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 A Vision for Children:
Summary: A Vision for Children: From a Conversation with Darrold Hunt, after a meeting of the DC Coalition. Their vision states, “As Proud of our Gayness, As We Are of our Blackness.”
Excerpt from Straight Into Gay America:
They are closing the church now, so we interview Darrold Hunt under a street lamp on the sidewalk. He is the founder of Urban Philharmonic, “working to bring great music back to the city.” He laughs when I call him an elder, but his words, even more than his crinkly silver beard, confirm his status. As I’ve asked others, so I ask Darrold about the relationship between the Civil Right's Movement of the sixties and the GLBT equal rights movement.
“All movements for justice are related,” he says, drawing his hand through the air in a long arc, “all movements of securing rights for oppressed peoples, from blacks to Jews, from women to gays.” During the meeting he came forward twice with powerful statements about the need for structure, to build the long term means to establish equal rights.
“People have brought the issue of GLBT justice to the white churches. When churches didn't listen, white people created new churches, (like the Metropolitan Community Church) This is the first time we can build a structure to take the issue to our black churches.”
He shares more than I can absorb all at once, but I notice his eyes light up when he mentions children. “The most important thing,” now his eyes really shine, “is to raise children with the possibilities to become who they really desire to be, to become their dreams.”
“And why is that important?” I ask him, wanting more.
“Because children who are encouraged to fulfill their dreams grow up naturally, automatically, more open and more diverse, more inclusive, and more aware of justice.”
This is the third benediction, the one I was aiming at all those words ago, all those years ago, all those miles ago when I first became involved in how to move forward with the questions and the experiences of queer justice.
The most important thing is to raise children
with the possibilities to become
who they really desire
to be, to become
their dreams.
Encouraging the fulfillment of our dreams and our visions feels like a marching order, the most direct statement of what needs to be done. And start this with children. Rabbi Namath said we could live our fears, or we could live in awe. Under this streetlamp with Darrold, I hear a way forward. Justice will come when we stop living our fears, and start living our dreams. Old Darrold talks about children. I will try to learn his patience, because I believe his eyes, and the life through which he speaks. |
Straight Into Gay America:
My Unicycle Journey for Equal Rights.
by Lars Clausen
(Soulscapers, 2006)
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