Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 12, 1993 TAG: 9304120281
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
LET'S END RACIAL TENSIONS, ONCE AND FOR ALL
I AM saddened and angered to have read Mary Bishop's March 7 story ("Black parents fear growth of tension over race at school") concerning the incident at Franklin County High School. It continues to amaze me that, in our supposedly civilized society, there still exist people of such insensitivity to people of other races.How can someone who is being paid to educate our young people do something so totally irresponsible and downright ignorant? The teacher who discouraged the attendance at a black history program by some white students (and did so allegedly in such a crass manner) apparently should have been on the front row at that program. She is obviously in dire need of some enlightenment on the subject of black history.
Recently in Lexington, James Farmer (the founder of CORE) spoke at Lee Chapel about racial understanding. He stressed that the only way to put an end to racism was by education and understanding. I was so impressed by his eloquent speech that I went out the next day and obtained a copy of his autobiography, "Lay Bare the Heart." I followed up by reading Ralph Abernathy's book "And the Walls Came Tumbling Down." Reading firsthand accounts by these pioneers of the civil-rights movement really helped me to experience their struggles as if I were there with them. The pain and suffering that black people have had to endure at the hands of white oppressors for so many years is a story of biblical proportions. I cannot imagine anyone with a conscience who would not be moved by these stories.
It seems to me that black history needs more than one month of recognition each year (the shortest month at that). Not until we enlighten those who are so blinded by ignorance will we be able to dispense with the racial tensions that seem to never go away from the American experience. How can we be so disturbed by the terrorism at the World Trade Center when the same kind of thing went on for years in Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia during the '50s and '60s - inflicted by Americans on Americans?
The Bull Connors and the Orval Faubuses may be gone, but apparently the bad feelings they espoused are still with us.
Racism is one of the greatest problems in the world today. If our country is to lead the 21st century, let's do it by example and put an end to this insidious practice. The time has come to get on to other things if we are ever to become a truly civilized society. MARK DAUGHTREY LEXINGTON