It's true, all of us in the lawn chair brigade were white, but it is also true that there were a lot more white faces at this event than in previous years. My face is blocked, but if you look carefully, you can see Rev. Bonnie and daughter Kaylie standing next to her, bringing up the rear of the parade. We were the very last item in the parade, and our captain liked to stop and show us off, so we were really dragging and bringing up the rear.
On the other hand, all the residents lining the streets were grateful we were there to lend support and recognition to their parade. Apparently, the parade & homecoming celebrated its 35th year this year. And despite being a Kirkwood resident for the last 6 years, I had never heard of it.
In fact, until the parade, I didn’t know there was an actual ‘park’ in Meacham Park. And it is a nice one, too. In the end, we got a snow cone, walked around, smiled at babies. I saw a few Eliot folk there– including a couple people singing in the community gospel choir.
Our ‘precision lawn chair brigade’ was sponsored by the Community of Understanding and Healing, which has done a lot of work since the shootings in February to try and bring understanding and healing to our community.
Despite the fact that our brigade was late coming to the end of the parade, we showed up, we showed our support, and it was appreciated.
I suppose many of us have been a little late to the parade of working for an anti-racist multi-cultural town.
But there will be other opportunities– maybe not a lawn chair brigade– but other substantive opportunities for you to try and live your faith, and work for an earth made fair and all her people one. Just keep your eyes and ears open!
See you in August– Daniel
