'We are one in spirit'

It was a remarkable sea of color and an inspiring blend of young voices Friday, when the choirs of Paine College, the Medical College of Georgia and Augusta State University sang as one for the first time.

It was the tri-college celebration of the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at Augusta State. But it was also a metaphor - a promise of the music Augusta and America can make when singing with one voice.

King may be the impetus for this annual call for unity and achieving "the dream," but in truth it is really about us. Our hearts. Our practices. Our children, and whether we will or will not limit their futures.

It's about whether we as a community and a country can, as the three choirs did, stand together and meld our voices.

Friday's one off-key note was sounded in remarks by keynote speaker Roslyn McCallister Brock. In an otherwise stellar speech - in which she urged listeners to help others once they become successful themselves - the NAACP national vice chairman blamed a conservative radio talk show host for divisively calling Condoleezza Rice an "Aunt Jemima" and Colin Powell an "Uncle Tom." In truth, it had been a liberal anti-Bush talk show host at a "progressive talk" station in Madison, Wis., who made the remarks - tiresome and condescending slurs by liberals against blacks who agree with and cooperate with conservative whites.

But regardless of the slurs' source, Brock was right to denounce them. And our hats are off to the three colleges for coming together and showing us all what can be accomplished with cooperation and unity.

The three choirs were just the most visible, and audible, example of such cooperation at Friday's celebration. We know busy administrators from the three colleges worked very hard behind the scenes to pull it off.

Similar levels of cooperation and unity will again be on display at the CSRA's official King memorial observance Monday at noon at First Baptist Church, 3500 Walton Way. The celebration is an amazing amalgam of entities from varying denominations and races.

This official celebration, in its 12th year, has become one of the most anticipated and attended of the entire region. Some in the audience will have come from surrounding states to join in, it's that good.

This year, the audience - it's free and open to anyone - will be treated to an inspiring oratory by Dr. Tony Campolo, an author, preacher, activist and sought-after speaker around the country. The theme of the celebration is "We Are One in the Spirit."

We heard Friday how good that sounds, too.