It was a coalition of the challenged, this group of 750 or so Springfielders who came together Monday for the Martin Luther King Day breakfast, the 49th annual event hosted by Frontiers International. Here, wearing the gold coat of the Frontiers and taking tickets at the door, was a prominent leader of Illinois Republicans, surely challenged by the difficulty of leading in a party that has lost its way. Here, too, was a veteran U.S. senator who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, challenged by the demands of politics at the highest level and grateful, he said, that there is still a place for “old white guys like me.” Here is a table sponsored by Central Baptist Church, demonstrating that their faith calls them to stand with people of color, and over there a table of Springfield Dominican sisters who have been all in against racism for many years, still challenging themselves to more effectively preach the truth. There are two tables for SIU School of Medicine, leading with diversity, equity and inclusion to foster institutional change, but challenged by the size of health disparities. And nearby is the NAACP table, challenged to include immigrants in its vision of colored people to advance. All together sing, “We shall overcome someday,” until a Black community leader issues a challenge for more urgency. With her leading, we sing, “We shall overcome today.” – Fletcher Farrar, editor
This article appears in Healthy, wealthy and wise 2024.
