|
Today's Story:
The Western Michigan University Gospel Choir is singing, their presentation professional, dressed in black formal attire that accents their range of skin shades from dark to pale. Their powerful student voices crescendo through each modulation of the chorus: “Amen. Amen. Amen.”
I turn in my chair and look over my shoulder at Dr. Lewis Walker, co-founder of the Lewis Walker Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnic Relations, located on the WMU campus in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
His eyes catch mine. He raises a hand. Thumbs up. I raise a hand. Thumbs up. He smiles. I smile. We nod in unison.
When the choir leaves the stage, I move from my seat and walk to him. “See what you started, Lew. Did you ever imagine it would grow to this?”
He takes my hand in his. Grips it. Squeezes it. His eyes water. A tear pools, ready to roll down his ebony-toned cheek. His voice is faint. “No,” he says. “No.”
“This is all for you, Lew.” My statement is true.
But it is also not totally accurate. Yes, that word “you,” in this context, does refer to Dr. Walker.
This gala event is also for the 150-some people here in the ballroom at WMU’s Student Center who came to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Lewis Walker Institute (LWI).
And the word, by extension, is for you, whomever you are, as you read this.
* * * * *
Dr. Walker, at 88 years of age, is a humble man, honored and recognized by speakers on the dais.
But he does not take the stage himself. He simply stands at the round banquet table where he is in the company of his lady, Fannie, and six others. He looks around the room and says, “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” softly yet without the aid of a microphone.
Born in a tin-roofed house near Selma, Alabama, in 1936, Lew acquired his higher education through determination, scholarships, and fellowships.
He was the first full-time African American Ph.D. professor at Western Michigan University, arriving in 1964.
At WMU, he taught more than 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students and served as chair of the Sociology Department.
His involvement on university search committees led to the hiring of WMU’s first African American president in 1998 and first female president in 2003.
He marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement and served as a consultant to People of Color in South Africa during the Apartheid Era.
He is the author of books and textbooks on global ethnic dynamics and the history of Blacks in Michigan.
Among his many plaques and certificates, the one he prizes most is Man of the Year Award from the Western Michigan Club in 2007 given “in recognition of distinguished service to the university.”
Tonight, his legacy flows forth as the Institute recognizes members of the WMU faculty and the Kalamazoo community who have also taken action to bring forth the principles of the Lewis Walker Institute: “social justice through education, research, and community engagement.”
The evening’s highlight is the presence of six young African American men, now teenagers who, as early as age ten, experienced detention or incarceration due to minor infractions in school or with the law.
Yet, tonight, each stands tall, dressed in a tuxedo, and addresses the audience with a short story of their personal growth thanks to the Institute’s WIRE Youth Development Programs that, since 2008, have enabled more than 1,000 youths to improve their lives through education, mentoring, and guidance.
Later in the evening, I speak with one of them. He expresses gratitude to the LWI mentors who supported him and taught him to believe in himself. I tell him, “You may have had their support, but you also have strength in yourself. When you step out on your own, you will go far.”
He nods and walks away. His stature is tall, his posture erect, his stride long and confident. He is our present, our future. He inspires me.
He is one person, one part, of your legacy, Dr. Walker. He is a living extension of your initiative, 35 years ago. He is walking out into the world to carry your influence forward. And he is one of many.
* * * * *
This gala event is proof, in my opinion, of the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Say the words one by one: Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. They are – each of them – more powerful and stronger than the commonly expressed acronym: “DEI.”
Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. Consider what each word means, the intrinsic value each carries.
We, at the gala, are a diverse group. Black. White. Indigenous. Tall, short. Round, slender. Elderly, young. Wealthy, not so much.
We look upon each other as equals, each bringing something special to this party called “life.”
We shake hands, converse, hug, smile as one. We are inclusive. Dr. Bianca Nightengale-Lee, the current LWI executive director, and other speakers refer to us as “family.”
Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. Add them up. Put them into a formula. See what you get.
Diversity + Equity + Inclusion = Strength, Respect, Connection. Accomplishment.
Some people say diversity is wrong. That everyone should be shaped from the same mold, formed by the same cookie cutter. That no individual has the right to be unique. I disagree. I protest.
Some people say that equity is wrong. That some people have the right to look upon themselves as superior to others as measured by the shade of skin, the volume of wealth, or the length of one’s tie. I disagree. I protest.
Some people say that inclusion is wrong. That it’s okay to segregate, denigrate, separate and deport based on the shifting whims of authoritarianism. I disagree. I protest.
I think all people have value regardless of skin shade, eye color, hair color, height and girth, nationality and ethnicity, religious and spiritual beliefs, or any other label attached to oneself and others.
If you don’t believe me, look what Dr. Lewis Walker accomplished with his initiative, look what he set in motion, and look at the momentum now carried forth by others who not only follow in his footsteps but carve their own path in the rightful arc of social justice.
What I witness and hear tonight is special: Lew’s whispered words privately to me; the speakers’ amplified words from the stage; the powerful words sung by the choir.
All these messages are good … and necessary for all to grow, prosper, and thrive in a nation and a world rich with diversity, with fairness and equity for all, where everyone is welcome and included.
That’s my opinion. And I’m sticking with it. “Amen. Amen. Amen.”
* * * * *
I am honored to be Lew and Fannie’s friend and to have enjoyed meaningful conversations, tea, and cake in their home on several occasions.
To learn more about the Lewis Walker Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnic Relations, visit the Lewis Walker Institute website and read this article I wrote, “Moving Forward with Humanity,” for the current (April 2025) issue of Kalamazoo’s Encore Magazine.
| 
