This picture was taken forty-nine years ago when I was a freshman at The University of Southern Mississippi. I had attended a race relations workshop and a reporter for the school paper asked me and another classmate if we would mind posing for the shot. We didn’t.

Months earlier I had graduated from high school in the last segregated class. It was a minor footnote in history few would ever be aware of since I lived in a small town.

At the time this photo was taken I truly believed we were entering a new era of race relations. The children of color I grew up with had grown up and ridden a different bus, attended a different school. I didn’t think anything about it. I thought it was just how life was. But I wasn’t them. It didn’t hit home to me like it did them.

In town there were separate restrooms at the courthouse. Different water fountains in the hallway. They were labeled as to who was allowed to use them. Again I was clueless. It didn’t hit home.

By the time I was in college my eyes began to open somewhat. Segregation was beginning to come to an end. It wasn’t unusual to see people of different races in classrooms, restaurants or stores.

Over the decades I’ve had many friends and coworkers that were of different races and nationalities. For quite a while I thought things were okay. I believed we had evolved somewhat.

Had we really? In my world I believed that we had. But it had not hit home.

I don’t have to leave a bible in the rear window of my car hoping that if I get pulled over the officer will see it and possibly approach me differently. I know someone who does. I don’t panic when I see blue lights and wonder if it’s me they are coming for.

I think nothing about going shopping. I don’t think twice about someone watching me like a hawk.

I haven’t had to think about a whole lot of things in my life because it has never hit home.

Today someone made me aware of this fact. They made me aware these things actually go through some of my friends minds.

Because it hits home.

It lands smack-dab in the middle of their house with both feet.

It shouldn’t be that way, but it is.

I would have thought that after all these years things would be exceedingly better. After seeing what has been happening this past week I don’t believe the needle hasn’t moved much in the last fort-nine years.

I hate that for my friends. I hate it for our society as a whole. We can do better than this. We must.

Our differences should make us stronger. Not tear us apart.

When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment he said we were to love God with all our heart, our soul and our mind. And we should love our neighbor as ourselves.

Guess who our neighbor is? They don’t live in our home. If something hits their house it hits our house.

There’s an old saying about walking a mile in someone else’s shoes. Well, if you haven’t, it’s time. Think about them.

We could well be on the brink of this country falling apart. Let’s do the right thing and love our neighbor.

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Rick Algood
May 31, 2020