Differences of Ethnicity, But of 'One Blood': Lessons on Healing the Racial Divide

Dr. Alveda King, niece of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and director of Civil Rights for the Unborn, and Ginger Howard, Republican National Committeewoman for Georgia, come from different backgrounds and cultures. Yet the two share a passion for moral and social justice.

The women met a few years ago and quickly formed a bond of sisterhood; often spending time at each other's homes and shopping together.

They never thought about writing a book about racial reconciliation in America. That is until two years ago.

"I had a dream one night that she and I wrote a book on racial reconciliation," Howard said during a CBN News interview with the two women. "I told her about my dream. She said, 'let's do it.'"

In their new book, We're Not Colorblind: Healing the Racial Divide, King and Howard highlight the importance of seeing people, no matter their race, in the image of God.

"There are differences of ethnicity but of one blood," explained King. "God made all people together on the face of the earth. So we know that the human race, regardless of skin color and regardless of ethnicity, is one race."

Also included in the book are painful memories from the women's past, something Howard admitted that she struggled to write about, including growing up in a family with a separate bathroom for their black maid.

"It really was hard and in a way, I didn't really want to," Howard said. "But between Alveda and one of my little Bible study girls, she said to me one day when I was talking to her about that chapter and I said this is really hard I just don't to put it in. And she said, 'Ginger it's your history. You need to, just like our country's history, it's ok.'"

King writes about how she once hated whites after her uncle and her father were killed during the Civil Rights Movement.

"I had feelings when my uncle Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was killed and the next year my dad; a week after I was married. He walked me down the aisle. He was killed and so as a college student during the time that my uncle was killed I wanted to blame white people."

As a devoted Christian, King said she has learned the lesson of forgiveness and, more importantly, going to its source.

"I can't forgive people on my own and when I'm feeling aught or bitterness I say Holy Spirit I just can't do this so please will you come in and help me to do this," said King.  

Seeing the recent unrest and protests over race play out across the country, King empathizes with young minorities who are angry and demand justice but disagrees with the organization of Black Lives Matter.  

"There's the organization and there's the movement," she said. "Now the movement, Black Lives actually do matter. I don't think many people would disagree with that."

As the country struggles in 2020, the authors see special timing in the release of their book, which was written two years ago, as a divine tool for the times.

"There were many times that I would call Alveda so upset," said Howard. 'Alveda why can't we get it published? Why is it this and why is that?'"

"And she just said, 'Ginger, God's timing is perfect.'"

"I had no idea that it was going to blow up with all the killings and all the fighting and all the arguments that we have had in the last several months," commented King. 

In the end, she points to the words of her late uncle as the way forward.

"I really want to encourage people not to be fighting and arguing with your family members, with your church members, with people at work," said King. "My uncle said, 'We must learn to live together as brothers, I add sisters, or perish together as fools.' How are we going to treat others? Are we going to be doing envy and strife, bringing confusion? Or are we going to embrace each other and love each other?"

Howard agreed and said she believes that God wants to use multi-ethnic relationships as shining examples of his love.

"Jesus is the only answer," commented Howard. "He was the one that sent reconciliation. He gave us the ministry of reconciliation. When we look at everybody with the intrinsic value then we can truly love our neighbor."

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