Some of us at The Telegraph have talked about putting together an essay contest. The idea is to ask people to write about what the community needs to do to reach its full potential.
Wise people and school children would be consulted.
I titled this project "The last inch," based on a metaphor a local preacher has used from time to time. His idea is that the city seems constantly an inch from reaching its potential, only to fall back.
I hope to get the essay project off the ground this year. But today (Friday) a group of community leaders is huddling in a conference room at The Telegraph, trying to come up with a list of priorities for the city. I posted the invitees' names here.
This got me thinking about my own "last inch" essay, which I wrote last year. I planned to call out what is arguably the most powerful, yet most segregated, element of this town: The churches.
It went like this:
What if 50 years from now the history books had this to say about us: The seeds of a movement that all but wiped out racism in America were planted in 2006, in Macon, Georgia.
What if Macon leaders in 2026 pointed to this moment in time as the community's turning point toward greatness? In short, what if 2006 was the year of change for Macon?
Race is an all-too-pervading factor in this town. Our schools are still over-ridden by the lingering spectre of segregation, and the outfalls of de-segregation. We cannot consolidate our governments — something seemingly everyone agrees is a good idea — largely because blacks don't trust whites and whites don't trust blacks and there's not enough leadership to bring us together.
And why is that? Is it because we have not that ilk of men and women? I doubt it. More likely people are focused on holding power.
And we're all to blame for that, because the electorate should be trustworthy in its decision making. Great leadership should be rewarded by a color-blind response. And, if you judge a person by skin color, I judge you back: You're a fool.
So where do we go from here? Well, I'm calling out the churches today.
I'm not asking people to give up their religious traditions for some homogenious blend. I grew up Methodist, and Lord knows that if we didn't get to Sizzler by 12:15 each Sunday, there was hell to pay. So I'm ulikely to spend three hours in a black church.
But what I'm suggesting is this: One month a year, every year, black and white churches unite. They partner up, big churches with big churches, small churches with small churches. They partner up and split their congregations down the middle.
And for four Sundays a year, they meet together. Half stay at their own church, the other half carpools over for a taste of another race's religion. A half-white, half black crowd at both churches. The preachers and choirs do things just like they always have.
You spend two weeks in an unfamiliar setting, and two weeks shaking hands with people who are trying to understand you. Can you still fear a person you've worshipped with, sat in a pew with, eaten Sunday dinner with?
Maybe. But I bet it's a whole lot harder. I bet even the most stubborn among us, dragged to this effort by the fear of public shame, would find a place in his heart for new brothers and sisters.
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That's the essay. Now, let me add some caveats:
Though I'm a Christian, I don't go to church. Mostly because I'm lazy and I tend to drink too much on Saturday nights.
I'm not calling anyone a racist.
It's just a suggestion.
I think race relations here are usually pretty good, considering how hard that can be. At least we can discuss racial issues pretty openly.
Try as I do, some times I'm prejudiced, too.
8 comments:
Hey Travis,
Good writing and good message!
LJP
Show me the money. Its always about the money. Nevermind the fact that your property taxes are so high you can't afford to live here. No matter your spending so much money you can't afford to pay your fire department pension allocation. So still from the poor and give to the rich.
If this venture is so hot, why does Dunwoody and Schwartz need corporate welfare to pay for their hotel?
I say pee on them and pee on all the candidates who have prostituted themselves.
Politicians only care about getting our votes and then getting re-elected when the time comes. In between those times, they just want our money.
John Sandford, a well-known mystery writer said the following in his book "The Hanged Man's Song"
"Politicians fuck with people. That's what they do. That's their job. Every day, they get up and wonder who they're going to fuck with that day. Then they go and do it. They're not of much use--they don't make anything, create anything, think any great thoughts. They just fuck with the rest of us."
Hard words to argue with.
"""More likely people are focused on holding power"""
That my friend is precisely the core.
There are groups in Macon that are trying to do precisely what you have proposed. One such is the Hillcrest Ministerial Association. These are ministers of vision and care deeply about breaking the divide and healing the divisions that exist. I begin naming names, but I don't know them all (but most). Rev. Sam Johnson is the President this year. He pastors Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church on Mercer University Dr.. I'm certain he would like to speak to you.
I think the Macon Telegraph is the root of the problem with most of the the race relations in Macon.
Everything you guys print is divisive,especially when it comes to the first black Mayor of our city, Mayor Ellis.It is so obvious how you feel about this guy,since day one.
Travis Fain; you are the main one you double talking hypocrite.Who would take anybody serious who is lazy,and drinks to much that it keeps them from going to church to serve the Lord.
What you were trying to do is insinuate thats a problem that black have.By the way I am only in church for an hour and a half at most you jerk.
Travis, I don't know where you're from but I can say this. back in the day Rev. Jimmy Waters said "no N's will worship in Mable White." Well they are w/a Black Preacher, but I also remember when although there was racism and yes, we rode in the back of the bus and had to get that straight, when we asked for better school facilitation, we were made to integrate instead of performing the necessary repairs on Ballard-Hudson and giving us up to date books however, even though the KKK rode, the people in Macon, Georgia both Black and White one day and many nights sat down and decided that they would not allow Macon to look like Mississi Burning because there truly was a common bond..that common bond was "Macon" both sides loved Macon therefore, along with great leadership on both the Black and White side led by the late, great "Daddy Bill Randall, Mr. Albert Billinslea, the late great Dr. D.T. Walton and his wife Joan, Dean Joe Hendrickson of Mercer University, the late Elliott Dunwody the 3rd who passed away last year, and many others, an organization labeled "The Georgia Council on Human Relations" was started and they found a way to integrate the schools starting with the Juniors and Seniors who were "A or B" students on both sides and it was a bit rough but it worked. So, don't give up on Macon, Georgia because after all said and done, and oh, I forgot the late Mr. Billy Hutchins, but Macon will rise and do what needs to be done. You did make a great point though and by the way some of the people running for Mayor were there but weren't active and some were not born yet, some were non-chalant. I'll leave it up to your perceptiveness to decide who was/is who. Your point about leadership is the "KEY" though. If you get the heads right, the tails will follow because you don't find a man without his head except in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow which is a fable and a fable is a lie. Everyone wants to be Mayor, but where is the leader? There are key words that come to give true identification to a real leader and it appears as if you nor the people of Macon have heard that word, voice or felt that spirit yet...so it's not there and maybe it is, but the person (s) who have the capability just don't want to rise to the platform of activity.
Leadership is everything and sometimes that City Council bickering sound like "Laugh-In."
We had great leaders back then and Mr. Randall tried to demonstrate solidarity w/o race, creed or color plus teach people how to be entrepreneurs however, they didn't quite get it then so they balked, but he was a pioneer and continued to move forward. Also, tried to teach the lesson of accountability and negate racism. Anyway, someone will rise up soon who is really a born leader and he/she won't be talking the talk so much, but will walk the walk. So don't lose heart, don't lose hope and above all, don't lose faith. Also, the Black Church and the church as a whole will reclaim it's position in the community because people will begin to really worship God and not the pastor, the money,the program or their status as "Pillars"(Pillows) of the community, they'll see the need and go back to the church in the book of ACTS.
The two downtown First Baptist Churches (the black one and the white one) used to swap preachers once a year. Some church members would follow their preacher to the other church so the new faces in congregation made for a nice change that week. It was also a bit livelier in the white church than usual with more participation among the audience.
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