YES WE CAN . . .

An Essay by Bill Schroeder

AS I watched the Political news on 11/4/08 and Obama took Pennsylvania., then shortly thereafter it was announced he had won the Presidential Election, my mind drifted back about 45 years. I had just said to my four year old daughter, “lets go to the black store.” At that time we resided in Decatur, Illinois. We lived in a chancing neighborhood across from Manker Harris, a Minister, who was working for the disadvantaged in gaining housing without racial preference. I became involved in this.

As my daughter Stephanie and I strolled hand in hand to the store, the color of the people on the walk changed from white to tan colors and light browns, then medium black, changing again to ebony with bold features the further we went. Upon entering the store we were the only whites. I asked Stephanie to pick up a loaf of bread we came to buy. She laid it on the counter and looked around at the people as I paid for the purchase. As we sauntered back home, she looked up at me and stated, “Daddy I didn’t see any colored people in the store.” Her young mind did not accept any racial overtones. She had not yet been taught to hate or discriminate. She did not see black, or white, only people. Yes we can.

The day after the election I had blood drawn for my monthly Pro-Time test. The nurse is African American. As she placed the needle into my arm and drew my blood, I was sure her blood was also red, that she wanted the same for America that I wanted. That the only difference between us was the color of our skin. I asked her if she was satisfied with the Election outcome. Tears welled up in her eyes rolling down her cheeks, as she replied her and her husband cried at the announcement. Yes we can.

I have very few regrets in my life because Nancy and I have raised three daughters who are totally and completely non prejudice as to race, sexual orientation, etc. This is my best life’s accomplishment. My only regret, over too many years, is that I did not speak up, but I remained silent many times when at gatherings around the water cooler, after work, or social function. Someone would say something or tell a joke that was defaming to females, a race, religion or concerning sexual orientation. I may not have laughed or agreed, but I said nothing over those years.

I now look forward to the day, a day I know is on the horizon, when my daughter will walk down the aisle with her female partner and my other two daughters beside her as bridesmaids. As she comes abreast of me, I will recall, with great pride, that day so long ago in Decatur, Ill. I’ll look at her and say. Yes you can.

I vision someday that all people, black, white, all nationalities, all religions, all sexual orientations, disfigured, mentally challenged, educated, uneducated, rich, poor will repeat these words from the hymn Amazing Grace,“ how sweet the sound, I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.”

This hymn was written by John Newton who was Captain of a slave ship and had a conversion on a return trip picking up slaves near Sierra Leone off the West Coast of Africa in the 1740’s. William Wilberforce, who became his friend, tried for many years in parliament to have slavery abolished . The Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 was finally passed that outlawed Slavery in most of the British Empire. He died three days later. Slavery in America was not abolished until 1865 by the Thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution and radical racism, in the minds of others, not until 2008 when a black man was elected President…