“Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.”
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
Yesterday’s jury verdict in Minneapolis brought a collective exhale of relief among my African American friends. I was on a video conference call as the verdicts were read. I literally felt the tension in the meeting ease following the jury announcement.
Later as I scanned news reports and commentary, one thing became very clear: The reaction of relief extends far beyond my own circle of friends. At the same time as people are breathing a sigh of relief, I sense a mountain of despair.