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A Clarion Call for Grace A Serious Discussion about Race and Discrimination 4/ TheBucknerClarion.com July 9, 2015 By Tonia Wright - Publisher, Editor-in-Chief This was the first time I heard the word grace used in tandem with racism and hate. Usually, you hear tolerance. But Grace? Grace means unmerited favor. Another way to define grace is giving someone, or receiving, blessings that are not deserved. Now think of this word, grace, in context with others that look different, act different, have different lifestyles – perhaps even lifestyles that some may feel are contrary to what's right or even more importantly, what God teaches in the Bible. What if we could actively put this word, g.r.a.c.e., into practice? What if we modeled it for our children and grandchildren? How could this five-letter word change the world? When applied, grace enables us to see someone else and bestow kindness, or at the very least, allows us to see that person's humanity. Grace doesn't mean we throw away sound biblical doctrine for those of us who are Christian, it simply means that we move beyond tolerance and add mercy to our thoughts, deeds and actions. Before we can condemn another person, we truly need to walk a mile in their shoes. Everyone has a story. Without knowing that story, it's easy to judge prematurely. It can be very painful to be judged by a person with no working knowledge of your personal journey and struggles. Everybody struggles in one way or another in this life. Grace allows us to bestow a genuine kindness to others regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation. We don't have to agree to a particular lifestyle, but we are expected to bestow kindness and mercy – even when it's tough. Sometimes it's really tough, though. I can admit that. It has been tough for me to see senseless killings chronicled in the news over the last year or more at the hands of police. It was tough for me to stomach the racially motivated attacks on the nine people in South Carolina. It was tough for me to get my mind around the suburban, African American teenager who was dragged – by her braids – by a police officer at a swimming pool in Colorado recently. It was tough for me to hear my niece tell me not long ago that she was called the "n-word" in Texas. As tough as these incidents are, I have to find it within me to apply grace – unmerited favor – to those who are mean spirited and, yes, even racist. Grace is a beautiful word. Grace heals wounds, forgives, mends broken fences, restores friendships, walks a mile in someone's shoes, and is slow to anger. Grace doesn't discriminate. It's a free gift that requires nothing to receive. The families of the nine people killed at the AME church in South Carolina perhaps offer the best practical application of grace. During the bond hearing for murderer Dylann Roof, families of the victims who were massacred took a very evil act and turned it into something good – grace, mercy and forgiveness. "I forgive you," said Nadine Collier, the daughter of 70-year-old Ethel Lance. "You took something very precious from me. I will never talk to her again. I will never, ever hold her again. But I forgive you. And have mercy on your soul." God-forbid, if ever in this situation, I hope and pray that I could be this gracious, this merciful… Every now and then current events spark a need for discussion and soul searching. Lately, I find myself doing that more than I have in recent years. Our nation is hurting. Race relations are at a dismal low – in many instances as dismal as race relations in the '60s. As a journalist and newspaper publisher, I try to be careful about what content goes into The Buckner Clarion. My goal is to celebrate the Buckner community in meaningful ways, while giving our readers relevant, useful news. However, I would be remiss if I didn't reach out to you personally about what's happening in our country. As a woman of color, I can say racism and sexism are real. I can also say that I have been blessed to be surrounded by people – of all races – who I cherish and admire. Even with that, there needs to be an honest discourse on race. It's important to understand how we've gotten to this place where slurs, insults, discrimination, arrests and yes even terrorist-like slayings are cycling in the news. First, I would like to say that discrimination affects everybody, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender and sexual orientation. I would venture to guess very few people could attest to never having experienced racism or discrimination. This phenomena is not relegated to just so-called minorities – everybody, one time or another, goes through it. Second, discrimination can be so subtle that it goes unnoticed. Ask someone, who struggled with and overcame a meth addiction, if they have trouble finding employment due to the physical manifestations of their past addiction that showcases itself on the skin, face and teeth. It's likely that you'd hear a "yes." Or what about the guy in the grocery store aisle with a shaved head who looks a little "rough," clad with tattoos…For some, the first inclination is to wonder if he did time in prison. Then there's the girl who looks about 12 or 13 with a kid on her hip and one on the way. Imagine the sneers she receives. Try the obese guy or girl at the fast food restaurant or a gay couple out to enjoy a meal; imagine how many people judge or simply wish they'd go eat somewhere else. Last but not least, there's the black guy hanging around; he must be up to no good. Perhaps someone should call the police, or at the very least, keep an eye on him. There are numerous examples that depict societal stereotypes and bias. I recently heard an executive talk about making a wrong turn and ending up in a predominately black neighborhood, fearful that gun shots and gang warfare would break out any second. The jeers, jokes and gestures were hard to take - especially right now. I had to chalk it up to pure, unadulterated ignorance. For anyone who has been raised with biases and misconceptions about people who may be different, how about undoing and unraveling those biases. What if as a society we move to place of grace. Yes, grace. The other day I heard President Barack Obama speak on the topic of grace. Actually, it was during the eulogy for slain South Carolina pastor, Rev. Clementa Pinckney – a tragic casualty of the racially motivated massacre that also included eight others at the Emanuel African American Episcopal (AME) church.