Breaking News Alert: for everyone who wants to believe that we are in a “post-racial era,” We’re not!

While some people have shied away from discussions about race, because they feel uncomfortable, members from the Guinare Free Will Baptist Church in Kentucky did not.

They were more than willing to talk about race, after Stella Harville, the Church secretary’s daughter, attended a service and sang with her Black fiancé, Ticha Chukuni.

Some members of the Guinare Free Will Baptist Church, were more than willing to talk about the issue, in order to vote to ban interracial couples from becoming members of the church

Harvilles father, Dean Harville said “The way I look at it, it’s a slap in God’s face to say something like this.” He accused Melvin Thompson, the church’s former pastor, who called for this vote, of racism. Thompson replied that he wasn’t a racist, and the vote was not intended to pass judgement, but was intended to promote greater unity among the church body.

Unity of what? A united front for racism?

The churches present pastor Stacy Stepp, opposes the ban, and said that he will deal with it at the Denominations’ regional council, and work to overturn it.

I believe that policies like this are symptoms of ignoracacy. This is what happens when people don’t have constructive conversations about race. Without honest dialogue, there is a void that is filled by the voices of those who espouse hate, and who are afraid of any kind of diversity.

In a recent program that I hosted on the Swirl Radio Show, (www.SwirlRadio.com) I asked whether in fact, we are in fact a nation of cowards when it comes to talking about race. Are people so afraid to admit they don’t know a lot about people who are different?

Are too many people, too afraid to ask each other questions, even if they make mistakes?

Why are the people talking the loudest, the ones that want to spread the diseases of bigotry, racism, and fear?

Why are they so willing to talk about race, and why are the people who should talk about it, those that don’t share those views remaining silent most of the time?

It’s great to speak out in condemnation, but meaningful dialogues across the country, might eliminate some of the hate speech, and make people less afraid of differences, and diversity.

We will see less racism, fear and ignorance, when people are willing to take a risk, face their discomfort, not worry about “saying the wrong thing to each other, and have meaningful conversations about race.

We’ll be better as a country when we take the time hear other people’s experiences, and be willing to stop objectifying and start humanizing.