By Shawon Canady
In a world of chaos and injustice, many have turned to their own resources to help end the eminent fight against racism within the communities of the world. Though many news broadcasts can portray a world with no hope, especially as it relates to governmental leadership and authority, God still has His elected as elected officials in office who are praying and working towards change.
Mayor Joseph Harris of Riceboro, GA believes God has destined a call for change, but believes we have the responsibility to listen. “We must learn to appreciate and understand each perspective of the situation,” Mayor Harris says.
“Each individual deserves that right and respect to be heard. Even though there are perspectives you don’t agree with, everyone deserves to be heard.”
Mayor Harris notes that his main concern for citizens are their physical and emotional safety, not desiring hate to develop in anyone’s heart, despite the emotional uproar. Though he understands the cries of the African American community as black man, he notes that hate will not solve the issue our nation faces.
As a man of faith, Mayor Harris says the solution to combat the racial divide in the nation is love. “Love is a universal language,” he says, “As people of faith, when we pray together, it won’t allow us to be separate or cause us to have division. Prayer brings about unity. Prayer brings about the consciousness and the mind of God, the will of God in our lives, and the will of God in the land. If we can pray more together as Christian brothers and sisters who are black, white, red, or yellow, and ask for God’s divine will in our lives, to heal the hurts, and bind the brokenness that exists, then we should be able to unite.”
Mayor Harris has pushed unity in his community through encouraging peaceful protests, an effective way for individuals to exercise their rights. He has also commissioned local churches to pray for the community, its leadership, and unity. It is his hope that as new elections come, officials who will bring about change will be elected.
For Mayor Harris, this change will not be achieved with violence.
“If you hit me, I would want to hit you back. If I hit you, you would want to hit me back. Violence begets violence.” Noting a popular quote from First Lady Michelle Obama, “When they go low, we go high,” Mayor Harris says we can promote change by choosing a better way as individuals.
From voting, to volunteering to teach in our communities, to offering trade and job services, Mayor Harris believes each individual has the power to put love to effective action and heal the pain of racial divide within our nation.
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