Article March 3, 2003 Issue

Opportunities to heal racism

By Cali McClure

A CO-WORKER INVITED ME TO JOIN HER at a special program given by her African American community in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. It was a new experience for me to be in an audience where I was the only Caucasian person. For 23 years I had lived where I rarely met people of races other than my own. Then I moved to a city where I lived in a very diverse neighborhood. Admittedly I had been feeling some disorientation, and even apprehension toward some people I now saw every day in my new neighborhood. And I felt a little strange sitting in this audience, because I wasn't used to being "in the minority," so to speak.

The program was presented primarily by African American educators who spoke with inspiration and love. I loved the deeply religious tone that confirmed an innate conviction that trust in God could lead to the healing of racism. I found myself praying throughout the program, knowing from my own experience that prayer is effective. I wanted to support those who were turning to God for the courage to overcome hatred with gentleness.

I thought of one of my favorite passages in Science and Health: "Tenderness accompanies all the might imparted by Spirit" (p. 514). Here Spirit is a name for God.