Hugs on Dexter Avenue

Before I could get both feet inside the door at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, a short woman wrapped her arms around me. It was a hug of love and family from a woman I had never met. Her name was Brenda and she was the greeter. Her cousin Wanda gave the tours that started in the basement where Martin Luther King Jr organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The waiting group stood next to the mural of Civil Rights leaders and a rack of T-Shirts that said, "Love Has No Color. One Race...Human Race."

I thought I didn't have time for the tour. Just a quick run through and back on the road.

All was quiet in the sanctuary where Dr. King began preaching when he was 25 years old. The afternoon sun scattered stained glass colors along the back wall. There was a peace that I couldn't leave, so I stayed and prayed.

Wanda and her small tour walked in. She had red lips, a red scarf and a voice that soared to the ceiling as she spoke of the history of the church and the civil rights movement. Born in Montgomery, her family was filled with community leaders and servants. They owned local businesses, including a funeral home and a taxi service that helped transport people during the bus boycott. Her mother moved the family to Atlanta in 1968 for "better exposure and more opportunities." Montgomery was Jim Crow, segregation and pain and she wanted better for her eight children. Her mother also wanted her five girls to sing.

"We were the Howard Sisters because my mother wanted us to be the African American Lennon sisters," Wanda said. "My sister and I were the only two that stuck with singing. When the King Center started having celebrations, my sister and I sang for them. I loved that season of singing in the 60s. 'If I Had a Hammer,' 'Where Have All of the Flowers Gone' and 'Blowin' in the Wind' were some of my favorite songs to sing.  

Standing in the front of the church, she began to sing "Blowin' in the Wind."

Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist

Before they're allowed to be free?

Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head

And pretend that he just doesn't see?

The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind

The answer is blowin' in the wind

How many times must a white dove sail before it

"All of those songs told the stories of social justice and human rights issues," she said. "'Blowin' In the Wind' was about turning your head and pretending you didn't see." Wanda told of the anger and fear she once had towards white people, but 15 years ago God challenged her beliefs, changing her.  

"Fear left me and I now appreciate who I am and who you are," she said. "I tell people on every tour to keep doing the work God has called you to do. Keep being the best person you can be and make a difference every day. Be kind and forgiving. Hug someone or put a dollar in their hand. Some people just need a smile."

At the end of the tour, she asked us to hold hands and sing "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" and "We Shall Overcome." The couple from Schenectady, New York said the tour had been much more than they expected as the walked away.

Wanda and I sat in a pew and she told of attempting to commit suicide twice during a difficult marriage with times of homelessness, depression and losing herself.

God showed her a vision of a crystal vase that had been shattered.

"I was looking at the shattered pieces, but God said, 'I know where every piece goes. I am putting you back together.' God has always been there for me."

Wanda was unemployed for five months before the historic church offered her the guide job almost five years ago.  "I thought I would never talk about the difficult things in my life, but God delivered me through all of them. Maybe I went through them for such a time as this," she said. "I can help people put into perspective what our humanity is about."

Visitors from around the world come to the red brick church and national landmark that is a block away from the state capital. Wanda used to worry about communicating with those who spoke little English. "I now know that God speaks to us, through love, no matter what color we are or what language we speak.  Just share the love. Dr. King's legacy is of love, service, forgiveness and kindness."

Wanda said that showing the love is hugging everyone who walks into the church. "We want you to feel like family because that is what we all are."

My visit to Dexter Avenue Baptist Church ended as it began. With a hug that showed me I was loved and part of the family.