My family sat down together last night to watch Hidden Figures, the story of three African-American ladies at NASA in the 1960s who were instrumental in one of history’s greatest operations, the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. I was not familiar with their story prior to the movie. I was deeply moved as I watched their brilliance and bravery. Their lives have blessed countless numbers of people, the true impact likely incalculable. I am thankful for the lives of these ladies and others. I strongly commend this movie to you.
The evil of racism is very near to my heart. I grew up in a culture riddled with it. I’ve watched friends and others suffer from it. I’ve fallen prey to its deception and committed it. Thankfully, I grew up in a home where my parents modeled a better way to love others. I don’t claim to know all the answers to eradicating it. I loathe every expression of it. I don’t always agree with everything that gets labeled racism. I did walk away from Hidden Figures with one, resonating thought; I must never stop identifying and confronting it. The evil of racism will only be eradicated when people recognize it and refuse to allow it.
Racism holds far too much influence in every level of society, and the fight will always begin here. When ignored it takes hold in cultural soil and finds protection in institutionalization. The fight against racism demands that we not allow failures to stop us. We must never forget, though, that all racism is rooted in the human heart. Those who want to see racism eradicated must begin with its personal removal in every form, thought, attitude, allowance, word, action and deed, and empathize with those who live under it. The evil of racism will only be conquered by personal courage, when people stand up to confront it.
Racism grieves God’s heart. Therefore, as a Christian I must confront it in its every form, beginning in my own heart. Today’s fight against racism is not about how far we’ve come, but how much still needs to be accomplished. For the Christian, the “goal” in fighting racism is not simply to change laws and societal norms, though this is a critical front-line in the fight. The goal for eradicating racism is rooting out hate from every heart. I am convinced that only the gospel of Jesus Christ can eradicate racism and that every Christian should lead the battle in fighting against it.
The evil of racism will only be eradicated when we stand courageously together to confront the challenges before us today. There is more work to do than I can imagine, but I can do something every day to move forward in killing it. I pray and labor to see racism eradicated in my generation.
God, grant me the love of Jesus Christ and the courage of Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson
to confront racism in its every form.