were tuned in to WDAM on Election Night, you heard Randy Swan's reference to the City of Lumberton. Some say he was unprofessional as well as biased, but he was reporting that Lumberton elected a person to serve as mayor that was just featured on their news station in a story where he had an elderly woman charged with trespassing for coming to church to pray. You can keep saying think positive, but you better believe that as soon as something happens in Lumberton, that church story is going to come up again on News 7. There's a lot of work that needs to be done to move this city forward and trying to put everyone that have a thought that differs from yours in a box is not going to help. How can we ever be on the same page if we're reading from different books?