Ricky and Racism

This current climate in America is grievous.  The Covid 19 pandemic is being upstaged by systemic racism.

A pastor friend wrote the following.

“My righteous indignation...You want to know why Black people are angry...

We can’t be handcuffed and put in the police car unless we are dead (#GeorgeFloyd)

We can’t go bird watching in Central Park (#ChristianCooper)

We can’t go jogging (#AmaudArbery).

We can’t relax in the comfort of our own homes (#BothemSean and #AtatianaJefferson).

We can't ask for help after being in a car crash (#JonathanFerrell and #RenishaMcBride).

We can't have a cellphone (#StephonClark).

We can't leave a party to get to safety (#JordanEdwards).

We can't play loud music (#JordanDavis).

We can’t sell CD's (#AltonSterling).

We can’t sleep (#AiyanaJones)

We can’t walk from the corner store (#MikeBrown).

We can’t play cops and robbers (#TamirRice).

We can’t go to church (#Charleston9).

We can’t walk home with Skittles (#TrayvonMartin).

We can’t hold a hair brush while leaving our own bachelor party (#SeanBell).

We can’t party on New Years (#OscarGrant).

We can’t get a normal traffic ticket (#SandraBland).

We can’t lawfully carry a weapon (#PhilandoCastile).

We can't break down on a public road with car problems (#CoreyJones).

We can’t shop at Walmart (#JohnCrawford) .

We can’t have a disabled vehicle (#TerrenceCrutcher).

We can’t read a book in our own car (#KeithScott).

We can’t be a 10yr old walking with our grandfather (#CliffordGlover).

We can’t decorate for a party (#ClaudeReese).

We can’t ask a cop a question (#RandyEvans).

We can’t cash our check in peace (#YvonneSmallwood).

We can’t take out our wallet (#AmadouDiallo).

We can’t run (#WalterScott).

We can’t breathe (#EricGarner).

We can’t live (#FreddieGray).

We’re tired.

Tired of making hashtags.

Tired of trying to convince you that our #BlackLivesMatter too.

Tired of dying.

Tired.

Tired.

Tired.

So very tired.” Martin Picket

I also am tired of racism and I have been pondering why I don’t have racism, though I was certainly a child of the south.

My answer might be found in  Ricky Feacher.  In the early 60’s his parents voluntarily integrated him into our school and it became his school.  This was years before forced integration occurred. (In our county, the African American community had the newest school.  Moton High School as I recall were state champs, and had their own bands, clubs, sports and they were forced to give up their identiy and integrate into ours).  (In our community, there were lots of tension with integration from both sides).   I remember playing with Ricky on the elementary playground and we had massive hide and seek games.  He was a great athlete back then and was a huge part of why I learned to run fast.  Elementary turned to Jr. High, and Ricky was a major part of why our Jr. High football team under Coach Vacenovsky (in a previous blog) went undefeated. A factoid is that he was the third leg of the sprint medley relay team that made it to the state track meet in 1972.  In a preliminary round he pulled a hamstring and immediately after finishing 3rd in my race, my track coach came running up to me to get ready to run the 330 leg of the sprint medley in place of Ricky.  I was no Ricky Feacher and brought some embarrassment to the team as my quads locked up about 50 yards from the finish.   He received a college football scholarship to Mississippi Valley State, and I lost touch with him after high school.  It was after his career in pro football that I learned he was a professional football player.  He is even in Wikipedia.  I don’t know how I didn’t know he played professional football.

Richard Ivy Feacher (born February 11, 1954) is a former professional American football wide receiver. Feacher played in nine National Football League seasons from 1976–1984, primarily for the Cleveland Browns. Holds the record for the fastest 100 yard dash 9.6, and was a star football player for the Hernando High School Leopards, located in Brooksville, Florida.

Anyway, I wish more people had fun times of playing hide and seek on school playgrounds with people of color.  I wish more Caucasian people had grown up with young men like Ricky Feacher.    

An action item for all my Caucasian friends is to ensure that your children and grandchildren play alongside people of color.  A lot of conflict resolution occurred on our playground in the early 60’s and my heart grieves for those still bound with racism and even more so for those who suffer from the curse of sin called racism.  Like my pastor friend, I am tired of the global injustices surrounding racism.  Just a little FYI;  All races of people are equal. None better, none worse, none blessed, none cursed, none marked, none chosen, everyone equal. PERIOD. 

Craig BurnsComment