Soon after, the Harmony Initiative Task Force was appointed to “put hands and feet” to these ideals. The group led by Huntington University includes leaders from local government, businesses, schools, social service agencies, churches and the media. The projects have been as varied as the task force members. Business groups are sharing best practices for recruiting and training. Churches developed special Sunday school materials. The university and public schools coordinated their observances of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Social service agencies presented workshops on poverty and privilege. City and county government have commended the work of the task force and commissioned us to plan an annual Harmony Day observance “for the purposes of promoting reconciliation and understanding.”
Since that hateful note was mailed in 2006, our campus and local community have made notable progress, but there also have been setbacks and disappointments along the way. We have come to recognize we are in a marathon, not a sprint. Steady progress is best. Change won’t happen overnight, but persistence will pay off. And the rewards are great!
Dr. G. Blair Dowden is president of Huntington University and chairs the Harmony Initiative Task Force (Huntington, Ind.).
