Frazier B. Baker was an African-American teacher appointed as postmaster of Lake City, South Carolina in 1897 under the William McKinley administration. He and his infant daughter Julia Baker died at his house after being fatally shot during a white mob attack on February 22, 1898. The mob set the house on fire to force the family out. His wife and two of his other five children were wounded but escaped the burning house and mob and survived by running over to Wesley’s Church for Sanctuary.
Frazier Baker had been appointed postmaster of Lake City in 1897, but local whites objected and had undertaken a campaign to force his removal.
When these efforts failed to dislodge Baker, a mob attacked him and his family at night at their house, which also served as the post office.
That’s the what, but we need to ask the why?
• Why in 2023 are we still fighting for freedom
• Why in the world now is racism and poverty still things children must worry about?
• Why are our young men still ridding around in car shooting guns
• Why are we still talking about civil wars in Ethiopia and wars of aggression as in Ukraine
• Why are cops still beating up suspects before trial
• Why are our elected officials spending more time arguing for geed than standing up for the needs of the people
Lastly, why have we gathered at this sacred spot where a man and his infant daughter were murdered not murdered but lynched? Ida B. Wells that great pioneer in the fight for African American civil rights clearly stated that lynching was “that last relic of barbarism and slavery.”
Well, I think I can tell you why Lake City. The Bible says in Romans 14;10-11
“Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.”
??Romans? ?14?:?10?-?11? ?NRSV?????????????? https://bible.com/bible/2016/rom.14.10-11.NRSV
The scripture is correct; we will all have a come to God, come to Jesus moment. As my grandma used to say as long as we have breath in our lungs, we still have a chance. This community, our county this yet-to-be United States of America still has a chance for unity. We need to focus on God and Worship. We need to turn our weapons into Praise for God.
The passage from the Biblical New Testament Romans and the Consitution 13th 14th and 15th Amendments of all things reminds me of a Steve Harvey stand-up he did for TD Jakes Mega fest when he said God is not finished with Us yet.
All these social and political ills and burdens of poverty, racism, hatred, and isms tell us that God is still working on us to be better Postmen, better Congressional leaders, better teachers, better police, and better citizens of this world, and God's Kin-dom.
