United, really: No, it doesn't have to be about race and division

There is a lesson to be learned from the story of the Touchdown Club and the Goldsboro High School Cougar football team.

It is not about winning and losing.

It is not even about history.

It is about what happens when people set aside the barriers, drop the distrust and share a little of themselves.

And it is about what this team and this group of volunteers are teaching each other.

The lessons here are a road map for a community where families and people of all races can join hands to accomplish something -- and ignore the doubts and mistrust that stop progress and understanding before it even gets a chance to start.

It is about realizing that there are good, no great, children of every color in this community.

You met some last week -- with big dreams, intact priorities and determination that they are going to be someone. No professional sports dreams here. These young men are going to college.

It is about seeing that there are great parents of every race who are determined to make sure their children get the instruction and direction they need to succeed.

You met some of them, too -- laser-focused on making sure their children have the support and rules they need to escape the destruction that comes in lives without either.

It is about seeing that it only takes an outstretched hand to bridge a gap, to see that an offer of support can be sincere and focused on a goal of being there for a team -- an alma mater.

You met a whole bunch of people like that -- determined to support a team that has already captured a place in their hearts, even though the ties they have are decades old.

Think how far we could go if we all jettisoned the old ideas.

What if like-minded parents shared their experiences and joined forces to reach as many children as possible? What if mentors were paired with young people who needed them? What if there were somewhere to go if you needed help with a parenting problem or just a shoulder to lean on?

What if we saw how alike we are and how many of us want the same things for our children and grandchildren -- and then worked to create a community that made them possible?

What if students of all races and backgrounds saw that there are young people with dreams and goals from whom they can learn and grow not just academically, but personally?

What if we could talk, like people, about what we want to see for this community and looked hard at its problems and joined hands to find some solutions?

What if the distrust were reserved for those who don't care for their families, for those whose eyes are blinded by racism (on either side), for those who are bringing drugs and guns into this community and killing our young people?

How strong would we be if we could really talk -- and could unite to change this community?

What would we be able to accomplish?

But to change the world, you have to be willing to take that first, tenuous step into the unknown.

And, if you give an idea a chance, and take the time to learn something about each other -- gold.

The young men at Goldsboro High School understand better than anyone else what it takes to make a team -- support, priorities and leadership.

Perhaps they can be part of leading a change in how we see each other -- one yard and one heart at a time.

Published in Editorials on September 27, 2014 11:21 PM