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I have good news and bad news. If you are not aware there is a "special day" for ALMOST anything in great U.S. of A. For instance, you likely already missed National Give a Hug day, which was on January 21 st. But, take a deep breath; and wipe away the tears of sorrow over all those missed hugs. The entire MONTH of January is National Soup Month-- now there's a month worth enjoying!
And do not loose heart, this month is also National Mentor Month. Who knew? Maybe we should ponder this mentor idea some more. As I have spoken across this state promoting A Rainbow in the Dark, I usually have someone come to me and say they too had a mentor. Most say it was a coach, teacher, Sunday school teacher or some other significant person in their life. I think that is part of the reason A Rainbow touches people so deeply-- the reader injects themselves into the story, feeling the struggle and yet the bright light that leads them on.
So, if you recall a mentor, do something. First of all, we have turned the word mentor into a scary word. Mentor is not adoption. Mentoring is not committing a life long promise. Being a mentor does not have to consume your time or money. The dictionary defines mentor simply as "adviser." Any word that can be defined with one other word can't be that complicated. For National Mentor Month, I would urge us to do two things. First, if you can recall a mentor-- call or write them a note telling them how much you appreciate and still remember them.
Secondly, let’s look for someone in our circle of comings and goings to advise-- let's not even use the "M" word. Make yourself available to give encouragement and advice. Even more importantly, commit to that person that you are a safe confidential person that will listen and walk their path. Sometime listening will be more empowering than giving advice.
One day during an office visit a young counselor was shocked when she heard the young lady say, "You know that thing you said last week changed my life. When you said my problems probably stemmed from the fact I have spent my entire life trying to live up to my big sister's spotless reputation." The young psychologist could hardly contain her laugh. Because the week before it was the patient that realized on her own the root of her struggle and pain was her struggle with her sister. The patient transferred what was said to her trusted advisor who was simply listening.
Can I be a mentor or even an advisor. I'm not sure. I do know I have two ears to listen with, and that might make all the difference. Now, let's go listen and advise; I heard May is National Listening Month!

A Chance Meeting

No one knows if this meeting ever occurred. It could have happened. The date would have been sometime in June of 1870. Hank arrives first at the general store in Williamson in Barbour County Alabama. As he opens the door he notices a woman about 10 years older. His eyes go to the boardwalk sidewalk as the woman, Jane, enters the store. Hank looked down because it was a cultural reflex. Hank is a black man, a freed slave. Jane's reaction was unfortunately a natural one as well. Whites, even up through the time before integration often looked right through blacks almost as if they were invisible.
Hank was the lone child slave in a home in Newton Alabama. He was separated by his family as early as the age of 9. He received his freedom in 1865 when the Civil War ended. Just by chance, Jane and Hank left the store about the same time. Except this time, Jane was leaving first and held the door for Hank. It was an odd feeling for both of them. Jane was actually raised in Williamson by her uncle Green Beauchamp.
Both of Jane's parents had died when she was about 12 years old. Green and his wife did not have any children so they raised their nieces and nephews. Jane would later move just north to Russell County to attend a private school. She was caught up in a scandal when she eloped with one of her teachers at the age of 16. She was basically disowned by her Beauchamp family.
She had returned to Barbour County to attend the funeral of her uncle Green. She wanted to see the store once again. This story would be interesting just for the odd facts within. But the oddity of it actually involves who these two people are, and their relationship to our story A Rainbow in the Dark. For you see, Hank was a slave in the home of a white man that would actually die the Civil War. That white man was Henry A Kirkland.
When that young slave got his freedom, he would take the name of his former owner. He became Henry Kirkland, the former slave. Young Henry married Isabelle McSwean and started his family. He would later move with his young family to Montgomery, where another son was born-- Henry Kirkland. This Henry would later move to Northeastern Texas, and later to Atoka, Oklahoma. For you see, Hank (Henry Kirkland), the former slave, is the grandfather of Henry Kirkland, Jr-- my friend and main character of A Rainbow in the Dark.
So who in the world is Jane? She is Nancy Eliza Jane Beauchamp, who eloped with my great great grandfather, James Gimble McCoy. Jane is my great great grandmother. So, Dr. Kirkland's grandfather raised his family in the exact town my great great grandmother was raised. About 130 years later, I would walk into Dr Kirkland's class and that would change my life.

Serendipity of a Movement

    Rosa Parks did not know December 1st, 1955 would go down in history. She boarded the bus after a long day at work as a seamstress. She was tired and cold. Have you ever been tired, hungry, and cold? On this night, it would lead to a national movement. At the corner of Lee and Montgomery in downtown Montgomery Alabama, the bus was becoming crowded. Some whites were standing while Rosa Parks sat in her seat close to the front. Someone complained. The bus driver got out of his seat and asked Parks to get up, as directed by the "separate but equal" policy dating back to 1900. Rosa Parks told the driver she was tired and had no intention of standing while a white man sat in her seat. The driver drove one more block and looked in his mirror to see the trouble maker, Parks still seated. He went back to Parks and told her she must move or the police would be called. She politely told the driver, "do what you must, but I am not moving." Parks surely knew two other women had been arrested for not giving up their seat in the previous year. She had had enough. She was willing to stay seated to make a statement, even if she ended up in jail. In fact, the driver got off the bus, went to a pay phone and called the police. Parks was arrested and booked into the county jail. Her crime was not deferring to the ordinance of mandating whites had the right to stay seated.
     A young lady named JoAnn Robinson learned of Park's arrest. Robinson worked at a local university. She took it upon herself to write a flyer asking ALL blacks to boycott the bus system. She did this at risk of her job. These messages would reach thousands of blacks. What was meant to be a three day boycott of the bus system would last for well over a year.
     The following Monday, leaders in the NAACP organization would meet and elect a young pastor to be the chairman of the Montgomery Improvement Association. That young pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church was Martin Luther King, Jr.   I will write much more about King later, but he was thrust into greatest. He never set out to be the voice and face of the civil rights movement.
     The previous history is relevant to A Rainbow in the Dark because it is the back story that allowed Henry Kirkland Jr to walk through every door that was opened by those civil rights heros that came before.