'Advancing the National Conversation on Race' honors past growth, offers solutions for continued change
Lacey Klotz |
On June 7, Lipscomb University recognized three individuals who have been giants within the modern civil rights movements in our country as a part of its “Advancing the National Conversation on Race” event in Lipscomb’s Beaman Library. The event sought to honor the past, while focusing on present day truth-telling and reconciliation for the sake of meeting God’s desire to live out Micah 6:8, to “do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God.”
Nearly 350 guests attended the dinner and panel discussion that featured Fred D. Gray, a veteran civil rights attorney; David Jones, senior minister emeritus, Schrader Lane Church of Christ in Nashville; Andrew Hairston, retired judge and minister of Simpson Street Church of Christ in Atlanta, Georgia; as well as L. Randolph Lowry, president of Lipscomb University, who moderated the discussion.
“We have gathered here tonight to advance the national conversation,” said David Fleer, professor of Bible at Lipscomb and special assistant to the president. “We are true believers from across the country, men and women who are deeply disturbed by the injustices and inequalities that trouble our nation, we are Christians that believe that we, as the church, may be the headlights and not the taillights in this national conversation.”
Since 2013, Fleer has led 10 groups on a “Bus Ride to Justice” through key civil rights sites, to provide participants opportunities to experience the history of slavery, Jim Crow and the Civil Rights movement, all of which he says speak clearly into our present distress in the United States. He coordinated the “Advancing the National Conversation on Race” to continue to increase the awareness of the current state of our nation, as well as share opportunities for the church to advance conversations surrounding racial reconciliation.
“These three men have publicly and privately moved our nation,” said Fleer. “Church leaders, all of them, they went about changing laws, judging in the courts and improving education, impacting their cities and eventually the entire nation. These three men served us beyond our own desire to be served, and they moved us toward a more just society.”
Throughout his 50-year legal career, Gray represented numerous momentous clients including Claudette Colvin, Rosa Parks, Freedom Riders, the Montgomery Improvement Association during the Montgomery Bus Boycott and victims of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, and was Martin Luther King Jr.’s first civil rights lawyer. A Montgomery, Alabama, native, Gray led the legal effort to integrate the University of Alabama and Auburn University, and his most extensive effort was the integration of Alabama’s public school system.
Senior minister emeritus of the Schrader Lane Church of Christ, Jones has served the Nashville region his entire adult life. For over 50 years he led and grew Schrader Lane Church of Christ while serving in multiple church-related leadership roles nationwide. He earned his doctorate in education from Vanderbilt University and served in the public education system of Nashville schools, including the role of assistant superintendent.
Hairston has served the Simpson Street Church of Christ in Atlanta, Georgia, for over 55 years. In his professional career he served as chief judge of the City Court of Atlanta, assistant solicitor general of the State Court of Fulton County and chief solicitor of the Municipal Court of Atlanta, and as a retired Army Reserve chaplain.
Lowry, who facilitated the panel discussion, asked Gray, Jones and Hairston to share stories, challenges and victories of their journey to becoming a difference maker. Lowry said he truly admired that of the three men sitting here today, each one had a strong commitment to the faith, and served in several different capacities simultaneously.
“Of the three men sitting up here, we have three preachers, one educator, two lawyers, one judge, two entrepreneurs, three doctors and three social activists. Those are the things they have done since beginning their education as they turned into people who have led us in remarkable ways,” said Lowry.
Gray began the evening with sharing how profoundly affected he was by the honorary degree Lipscomb conferred in him, just four years ago.
“It has had such a profound effect upon me that I wrote in my autobiography that I think the heart and soul of Lipscomb University has changed from what it was once. As many other institutions have changed, I think the foundation has been laid, and we will see great benefits of Lipscomb University, the church and the nation,” said Gray. “The seed has been planted, hopefully it will be watered, and bring forth fruit for years to come. I look forward to it. We don’t know what lies ahead, but if all of us continue to work hard, we will be able to some day, realize the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., that was demonstrated by the life of Jesus Christ and to be able to honestly say that all of God’s children are truly free.”
Gray also shared that although he believes our nation has tremendously improved, stating examples such as our nation electing its first African American president and attorney general, he believes race issues will continue to remain an issue because it is a problem within the hearts of American citizens.
“So while there has been a lot of progress, we still have hate crimes, we still have African Americans who are the last hired and the first fired, we still have a tremendous disparity in the criminal judicial system, we still have African Americans and other minorities that are being targeted, all of these things are matters that are still ahead.”
Gray stated that in order to change these things there are four things America must do.
“We need to recognize the fact that racism is still alive, it is wrong and that Jesus spoke against it, and it won’t go away by itself,” said Gray. “We need to have a plan and we have to implement that plan. Finally, there is a personal aspect, that every individual needs to recognize racism is wrong, and each one of us individually needs to be a part of the change.”
Jones likened life to a relay race saying everybody has their leg to run, and when you have finished the leg set before you, you are to pass the baton off, go to the bleachers and cheer until the race is over.
“I doubt racism will be gone, but every time you are running your end of the race, you need to be running to get rid of it completely,” said Jones. “Cause if you don’t it will eat you alive, you will lose the race and you’ll wonder what happened. I don’t want to lose the race; I want to see my team win.”
Hairston also shared a sentiment of overcoming the realities of racism, by realizing that God has simply given us all a different pigmentation.
“We have to learn how to live with the damage of segregation and press forward in spite of that, and to me, that is the message of the cross,” said Hairston.
Odessa Settles and Calvin Settles, singers and members of the musical family group, The Settles Connection, performed three songs during the event including “Turn Me Around,” “Hold On” and “Amazing Grace.”
Don McLaughlin, pulpit minister, and Fernando Nasmyth, shepard, for the North Atlanta Church of Christ, facilitated “The Conversation Continues,” an event that followed the “Advancing the National Conversation on Race,” the morning of June 8.
The event was held just prior to the 36th annual Thomas H. Olbricht Christian Scholars’ Conference, an academic conference with a mission to create and nurture intellectual and Christian community that joins individuals and institutions to stimulate networks of scholarly dialogue and collaboration. This year’s theme, “Justice: Meaning and Practice,” featured the Inaugural Fred Gray Plenary Address, with Gray and William Turner, distinguished professor in Lipscomb’s College of Leadership & Public Service.