Here I both sit and stand in a 21st Century America, with disillusionment often far outweighing hope and change, particularly, after having reviewed a recent article addressing the racially divided high school prom syndrome in America that remains pervasive.
Of interest to note is that, allegedly, actor Morgan Freeman, who resides in Mississippi, recently offered to finance the first ever integrated high school prom in his area but was rejected and unsuccessful.
Perhaps even worse, is the nationally circulating news report regarding this year's segregated proms that occurred at Montgomery High School in south central Georgia.
Across this nation, high school football fields, basketball courts, and baseball diamonds are flowered with multicultural players. Yet, when a once-in-a-lifetime event such as a high school prom arrives, which should be a celebratory experience for a high school senior, many mindsets are immediately reverted to the pre-Civil Rights era.
In these instances (and I hereby elect to paraphrase for a more hopeful poignant effect) I am often reminded of the old axiom, "We are intelligent enough to put a man on the moon, but are still far too stupid to attempt to get along with our next door neighbor."
How unfortunate...how very unfortunate, indeed. I continue awaiting the day (or night) when this type of deafening racism will die, both literally and figuratively. However, at this point, I am not confident that I shall see that day, or that it will ever arrive in a content of wholeness.
But the American segregated prom syndrome is merely a microcosm of the nation at large, of which much of the time its unaddressed embarrassments as such are overshadowed by hypocritical surface "do gooders" whose 'spin' is ill perceived by the public but which, simultaneously, is accompanied by questionable motives lying underneath.
And, while it is, indeed, an historic milestone to have altered the complexion in the nation's White House, both from factual and symbolic perspectives, there are still thousands of social miles for us to travel together in the same direction as fellow national residents and citizens.
You see, this is the reality of reality. While any face can falsely present a positive and welcoming expression at any given moment, the cloaked heart knows and tells the true story, even if that story's revelation is only available to its host. Yet, a story that can serve to elicit profound detriment resulting in significant negative consequences for most, if not all.
Because, in reality, no individual can truly re-shape nor change another individual's heart or mind...a heart and mind can only be influenced to consider the act of change. The heart and mind in question and at issue must decide on their own to affect change from within.
Perhaps, a day shall pass in our society when our social ills are dramatically reduced to a state such as to be non existent. I certainly pray so. However, my prayer has not yet been answered today and, most likely, will not be answered tomorrow. This is, indeed, the reality of reality.
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