My heart is BROKEN about the fact that Cecil Jenkins and his family have not received the justice they so deserve. Some good points were made in our previous discussions here including the shameful, racial prejudices that existed in Marion, Williamson County, Southern Illinois, the USA in general in the 1960s. Yes, as Sister Linda Smith Duncan pointed out, I too remember Douglas School. I was privileged to be in band throughout most all of my school years from third grade at McKinley through the end of my sophomore year in high school. So many of our African American Community then were in band as well, and it was an honor for me to be in their homeroom in junior high and get to know them personally. At McKinleyy I was a year behind Sister Mary Samples Deaton. As a retired United Methodist pastor, I believe I have some insight I feel led to share here as well. In my 41 years of active ministry from 1971 through 2012, I was privileged to do three pulpit exchanges. Two of those were with AME pastors, i. e. The African Methodist Episcopal Church. I also was privileged to serve for seven years as the chairperson of our Annual Conference Sessions Committee which planned our Annual Meeting. It was then that I learned the shameful history of how the early white Methodists treated their African Methodist sisters and brothers, literally forcing them out of our Churches. Our General Conference, i. e. on the denominational level, as well as our Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference about two decades ago conducted very meaningful, moving SERVICES OF RECONCILIATION. Those two pulpit exchanges that I had with AME pastors were two of the most exciting, inspiring moments in all my years of ministry, mountaintop, spiritual experience Ill cherish for all eternity. When we grew up in Marion, we basically had only two ethnic groups--African Americans and WASPS, although some of us white folks might have been Jewish or Roman Catholic. I do remember at least one Asian family in Marion in the 1950s and 1960s. They owned the cleaners/laundry that eventually was purchased by the Fox family and was originally located across the alley from and to the west of THE BANK OF MARION. I lived on West White Street, and I believe they lived behind us on Goodall. I dont remember that we had any Hispanics in those days in Marion. I also am deeply saddened that I never see any of our African American Classmates at our MHS Class of 1966 reunions. A few years ago a couple of the women did come--Florence and Othella Johnson, and it was wonderful to see and visit with them. I pray that we do experience true reconciliation among the ethnic peoples of our Community. We are all part of The Family of God and there is only one race of people The Human Race. God bless us, everyone.--David Reynolds, MHS66--HEBREWS 12:1-3
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 10:56:03 +0000
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