Going the Distance

Caroline working on the illustration.

With so much unrest in our nation, and witnessing the heartache and frustration of African American friends, I’ve been burdened with a yearning to see change happen. You can read more about my thoughts in the poem I posted called “A Call to Hope.”

I’ve struggled with concern that the hype and enthusiasm for establishing equality will die down in the coming days. Passion is powerful, but it isn’t always enduring. I know that true change requires hard work, patience, and time. And so a phrase has been reverberating in my mind:

“Committed to going the distance with you.”

I am not very visual or artistic, but an image came to me of a group of people facing a long road but looking toward a horizon of light and hope. I asked my oldest daughter, Caroline, who is very talented artistically, to draw up what I had envisioned. She then had her friend, Lauren, digitally fill in the color. We hope the illustration is a sign of encouragement and commitment to our minority friends. As an Asian woman, Caroline has also experienced discrimination and racism (though to a much lesser degree than the black community). So she understands our nation’s need to reflect deeply and seek unity.

2020. Illustration by Caroline LiYun Brown. Digital color by Lauren Stidham.

If you'd like to print a black & white pdf of the image for your kids to color, click the button below. Teaching our children to love unconditionally is one of our best steps toward a unified human race.