Fellowship Memphis

My youth is filled with memories of celebrating black history. Whether it was Granddad’s stories about protecting his kids during the early days of integration, hearing about my late Aunt who would invite Dr. King and Medgar Evers into her home in Jackson, MS for dessert after a long day of marching, or just heading over to our church’s annual February celebration, to be sure, Black History Month was always a special time.

My favorite memory happened in college. I’d been asked to speak at our annual community celebration. I took two white friends of mine because I wanted to share this experience with them. Watching those guys listen to gospel hymns, see the smiles of elderly who had blazed trails for all of us, and then have some lively conversation about what we’d witnessed touched my soul in many ways. That event led to the three of us working together to spur racial reconciliation on our campus in a myriad of ways.

As I think about celebrating black history amidst the diverse community that God has blessed Fellowship Memphis with, my heart beats with excitement. As we reflect upon sacrifices and achievements made, my hope is that all of us will see this as American history that we can take pride in and learn lessons from. Our prayer here at Fellowship is that February will be a replay of what I experienced in college; lively dialogue, thankful reflection, and even more memories to share in the future.