A Dream Realized?

Now that Glenn Beck’s rally is over and done with, let’s talk.
While I was bothered that the rally was held on the 47th anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s March on Washington, where he gave the “I Have a Dream” speech, I am more bothered by something else.
I am bothered by us, African Americans, who have not done nearly enough to make dreams come true in our own communities.
It is our children, African American children in poor neighborhoods, who are ignored, yes, by society but also by us. It is our children who enter and leave school with damaged spirits, low self-esteem and, consequently, low ability to read, write and do math. It is our children who are still the least equipped to compete in the global economy, and it is not entirely the fault of society. We must shoulder the blame as well.
So many children in our neighborhoods have no dreams, no aspirations, nothing. They know little than what they see and hear every day. They are often talked at, not talked to. Too many of them go to bed hungry, and too many suffer from undiagnosed illnesses. Those whose illnesses are known are often unable to get medical care, and though the democracy we live in should be concerned, it is not.
So, what do we do, cry in our soup? I remember once saying that we need to have a literacy program here, after school, during the summer, where we read to our children, exposing them to the wonder and power of words. I wanted us to get them interested in reading and then writing, thus opening their world.
Nobody wanted to do it.
There is a school in Detroit where two white professors from Wayne State University have created a Math Corps camp. Students in this camp attend school in a city known for its poor public education, yet under the innovative teaching of these teachers, these students, thought to be lost, are excelling in their educations. Ninety percent are graduating from high school and going on to college. When asked why they think their techniques are working, the professors say it is because yes, they are teaching math in innovative ways, but also because they are teaching courage, confidence and compassion.
Wow. We could do that.
We could make a difference by grabbing onto what we would want to teach, and deposit into kids who are so often ignored and devalued those qualities, qualities which would help them value themselves as people and have the confidence anyone needs to overcome securities and push toward their potential.
We say at the end of service that we have come to worship, but that we must leave to serve. I can think of no more exciting thing to do than to awaken in our children their potential and an ability to dream. In so doing, we counteract the bigotry and hatred that too often colors our world and theirs, and brings the dream of a fallen leader a little closer to being realized.
Have a good week!

Pastor Smith