Before she sang the song which earned her second place in the Blues Category of the International Songwriters Competition, Robin Rogers spoke of the woman, Viola Liuzzo, who was the inspiration for her song "Color Blind Angel."

When Viola Gregg married Anthony Liuzzo in 1950, she brought two children from a prior marriage and he brought three.  She became a part time student at Wayne State University in 1962 and by 1965 earned her freshman year credits. 

Like many Americans she watched the March 7, 1965 news accounts of the aborted civil rights march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.  Horrified by the brutality, she attended a protest at Wayne State and after the protest told her husband she was traveling to Selma for the next march.  "It was everybody's fight," she told him.  On March 25, upon conclusion of the third march from Selma to Montgomery, Liuzzo drove two car loads of marchers back to Selma.  After the second group was dropped off she and a college age African American man named Leroy Morton who had assisted her were spotted at a stop light by a car load of KKK members.  A chase ensued.  Viola was shot in the head by an occupant of the other car.  She was 39 and believed to be the first white American killed in the civil rights movement.  For more of her story you may wish to visit Wikipedia or Answers.com.

As I listened to Robin Rogers sing "Color Blind Angel" at Jack of the Wood last Friday night, I was moved in at least two ways.  First, hearing about Viola through the lyrics.  Second, grateful to Rogers for using her gifts to bring this story to us.

In our baptismal covenant we vow to proclaim by word and example the good news of God.  Listening to Rogers I realized she was doing just that- proclaiming a story she wished for us to hear, proclaiming a story intended to move us.  We know that 'proclaiming' is not limited to ordained folk.  It is something we all do everyday. sharing with friends stories that move us, sharing with collegues expereinces that move us, sharing in those concversations the things that give us hope.

You may not find yourself on stage with a seriously tight blues band backing up your voice, but I imagine some time today or tomorrow, all of us will find ourselves in places where we will simply offer a story that moves us, a story that brings hope.

Peace,

Todd Donatelli