March to equality is a journey worth taking

It’s a journey. Like anything in life that matters, learning about who we are and how we relate to others is a gradual understanding that comes with time, maturity, and wisdom.

For me, it started when I was an infant perched on my father’s shoulders as he, my mother, and a group of friends and like-minded neighbors protested the Lafayette Swim Club in King of Prussia’s refusal to admit Black members in the early 1960s. I’m grateful that I was able to benefit from my parents’ journey, and what they shared as they raised me. And I have made a point of sharing what I’ve learned with my children.

I confess I was filled with pride as my daughter showed me the lines of sunburn around her face — I wish she had worn sunscreen!! — from wearing her mask during four days of marching for social justice in Philadelphia. My parents, my children, and I are still on our journeys, learning every day as we strive for greater awareness, understanding, and compassion.

Just as individuals have a journey, we as a society are on a collective journey toward greater understanding. We have work to do. But we are listening, and we are learning. Let the conversation move forward and secure a better future for the greater good of us all. —Elizabeth Smith,

Pottstown