About three weeks ago the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal published a nice story on racial reconciliation in Okolona, MS. The story begins:
“A group of about 20 people - black and white - sat in a circle, listening to each other's stories.
One man remembered a black man getting killed, and wondering why there would be no trial, no justice. A woman recalled her childhood, telling how she had always played with black children but when school started, they did not go to the same place.
Another woman recalled her father describing Martin Luther King Jr.'s death as “the best thing that ever happened to this country,” and was shocked at his words.
Sometime during the telling of these stories this week, an invisible barrier fell, revealing pieces of the larger puzzle this community has been struggling with for years. The diverse group of people - including elected officials, clergy, businessmen and retirees - became equals, seeing each other through different eyes.”
The impetus for this meeting was a LeadershipPlenty® class. We mention this story not to toot our own horn ( LeadershipPlenty® is the Pew Partnership's nationally recognized leadership development curriculum) but to congratulate the folks who took part in this session. We’ve heard about some wonderful results from LeadershipPlenty® classes but this has to be one of the most compelling in terms of human experience and emotion.
Credit should be given as well to Study Circles. The reconciliation mentioned here was likely the result of using the Study Circles practicum on race and race relations. We provide this as part of our leadership trainings and it gets excellent results when placed in the hands of thoughtful people committed to serious dialogue on race. To learn more about this effective tool for better dialogue click here.
And congratulations, again, to the folks in Mississippi who had the courage to broach the topic of race with one another. It seems like they were rewarded for taking that chance.