~HOMECOMING, HOOD-NIC… CONVENTION, CANDIDATES, THE CONCERT~
Revisiting… Weekend of March 18—20, 2022
{Disclaimer: What you are about to read may sound somewhat controversial. So, make sure you, #1, read it all… #2, you understand it all… and #3, do so before you go out and tell it all.}
This is Part II of “The Clarion Call” from our article on last week. We start with the opening lines from the book, “A Tale of Two Cities.” It is an 1859 historical and best-selling novel written by Charles Dickens.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”
Sounds like Dumas, Arkansas today. Now, how do these words written 163 years ago match the happenings in Dumas? Only God can know this. Only God can show us this. And He is revealing much for our learning.
Below are the words that were printed here in the Dumas Clarion last week regarding tough times in Dumas during the pandemic and in many other ways that present challenges in the Delta.
“Through it all, WE HAVE SURVIVED. Not all things (yet), but many things and this is worth a citywide celebration and clarion call to unity and love. Is Dumas divided? Is Dumas United? The answer is ‘yes’ to both questions. But perhaps a more meaningful question is… Can Dumas be more United than divided? And this is what’s most important and opportunistic about this weekend. So… can we? YES, WE CAN!
Now, how do we take a period of time from 1976, and move it up to 2022, and bring people together from across the city and across the nation, ‘together as one’? 1976, was the first Homecoming celebration on the third weekend in March and was led by Dr. A.L. Hunt, Sr., the Hoodnic began 16 years later in 2006. Both are happening on the same weekend. How do both deliver a positive outcome in Dumas? There is but one unifier, and that is LOVE!”
This was front page as to how we as a city, the city of Dumas and all of us could bring greater planning, unity and understanding to the weekend that was coming. Get the March 16, Dumas Clarion or read or perhaps re-read the online edition. (I am pictured here holding it up along with key persons who have been working to bring the best of times to Dumas for over 50-plus years).
Beyond the weekend activities and at the time of this article, the reports are citing a mass shooting of 28 people and one being a fatality on March 19 here in Dumas at the Hoodnic event site. This is signifying and conveying a negative image/brand of our city.
Like many of you, we are receiving calls/text messages from people across the nation. Some are heading to Dumas to provide support and uplift and we will respond with positive advancements.
At the time of the shooting, we were in worship at the Homecoming and Reunion Racy Brothers ‘We Survived’ Concert at HTM in Mitchellville. We prayed for a miracle of God’s grace.
Now, for the two cities listed in the article here in Dumas that must come face to face with change.
The opening line from the book, “A Tale of Two Cities” tells the story of exactly where Dumas is today. The questions of what happened last week and many months leading up to last week are many and must be answered. They must be answered in the measure and accountability of ‘truth and love.’ None of us are exempt because ‘all of Dumas’ is impacted, and this is not just for a short period of time.
What happened in Dumas March 18—20? Who determined to unite in love and unity? Who determined to come together and strategize the best way to bring the city a vision of ‘CITY P.R.I.D.E.’ (Positive Results in Dumas, Everyday?’
Who among the city leaders determined to support with finances any parts of our Homecoming, Reunion, Convention event series? How much did the city invest in time and resources? Who determined and decided how to fund or include other parts of the weekend that were presented with the city of Dumas partnering along the way? Can we afford to see this happen again? Who will lead the process of change and innovation?
Could a lack of unity, love and understanding and unwillingness to be true to embrace innovation breed moments as we describe here, as our Dumas, Arkansas, ‘tale of two cities?’ The answer is unmistakably, YES!
There are two cities here in this article, one, ‘THE FOOLISHNESS OF FOLLY,’ is listed first. It is a depiction of any and all activity that meets this criteria. Folly is defined as lack of good sense, foolishness, or a foolish act, idea, or practice. It is to be thought about before we engage in small and large initiatives. It is not limited to Dumas or this past weekend, though it must not be left out of the strategic-thinking process.
When we talk about hate, evil, violence, etc., we talk about folly. The mass shooting was foolishness at its worst. When we see the potential for this to happen, we must come together to offset it with the practices and safeguards that minimize it and when possible, do all the things necessary to mitigate it. What we saw in our city must be understood in the measure of what ‘folly’ looks like and it must be attended to. We must program positivity, and thank God we did.
The second city here is listed as “THE FAVOR OF FAITH.” And this is where God comes in at best. Faith in God as we know it, is the only way to please Him. It does not engage itself because someone has the full support of people or resources to see what God is saying. It’s about believing in what He says for us to do and to move out with or without the majority of the people or the resources. Simply stated, faith works by love. Love for God and His people.
A City of Faith honors God. It honors people. I often say… when we don’t give honor… we are teaching Dis-honor. When we have faith in these times and at all times, God has a way of favoring His people and His work. Did God give us a faith and favor avenue/route for the weekend? Yes, he did. Will people wake up and begin to support works of faith? Yes, they are. After a mass shooting of 28 here in Dumas. We have no choice but to wake up and stay woke and be thankful that, WE SURVIVED.
A couple of photos here reveal one segment of our weekend highlights featuring the Convention Forum with the Candidates. The purpose was to bring candidates to the weekend activities and allow them to share their platforms to live and social media audiences. It was great to hear from them.
Next week you will see more from them and what happened as we presented the 2022 Homecoming, Convention and Reunion along with some of the plans and visions they want to bring forward to Dumas/Desha/SEARK.
We have a federal grant award, the USDA REDI (Rural Economic Development Innovation). A two-year plan has been approved. The online campus of a new college and on-site work is being engaged in the schools in Dumas and other places in the state of Arkansas and in DC.
Early Tuesday morning God sent a rainstorm. I saw it as a spiritual cleansing. I saw it in biblical view as the washing of our sins by the Word of God. I believe we all are being cleansed who are being immersed in this shower of God’s warning and favor on the city. Will we make a change, or will we have to make changes?
As the National Day of Prayer is just a few weeks away, and for the past 12 years, I have stood as the Arkansas State Coordinator. I say to this group (NDP) and to all who are praying, “God is no more present in Arkansas or Dumas today than He was on yesterday or last year or at any time.” We must pray without ceasing.
The question is… Who’s Woke in Dumas and in Arkansas and willing to reconcile? Who is working the works before the crisis? Who are the visionary leaders who are willing to invest faith and resources in the positive, before the negative? Let’s stop the killing, with guns and with our tongues. #ALLOFDUMASUNITED
For more information on what’s happening now in Dumas with great programs and inclusion for all, visit www.dat-c.org
