It's been almost 30 years since I broke down a racial barrier. This is one of those stories that I do not often for whatever reason. But I can promise you that it is true. I signed out of school one spring day in 1979 to drive a classmate over to Louisiana Tech University for a football scholarship interview. My dad was involved on the medical side of the team so we went to most home games. The school wanted to sign a running back from my high school to play for them. We left East Texas in the morning for his meeting. After he finished with the coaches then I picked him up for the ride home.

Here is where it gets interesting. My grandmother lived in a small North Louisiana town about 20 minutes from the college. So I said that I wanted to run by and see her before we returned home to Texas. Her office at that time was in the courthouse on the square. I found her and we went across the street to the drugstore that still had stools around the bar. The three of us sat down. That was when I broke the barrier. See, no black person ever sat on the stool as far as I could remember. My friend was black. I never thought two seconds about it. When I recall some of the looks around the store, I know several others thought on it much longer than those two seconds. We didn't stay long and headed home back to Texas. He did go to school there to college. I would wager that he didn't return to the drugstore.

Racism is one of those issues that will not go away with MLK Day or a President Obama. It is not a problem just limited to the South either. Racism isn't even something that only we white people deal with. It is an evil cycle as old as the book of Genesis. Believe me, I would love to tell you that I have no prejudice. But can we be honest here? Isn't there racism hidden away in most hearts in some form or fashion? We even sing about how Jesus loves children of all colors yet segregate by those same colors for worship.

My very first attempt at a sermon was delivered in a black Baptist Church. About five years later I spoke in one of the historic black congregations in Shreveport. Yes, I was way out of my league both occasions. One of my groomsmen in my wedding was black. My usual comment is that he still is the same color. Racism isn't something that loosens its grip on any person of any ethnic background without a fight. Dr. King spoke of someday reaching a mountain top where color didn't matter. We are still not there. We may be further up the hill but only God will take us the rest of the way.

Bro. Trey