In a time when the nation has become increasingly polarized, Fort Worth Minister Will Ford said people need to recognize the humanity in one another.
We need to be willing to put ourselves at risk to reach out and close the growing divide in America, Ford said last Wednesday, Feb. 19, during a Black History Month conversation hosted by TCU’s Race and Reconciliation Initiative.
“I think there has to be people brave enough to stand in the gap, and if we stand in the gap, we’re probably going to get shots from both sides, but if we can stay there long enough, we can heal a nation,” Ford said.
Ford and Dr. Angela Mack, a moderator, spoke about reconciling with America’s past to create a more unified future.
Ford is known for his work in faith ministry, research on American slavery and his book “The Dream King: How the Dream of Martin Luther King Jr. Is Being Fulfilled to Heal Racism in America.” He is known for his kettle pot, a family heirloom which he uses to tell his story of faith, perseverance and hope for a better future all over the U.S.
The cast iron kettle is a relic from the antebellum period. It represents a time when slave owners feared their slaves finding hope and solace through prayer to God.
Regardless, Ford said his ancestors would lay down next to the kettle and whisper their prayers into the gap to muffle their voices. They prayed that their children would one day be free.
Generations later, their prayers were answered and continue to be answered with every step America takes towards reaching racial equality, Ford said.
Ford’s deep roots and fascination have led him to a multitude of discoveries about his family history. Through these discoveries, he found out that his best friend, Matt Lockett’s, ancestors enslaved Ford’s ancestors.
After many long conversations, the two reconciled with each other, and Ford wants people to take this to heart.
“It’s one thing to have conciliation. It’s another thing to have reconciliation,” Ford said.
During the event, multiple people engaged with Ford’s story, asked questions of their own and stopped to thank Ford for his speech.
Once the event ended, attendees headed outside of the ballroom to enjoy a barbecue and interact with each other.
