Fifty-six years ago (1964) I became involved in the civil rights movement. I was in seminary in the Chicago area, and a group of seminarians and Methodist ministers were assisting students at Tougaloo College near Jackson, Mississippi in their attempts at worshipping at white-only churches. At the time, under Jim Crow laws, the deep south had segregated most institutions including, in this instance, the Methodist Church.

When we walked up the church steps that Sunday accompanied by a black student from the college, the local police were quickly sent after us. After being turned away at the church door, they escorted us back to our car. Though we were not arrested, we could have been. The police were a part of institutionalized segregation in the South.

The power of the police came into focus again recently with the killing of a black man in Minneapolis. It looks like the policeman involved was a “rogue cop,” and he has been charged with murder. Nevertheless, the whole incident reflects the reality that racial bigotry is still alive and well in the United States. We had 200 years of slavery prior to the Civil War, and we are still struggling with its residue.

In the midst of the violence going on around the country, I was pleased by the recent peaceful protest at Dow Park in Jamestown. Representatives of the black community were there, but also public officials including the Mayor, the Chief of Police, and the County Sheriff. The words said and unsaid were clear: the police in our town were sending the message that law enforcement is here to protect everyone, regardless of color or race.

The event also reminded me of how the unique and meaningful sculpture garden at Dow Park, called the “Underground Railroad Tableau,” came into being. It was an initiative from the local African-American community and led by, among others, my good friends Vivian and Lula Taylor who are no longer with us. There were others, like another friend, Dave Shepherd, who assisted a lot on the project. A grant from the State and a local foundation helped in the cause. However, it was the local community, led by people like Vivian and Lula, who raised the final dollars to build the tableau.

Most of the time, the sculptures, created by David Poulin, just stand there through rain, wind and snow as a quiet statement of the struggles of the Civil War. But, the necessity and importance of their creation, was reinforced again recently with the outbreak of racial unrest brought on by the events in Minneapolis. The “tableau” continues to speak to us that our fight for civil rights for all in this country is never over.

When this moment has passed and the current racial crisis is over, the bronze images at Dow Park will remain–reminding us of our history as Americans and preparing us for the next challenges which will undoubtedly be coming as to civil rights and equality being the law of the land. The pledge of allegiance sums it up pretty well–what holds us together as Americans is the belief that we have a country which promises “liberty and justice for all.”

Rolland Kidder is a Stow resident.