MLK, Jr. Day

I was blessed to have been raised in Georgia among people of all colors. My classes have always been well-mixed. It astounds me when I remember that my own parents did not attend school with people of color. It boggles my mind to think about a world where a black man or woman could not vote or testify in court. We are really just about two generations removed (technically) from the Civil Rights movement. We have come a long way. But we have a REALLY long way to go.
Gaps in education and opportunity still abound. We need to work on the problem from all sides. The Lord still needs to heal some hearts in the area of racism...on both sides of the color line. There are no ready answers, but be sure the questions are myriad and deep.
I struggle with what I perceive about African-American "pop" culture...the media and art that comes from the most famous African Americans right now is violent, degrading to women, and unworthy of the rich artistry and history of African Americans. But it comes from people who have long been fractured, hurt, oppressed and who have had their families units ripped apart. How can we expect them to heal as a people in such a relatively short period of time? God alone can solve these questions...but he needs our hearts and hands and feet to do the dirty work of restoration, rehabilitation, and renovation. As we reach out across racial lines, our own hearts will mend, too. I have a dream, indeed.