A Raging Storm

Isaiah 43: 1-2 But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: " Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. (NKJV)

The year was 1952 and though it was the heat of the civil rights movement, Allison was optimistic about her future in an uncertain world. She was finishing up her junior year at State College and looking forward to graduation the following year. She was very active in school being a part of many social clubs as well as student government. How often she would allow her mind the freedom to dream big things. She would be the first in her family to graduate from College and although she felt that pressure, she did not allow it to cloud her dreams. Despite all of her seemingly outward success, Allison carried a deep secret that she thought she could file away in the recesses of her mind and that would make it go away.

She was so much like many young women during that time period looking forward to meeting the man of her dreams and getting married and raising a family. Her Father (Thurgood) was a very strong willed and proud man and managed to work himself into a position to be in business. He always wanted the best for all of his children, but he realized that Allison had his will and determination to succeed. He taught Allison and her sisters, Cheryl, Sonia, Monica, and Bonnie to be independent and to never solely rely on a man to take care of them financially. Thurgood knew that many black men during that time needed to feel in complete control and authoritative in their homes because on the outside they were always made to feel as submissive boys no matter their age, experience, or education. This reality caused many black men to wilt under that pressure and eventually take it out in a very negative way on their wife and children.

On top of this reality of racism, there also laid dormant a hideous secret being covered up and silenced in many black families and it was child molestation. Black families would rather pretend these horrific things did not go on in their own families so most never spoke about them. In all candors, the black family from the 1619 (when the first Africans were brought to North America as slaves) to 1952 hardly ever had any serious or open dialogues about sex of any kind. To talk about these things to many showed weakness and during the period of slavery up to the segregated south and Jim Crow laws was not the way black folk should show themselves to a white dominated world.

Consequently, evil was allowed to fester for generations giving the enemy open access to the heart and minds of many black children. While many families were waging the war on the enemy (the devil of racism) on the outside of their families (against the racist hatred of whites), they were at the same time allowing the enemy to creep inside their families and destroy them from within.

Africans of all different dialects and from very different parts of the Continent united on those slave ships first to just survive the long trip and the tyranny of their white captures. This was a good thing a beautiful thing and it was strength they received from God. However, somewhere along the way after the emancipation proclamation and black people were freed from slavery to whites we lost our unity the close bond of families went away and was replaced by the very thing we seemed to despise in whites.

The insatiable desire to get things came in and stole that close family bond. Many a white families yielded their children over to the care and upbringing of a black woman known as a nanny. Many white children spent so much time being raised by that black woman they became attached to them as if they were their actual Mothers. Likewise many of those same black Mothers were so worn out physically and emotionally that they had little to give to their own boys and girls. Therefore, many young black boys and girls were left vulnerable and the enemy moved into the gap or absence by using Uncles, Aunts, older brothers, and sister prompting them to molest some of those children. Imagine the 7, 8, or 9 year old when this happens, how they could tell anyone let alone their Mother or Father. So they keep silent.

Therefore, inside the heart of that young child nestles anger, hatred, resentment, bitterness, and un-forgiveness. As the child grows, so does his damaged heart that has not be cleansed by the Blood of the Lamb. Such a heart will undoubtedly produce rage and other out of control behavior like sexual promiscuity, alcohol and drug abuse, failed relationships, and even a desire for the now adult to perpetrate the same abuse in children that they experienced.

“Trust in God and you will know

He can vanquish any foe;

Simply trust Him day by day

He will be your strength and stay.”

D. De Haan