Also in Richmond, you will find a statues of Arthur Ashe, Maggie L. Walker and other notable black people scattered around town. The former Boulevard was recently renamed Arthur Ashe Boulevard. and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts recently acquired Rumors of War, a monumental statue of a young black man with locs proudly astride a horse. It's unveiling in December seemed to reflect the perpetual struggle of black people. As it was unveiled, the cover became entangled on the hair and for a good 35 minutes all one could see was a black man on a horse with his face covered. For a split second it reminded me of a execution or lynching. But I was also reminded of how black men and women are still invisible in our society. Our black bodies are visible but our faces, the part of our bodies that expresses our humanity, our joys and our sorrows, remains unseen to so many white people.
Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It should have been just a day of remembrance and service to honor the great Civil Rights icon. Instead the eyes of America were on Richmond as tens of thousands of people demonstrated in support of their positions on gun control laws. Because of rumors of violence, weapons were not allowed on the grounds of the state capitol, so thousands of fully armed and openly carrying, mostly white, men and women were on the streets surrounding the capitol. I can't help but to wonder what would have happened if thousands of black men and women wandered the streets of Richmond, fully armed.
It's time for not only Richmond, but the United States of America to have a real conversation about race. It's the wound that has never healed. It has been patched up, bandaged and scarred over for over 150 years. Until we confront the scars of racism in Richmond and America, we will never live up to our potential. And we will remain hopelessly stuck at the crossroads, going no where.