I was surprised to hear that seven of the nine students who integrated Little Rock Central High School 1957 (ie. the “Little Rock Nine”) where at President Obama’s inauguration today.
Why?
Because, like a lot of folks my age, I tend to think that the whole civil rights movement was years and years ago. Yes – I understand that it was only 52 years – but in that 52 years, there has been multiple paradigm shifts.
For example:
- Technology – Folks alive today (especially the younger crowd) has had to shift and change faster then any other group of people before. This means that we are more likely to embrace change and allow others to change more then…say our grandparents.
- Travel – People today travel more often and longer distances then any of their ancestors… this means that more people are coming into contact with different races and cultures – breaking down old stereotypes.
What does this has to do with the “Little Rock Nine”?[@more@]
Well, for me personally, I don’t really see people’s races – so I sometimes down play the whole “we-just-elected-an-African-American” deal. Yet, to hear that the folks who braved guns, crowds and all kinds of scorn to start the paradigm shift are still alive to see the results of their actions…well, that’s powerful.
It would be like Paul seeing Constantine come to Christ…
Hmm… this makes me wonder what kind of paradigm shift we shall see over the next 53 years…
- What role shall we play?
- Will we influence the shift or be influenced by the shift?
I started crying when I watched Aretha Franklin singing (I watched the inaguration last night after work)…. because I realized that she had lived through some of those same struggles of the civil war and here she was singing….
I thought it was an awesome moment