Hate. Remorse. Forgiveness

[babylonsister]

Hate. Remorse. Forgiveness
Years after racial strife in Rock Hill, 2 whites apologize to 5 blacks

By Andrew Dys - The Herald


Next to a lunch counter that was segregated for so long sat a table of two white people and five black people Friday afternoon. Just another Friday in Rock Hill, South Carolina, January 2009.

Conversation quickly took the group back to Jan. 31, 1961.

Elwin Wilson, one of those white men, had come that day to that very lunch counter four steps from where he was now, wanting to pull one of those black men off of the stool he was sitting on. He wanted to give a beating.

The other white man, Steve Coleman, had been just outside, among so many, wanting to scream racial epithets.

But 48 years later, Wilson, now 72, and Coleman, in his mid-60s, wanted something entirely different from these five black people.

They wanted forgiveness.

These black men and women -- just a few of the folks known as the "Friendship Nine" and the "City Girls" -- have been honored in museums.

They have been apologized to by politicians.

Their names are etched on stools at that lunch counter.

But never before had any of the white men from that day in 1961 asked to meet any of them, and sit down with them where it all started and apologize for hating them.

more...

http://www.heraldonline.com/front/story/1091171.html

[LakeSamish706]

1. Nice story and great new beginnings... n/t

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. I like this part of the story... K&R

'Beautiful grandbabies'

Eventually, the conversation shifted to small talk.

Coleman showed pictures of his grandchildren. His black grandchildren. His daughter married a black man.

"The most beautiful grandbabies in the world," Coleman said, and these people -- white and black -- all agreed.

Elwin Wilson smiled when he looked at those black grandchildren of the other white man at that table.

[leftchick]

4. me too

great story.

[elocs]

3. Wow! That story took me aback when I saw my name in it.

Redemption and forgiveness are powerful forces and our world needs more of them. I think of that when I read here at DU how somebody self-righteously "hates" and can "never forgive". Even we have a long way to go.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

5. I want to believe...

That anyone can redeem themselves. Not because once they get caught transgressing, they get religion, they blame alcohol/drugs/sexuality and get treatment and that is that, not any of the easy stuff. But because they work at it, as hard as they should, they make it part of their DNA, and they do like these gentlemen did. Put their heart, back and soul truly into it. That is true redemption. Not this sort of quick-fix, "Dial the 1-800-JEEBUS hotline today!" bullshit. That's just games. A con.