Racing. Unifying or Divisive???

UPDATE. While I have NEVER RACED A DAY IN MY LIFE, the Chevron Houston Marathon is today in Downtown Houston. The first running of the Houston Marathon was on December 30, 1972 before being moved to MLK Weekend.

Me at the George R Brown Convention Center Finish Line Houston Marathon 2012

http://www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com/blog/history/

The International Event always puts Houston in the Public Eye, hopefully for the right reasons.

Given the current cultural climate, I gotta question the motivation of all this Racing around here.

How are WOMEN responsible for RACING???

I was born in the very early 60's (1961) my generation was the 1st generation to embrace the Social Experiment called Racial Integration. Living in Allentown, Pennsylvania during First, Second and Third Grades, there were no separate classrooms or bathrooms or lunch tables for black & white kids.

We were fully integrated & everyone got along.

The course for the Houston Marathon is literally in my backyard on Chimney Rock, so I may get dressed this morning & walk my dog Coco down to the end of my street (like I do every year) to cheer the runners on.

That having been said, how do we as a people STOP RACING???

Yesterday was the 4th Annual Women's March, a peaceful protest - not a RACE, encouraging EQUALITY, UNITY & RESPECT.

I was there in 2017, I will be there again this year next weekend on the 25th.

All of the running racing & celebrating going on in Houston has necessitated the Houston Women's March moving to next weekend.

So the Houston Event Calendar goes something like this every year: MLK Day, Chevron Houston Marathon, Women's March.

Um. Excuse me???

With respect to the MLK Day Celebrations, there has been a rivalry between two Parade Sponsors that has been going on for a couple decades now - arguing over which MLK Parade is the "real" parade sponsor.

I don't know when, where or how it started but here's a link to try to understand:

https://www.apnews.com/c39743ca881b47c9b10cacc6ca40926c

God help us all.

Does anyone really think Dr King would people fighting over who has the right to honor him???