BLACK FAMILY REUNION INSPIRES, UPLIFTS A COMMUNITY

The first-ever River Heritage Regional Black Family Reunion has come and gone, and organizers of the event are claiming success. Over three days there were events that were both serious and fun. At times more than 2,000 people were gathered in Arena Park to share a sense of community and pride.

One of the most inspired moments of the reunion was when the Rev. Benjamin Hooks spoke of the advances blacks in America have made. But there is much more to be accomplished. Somehow, Hooks made it seem possible to achieve the dream of racial harmony and cooperation.

The thrust of the event, like similar celebrations held in other cities, was to promote and lift up the contributions of blacks to the community. Certainly Cape Girardeau can boast of singular contributions to the quality of life. But the struggle continues for many blacks, as evidenced by the profiles of three black families in last week's editions of the Southeast Missourian.

The family remains the foundation of social progress. The reunion stressed this in its theme: Fighting for the family. Each family has its own way of approaching life in the 1990s, but there are some common threads as well. Families of all races are finding success and a measure of happiness when high goals are set. This includes a strong emphasis on education and a commitment to a particular work ethic that keys on making individual contributions to the advancement of society.

Time after time the value and strength of family bonds have been recognized as ingredients for the success of future generations. That was recognized during the Black Family Reunion.

If there are any suggestions to be made for future celebrations -- and it is likely organizers of this year's event will be eager to try again -- they would touch on such mundane topics as scheduling. This was perhaps the busiest weekend of the year for this area. In addition to the reunion, events included a state baseball championship, a gathering of Optimists, a world-class rodeo in Sikeston and a major celebration in Ste. Genevieve. For some, it was an inconvenience to find motels booked solid. For others, all the weekend events were even more reason to head for Southeast Missouri.

Congratulations to all those who worked so hard on the Black Family Reunion. Most similar reunions have been held in cities like Cincinnati, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. For a town the size of Cape Girardeau to pull off a successful reunion is a credit to the folks who made it possible.