Then American settlers, influenced by their own culture’s long history of warring with Native Americans, moved to modern-day East Texas from South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Empowered by their sense of racial superiority and validated by their Christian faith, southerners imported to the northernmost region of Tejas their dreams of accumulating incredible wealth using the relatively free labor of “subhuman” African peoples. What justified white settlers taking lands that did not belong to them?

The Catholic Church took most of the credit.

So, it is my firm belief as a humanitarian the weight (burden) of white supremacy, racism, and hate needs to be discussed among Tylerites and East Texans of all races and of good faith. It requires a reckoning. Why? Because I am not alone in thinking the soul of America has been suffering under the weight of sin. According to a Wall Street Journal / NBC News poll in July 2020, 56% of the public agrees, “American society is racist.”[4] 78% of African Americans believe that racism is alive and well. And 60% of Hispanics agree. Our culture is sick. Tyler is sick. And we need to experience healing. I believe that the good people of Tyler want to move toward becoming a more welcoming and loving city. Which requires we heal our divides by engaging in the process of truth-telling, acknowledgment, and confession.