CHARACTER VS. COLOR

Without thinking twice, I can tell you who my heroes are in history. The first is Dr. George Washington Carver (in past history) and Dr. Ben Carson (in present history). They both happen to be black Americans but that is irrelevant to why I have deep admiration for them. You see, I was raised to judge a person by their character, color was simply an adjective to describe them when you were telling someone who a person was that you met, to picture them in one’s mind for identification like describing my sister with blond hair, blue eyes, fair skin, etc. My parents, while loved by many, had a small circle of who they considered to be their dearest friends and one of those couples were our life-long black friends, the Frazier’s. Two other couples were our Jewish friends, the Joseph’s and Winstein’s. My mother made two music albums with Mrs. Frazier. My parents met Dr. Joseph when he was in medical residency before he married. I recall them sharing that he did some genetic research for them before they had children to learn whether we may be born deaf since my mother’s biological mother and two brothers were born deaf and they were concerned about that. They were given the “green light” after seven years of marriage and two miscarriages and then came me! Dad met Mr. Winstein through his business as an engineer, and they were lifelong friends as well. We celebrated many holidays and life events together, with many special memories. This may have been part of the influence in Dad’s life to embrace a love for Israel and scriptural study. Later I had a hunger to learn the Hebraic roots of our Christian faith which my parents indirectly fostered.

The whole racism issue frustrates me. When we focus on a person’s color over their character we make a grave mistake. Guilting “whites” because they happen to be white is no worse than rejecting “blacks” because they are black. Either way it mocks our Creator who determines our genetic composition, who are parents are, and our natural talents…all our unchangeable characteristics that make us who we are.

I don’t care whether you are pink, purple, or blue; color is not the issue. How do you treat people, what is your work ethic, are you an “energy taker” or “energy giver” to others and society at large? Do you take responsibility for your decisions or blame others for what you don’t have? These are the questions we should be asking for these are pertinent in the here and now for each of our lives. The past can’t be re-done. We learn from others’ mistakes to not repeat them but to make others “pay” for what those in the past did of which we had no control is a destructive and divisive practice that only perpetuates strife and prevents healing.

George Washington Carver was a man of faithfulness, love, servitude, sacrifice, humility, industriousness, and consistently righteous character. Read about his life and you will be inspired and challenged by it. When he had every reason in the world to embrace a victim mentality he chose to love others regardless of their prejudice against him, seek the Lord daily for revelation on what to do to serve others, and give without concern for himself but rather his fellowman. While you’re at it, enjoy reading the story of his good friend, Booker T. Washington as well.

Dr. Ben Carson’s story of a man today is a beautiful testament to serving others, overcoming adversity, and developing his skills through discipline and hard work to leave a lasting impression on society through his work as a neurosurgeon. Like, GWC he had reasons to embrace a “victim” mentality for his challenging life circumstances. Thankfully, he had a precious mother who didn’t allow her sons to be victims of their stance in life or make excuses for not developing their talents given by Yah. Having no father, living in poverty, and being surrounded by peers that were a negative influence, they could have had lives vastly different than what he and his brother became but they learned righteous character to overcome the things they were up against in their young lives. One of my very favorite movies that depicts his life is, “Gifted Hands” starring Cuba Gooding. Because of his influence, I have enjoyed listening to his stories and testimony shared through his church affiliation, the Seventh Day Adventist. He honors the Sabbath and lives his life to serve and bless others. He embodies an “outreach” and mission mind-set when he could easily live a privileged life as a famous, retired doctor. He is another true American that has made a very positive impact in the lives of many others without focusing on his race. A man of character, he knows what’s truly important and values life as His Creator set it forth.

Both men prove that one can do amazing things in their life if they give it back to their Creator to shape, use, and direct to be a blessing in the world around them in a beautiful, positive way. May their life example serve to make us better people ourselves to instill hope and healing in those around us.