Sunday, August 21, 2016

 

Sunday Reflection: Miriam the Brave

 

I have an op-ed in today's Waco paper about Miriam the Brave. Here is how it begins:

From afar, the recent dustup over the use of the name “Pantherettes” for the Midway High School girls’ sports teams might seem like a trivial thing. On closer inspection, though, it is a story with depth, meaning and a fascinating hero.

In short, a Midway student challenged the name and the school board voted to amend the rules so that all teams, both boys and girls, would be known as the “Panthers” — a vote that was reversed in a subsequent, recent meeting in the face of public opposition to the change.

You can read the rest of the story about Miriam McCormick here.

I really do admire Miraim and the family that nurtured her. There are strong forces in our culture to maintain the status quo, even when change is necessary, and that means that there is often a deep personal cost to those who propel change. Many of them (Martin Luther King Jr., Jesus) are killed for their efforts. 

We are quick to reward children who respect their heritage and culture.We are less quick to admire those who respect and know their people and culture enough to try to make it better.


# posted by Mark Osler @ 9:39 AM
Comments:
Absolutely cheering! I knew Miriam's mom when we lived in Waco and still keep up with the family through a mutual friend.

Love you dubbing her Miriam the Brave.

Go Panthers!
# posted by Blogger Megan Willome : 10:21 AM
 
I really liked this article when I saw it on the Trib website. When the news was coming out, it all seemed a bit strange from my outsider's perspective. After I read about the backlash, I suspected, sadly, that the girl would get some flack (at the least) for trying to change things. But it made me happy to read this piece acknowledging her bravery and maturity.
# posted by Anonymous Heather Garcia : 12:03 AM
 
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