Day 4: Tuesday, June 16 (by Bill Strausbaugh)

Reflections on the Civil Rights Journey (So Far)

What an unbelievable opportunity this is as an employee of Messiah College. It makes a tremendous statement about the values of the college to send employees each year to this event. How many times in a person’s life does one get the chance to take the time to learn about something as important as this period of history in the life of our nation? How many colleges make this type of investment? I feel the responsibility and I am also thankful for this investment in my life and work.

So far, one of the things I was immensely impressed by was the age of the leaders at the beginning of the movement. Martin King and Ralph Abernathy were 26 and 29. Their idealism, their education, and speaking ability served the movement well. They acted out of their faith commitment plain and simple. You could not separate their actions from their faith.

This movement was not just some unorganized spontaneous event. Strategy was studied, well planned, well trained, and well executed. Leaders of the movement knew that racist police chiefs, mayors, and governors would serve their cause well if they could engage them. These white racist leaders did not let them down.

On one hand it’s hard to imagine the level of hate and bigotry that was necessary to treat black people in the multitude of ways their dignity was stolen time and time again. Yet, from a spiritual standpoint, we know that sin that is nurtured leads to all manner of corruption, destruction, addiction, and selfishness. The hate and mistreatment was hugely institutionalized, and fear was the hammer that was able to keep the lid on this whole affair for such a long time. The active faith of those who led the movement is as good a demonstration of active Christian love as I know. Members were willing to die for those who would follow if that would make a difference. Their willingness to do something is as good a reflection of the love of Christ as I know.

The personalities we’ve met who were a part of the movement are amazing individuals. These persons were very nice, kind, well-spoken, active people with a zest for life itself. Mrs. Juanita Abernathy knows so much about how things evolved, knows how personalities played a part, and yet she focuses on the major accomplishments. Her husband in particular has been noted by more than a few authors as being a large part of this movement. He was MLK’s closest friend and confidant.  Rutha Harris may be the closest thing to angelic singing this side of glory.  What was special to me was that after we thought she was done singing, Todd persuaded her to sing the song “To God Be the Glory.”  We were there on the day after my 35th wedding anniversary and that song was sung at our wedding. What a special blessing that was for me!

It is great for me to get names, faces, places, etc. sorted out historically and chronologically in my mind. Look out now Jeopardy! if any questions come up about this. But don’t let this comment let you think I’ve not understood in a new way the depth of the seriousness and magnitude of these events for suffering people.

Last evening we heard from the Rev. and Mrs. Graetz who are a white Lutheran ministry couple whose house was bombed three times because they were part of the movement. While time has stolen most of the volume of their voices, the story of their lives thundered. They lived in the same neighborhood near Alabama State University that the Abernathy’s lived in. One of the bombs went off in the night and they had six kids in their house, one a nine-day old baby and another one-year old. It would be so easy to hate people who tried so blatantly to hurt your wife and kids. But their love comes from Christ’s own heart. This was another thing that was special about the movement in general. Those in the movement did consciously remind themselves and stated publicly that they did not return hate to those who did these things. But they did let it be known that they were sick and tired of being sick and tired of the treatment they received. The love of God … is greater far … than tongue or pen … can ever tell!  It goes beyond … the highest star … and reaches to … the lowest hell.

Today we walked across the Edmond Pettus Bridge where Alabama State Police brutally clubbed, tear-gassed, and beat marchers, rode horses into them, back across the bridge as marchers tried to escape, and even road their horses into a church in Selma. This brutality lasted all night around Selma. Those responsible for the safety of residents were out of control. The Klan and white supremacists controlled law enforcement basically up to the governor’s office and even further. How George Wallace thought he could run for president after these times boggles my mind.

Well, there is much to tell, but it is easier for me to understand current events and the plight of African Americans in this country as a result. I have some books to use as references. I think it is easier to understand the views of our President when you think of what he has probably endured to some extent during his lifetime. Even though we’ve come so far, he knows these things and it must break his heart to see a Ferguson event happen. The past must just roar back when an event like Ferguson occurs.

Signing off for now … processing so much. I hope to blog one more time this week at least.

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