This week, something amazing took place – something that I never believed would happen in my lifetime. America inaugurated Barack Obama – born of a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas – as president of the United States. As he so eloquently put it in his Inaugural Address, “This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall. And why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.”
On Monday, Jim Denison – in his daily God Issues* devotional – verbalized the feelings of many of us: “As Mr. Obama often says, his story would be possible only in America. The son of a black man and white woman, raised by a single parent in relative poverty, running for president as a first-term senator—a year ago, virtually no political experts gave him a chance. Whatever our political loyalties or election choices, all Americans can take pride in a country where determination and sacrifice can lead to the highest office in the land.”
We can also take great pride that another brick has been chipped away from the wall of racism in America. I hope that all of us, whether we voted for Mr. Obama or his opponent, can celebrate what this day says about America – that we’re really getting somewhere when it comes to giving equal opportunity to all people. For those of you who know me well, you will not be surprised that I remember history in terms of baseball.
In 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play major league baseball. Can you imagine the character it took to withstand the attacks he received and refuse to ever strike back in anger? How tragic that black men could die fighting to protect the freedom of all Americans in World War II but still be considered second-class citizens by major league baseball. I suppose life will always be filled with inconsistencies and hypocrisies.
Last fall, I attended an Atlanta Braves game with Buddy Shurden and Johnny Pierce (editor of Baptists Today). Outside the stadium, there is a statue of Hank Aaron, the legendary home run hitter and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Johnny mentioned that, when Aaron was in the minor leagues, he would have to sit on the bus while his teammates ate in a restaurant. When they returned, they would bring him a hamburger for him to eat on the bus. Then, on the way to their motel, they would drop Aaron off to spend the night with a local African-American family, because no motel would give him a room. This was just a little over 50 years ago. The wall of racism was built high and hammered deep.
All of us owe a lot to people of great courage and character, who worked to chip away at that wall. Some names you know – like Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, and Lyndon Johnson. But there were many others who did their part, in their local communities, to change the way people were treated. Let me tell you about just one of them – a great man who lives in San Angelo. Frank Pool, a deacon in First Baptist Church, is in his 90s now. But as a young man, he demonstrated rare courage and integrity. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in the case of Brown v. Board of Education, that public school districts segregated by race were inherently unequal, and required the public schools of our nation to integrate. Many school districts in the South, however, were slow to obey the Court’s ruling, if not downright resistant to it. San Angelo ISD could have been one of those, if it were not for Frank Pool.
Mr. Pool was president of the local school board at the time, and he helped push the San Angelo ISD to integrate in 1955, long before most Texas schools did and 11 years before any Southwest Conference college had an African-American football player. I do not have to ask him why he did it, because I know the man’s heart is shaped by Jesus. Maybe no one has thanked him in a while, so I want to thank “Mr. Frank,” as I call him. He continues to inspire me.
In my office, there are pictures of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr., in addition to framed copies of what I consider the two greatest speeches in American history: Mr. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and Dr. King’s I Have a Dream, delivered a century apart. I will never be able to fully comprehend the courage and commitment of such men, but I deeply admire them. I try to go to the Lincoln Memorial on nearly every trip to Washington, D.C., because it is sacred ground to me.
President Obama was inaugurated on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, overlooking the Washington Mall, that expanse between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. Years ago, the Washington Mall was often used for slave auctions. How ironic; think about it for a minute, and it will take your breath away.
I could write on and on about this historic moment, but I urge you to pray and think about it personally and let its meaning seep deep inside your soul.
In closing, I want to share a few more words from Jim Denison’s God Issues* devotional of Monday, January 19th: “This morning, all who follow Jesus are called by Scripture to pray for our new president and leaders. Paul's exhortation is unconditional: ‘I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness’ (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Have you prayed for our new president yet today?”
* To subscribe to Jim Denison’s daily email devotional, God Issues, go to the following Web site: http://www.godissues.org/articles/pages/Subscriptions.