Carry it On

Today, one of my best friends invited me to go to a dedication of a mural her organization had helped organize. The Community Arts Center has long had a relationship and collaboration with several different schools and organizations in Chester, and this particular mural was on the side of the parish building at Calvary Baptist Church.

It's not well known, but Martin Luther King Jr. lived for three years in Chester, attended what was then Crozer Theological Seminary, and preached his first sermon at Calvary Baptist Church. Following in the footsteps of Dr. King would take you through Chester. 

It was kind of amazing to sit in that church, think about its history, delight in the diversity of people who were there and the diversity of people who were involved in the project, and then consider all that in the context of Barack Obama's presidency. 

Then, driving back home across I-95, through the lush green trees of Delaware County, I noted the dramatic change both in the upkeep of buildings and the racial background of residents between Chester-Upland and Wallingford. It was a reminder of the racial and economic extremes and segregation that exist in this county, and how much further we have to go. 

The event was also a reminder of how much farther I have to go - of how white my life is, how much I don't want that and need to work on it, and a reminder of the potential for connection and community that exists right where I live. No need to travel.

I don't think Barack Obama is an infallible saviour, but I do have moments when I forget and then remember that he's the president, and am like "Oh Wow!" A song was sung during Festival Week at Pendle Hill that keeps coming back to me (and appeared on someone's t-shirt while I was at Intermountain Yearly Meeting): 

Rosa sat 

So Martin could walk

Martin walked 

So Barack could run 

He ran and he won 

So all our children could fly*  

*An internet search didn't reveal who truly wrote this as a song (Amy Dixon-Kolar?) and what the full lyrics are. The sentiment has been expressed by several people, famous and not famous. This is how I learned it.