It is a stereotype that racial problems in our Nation are confined to the South. What is not a stereotype is that Bogalusa has its share of racial problems. We can become a model of racial healing for the world. The first step in healing any emotional hurt is the acknowledgement of the acts which occurred and the sincere heartfelt desire to make amends for our transgressions.
Healing goes beyond blaming by seeking to make amends for the very acts which we now deny occurred. Acknowledgement is the hardest yet most necessary step in our healing. We are not alone in our struggle, but we are alone in our ability to bring the struggle out into the open where the wounds can be healed. Until this step is taken the hidden hand of racial divide will rule our community and prevent the development of a more spiritually based existence for our people.
The problem with the Goodyear account of the history of Bogalusa goes beyond language. The book is very inaccurate in its portrayal of the good citizens of Bogalusa and does us a disservice which can only be corrected by a direct challenge to the content of the book. The Goodyear history is self-serving at best and racially divisive at its worst. We must challenge the accounts of our history by this family and set the record straight for our children who come after us. Let's get our history not only racially sensitive but accurate. Anything less is a lie which continues to hurt our peoples charater, honor and relationship with God. Please keep this in mind as we continue to explore the history of Bogalusa as reported by various sources and then assert which seem most accurate.
James Cameron: His story.
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