Constructive review needed on S.C.'s racial, cultural divisions

The 2009 New Year's "Watch Night" worship service at Morris Brown African Methodist Episcopal Church reminded me of what passes for 21st century "communication." After praying on our knees as midnight approached, we stood up at 12 a.m., exchanged New Year's greetings, and shared in the Benediction. Following the Benediction, I habitually go to the front door of the church and greet the worshipers as they leave, and I found the usual heavy assemblage of teenagers in the narthex and on the front steps. An appreciable number of them, however, weren't talking to each other this year, but were texting each other on their cell phones, even though they were in easy conversational distance.

I have no objection to text messaging — it's fast, easy and convenient, and I do it myself, but even in the 21st century, electronic messages don't take the place of face to face conversation and can sometimes be detrimental to true dialogue. If you don't think so, then visit The Post and Courier or any other newspaper's online version and take a look at the readers' electronic comments that follow most articles. Some of them are well reasoned, but many are rude, crude, insulting, childish and offensive — especially if the story that generates the comments has an elemental hint of race.

Those who comfortably and anonymously use online opportunities to share their latent racial prejudice simply highlight a still pressing need in our community, state and nation — earnest and honest conversation on race. From public education to employment to economic well-being to housing to criminal justice, race is often the unspoken element in debates on community well-being and public policy. Race still pervades much of what happens in our community, but efforts at racial dialogue often degenerate into saccharine discussions of how to improve the racial climate by "helping the needy," with no thought of why "need" and "race" are often viewed as one in the same.

Like many municipalities, Charleston is infected with a chronic case of "raging politeness." Rather than acknowledging the role that race plays in public policy and in many other community concerns, we find other benign and vague explanations and sweep a major issue under what has become a very lumpy rug. We do very well in talking at each other, but fall short of the mark in talking to each other in a way that identifies and explores real solutions to racial concerns.

The South Carolina Christian Action Council, our state's preeminent ecumenical organization, wants to take the discussion of race in a new and hopefully more constructive direction. We're sponsoring "A New Conversation on Race: Engagement and Change" on Jan. 21 and 22 at the White Oak Conference Center near Winnsboro, S.C.

The event is an opportunity to do more than revisit the past, accept the present, simply wish that things were different or to sing "Kum Ba Yah" and agree that everything is fine. The event will give those present the opportunity to talk and listen to each other, explore ways and means of tackling our racial and cultural divide, and see how that initial conversation can expand and continue across our state.

To register, call 803-786-7115 or e-mail sccouncil@sccouncil.net by January 14. I encourage those who really seek a better South Carolina to attend, whether they're dyed in the wool liberals or rock hard conservatives. I'd especially like to see and meet those who respond to columns like this by anonymous means that belie their personal fear and insecurity. If we can engage in frank, concrete and ongoing conversation, we just might make frank, concrete and ongoing progress.

The Rev. Joseph A. Darby is senior pastor at Morris Brown African Methodist Episcopal Church and board president of the South Carolina Christian Action Council.