Chapter 17: Race and Education: The Scale Remains Unbalanced

The Lord has ordered my steps this morning. We are in St. Augustine, Florida, and today is election day in America. The months, weeks, and days leading up to this day have been marked by division, hate, and despair. Yet, this morning God guid ed our feet on a morning walk, and we found ourselves standing before an obelisk in the garden in the Sisters of St. Joseph Mother House: “Rose of Compassion” by Wendy Mandel McDaniel. Standing at this place at this time has brought me to tears. This piece captures the essence of the meaning of diversity and inclusion. How can we make something that should be so easy so difficult? The thoughts of philosophers, theologians, authors, and political activeists surround the obelisk, all from different places and spaces, yet all echoing the contributions of difference to the whole.