Introduction: In 1970, while President of the Methodist Student Center at the University of Georgia in Athens, I became aware of the harsh, Jim Crow-ish fact that, organizationally, the Methodist Church in Georgia remained segregated. Individual churches could do what they wanted, but administratively, there was a Methodist Church for white congregations, and another for black congregations.
Worse, while the white pastors were guaranteed a minumum salary (even if their parishes could not afford it), as well as health insurance and a pension, no such guarantees were offered to black pastors. Offended that such segregation could take place in God’s House, I worked with others to find a new organizational home for the black pastors, and succeeed.
However, this situation – and the reaction of some “brothers in Christ” who wanted nothing to do with this effort – caused me to write this poem. The title is intended to be read, as it is also the first line. It was published in a student publication, my first “real” work to be published.
With America’s renewed focus on race and race-based issues, I feel this small poem may once again have a sense of relevance.
Brotherhood
If you’ll be good
And keep your place
So I’ll save face
I’ll set the pace
To free your race
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