Buffalo, NY (WBEN) As we observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, an area pastor and race relations leader says the racial divide hasn't been budged by recent protests over racial injustice, including with the efforts of Black Lives Matter.
Rev. Kinzer Pointer says the protests haven't had an impact on race relations because of where we are in the country. "This straddles the pre- and post-Donald Trump presidency. I think people in those times polarized themselves. They went to extremes on each side, and because of that, they're unwilling to hear from the other side and don't want to learn a new kind of dichotomy," says Pointer.
Pointer says the key is to get people to be willing to have a conversation, and learn as much about each other. "There is no magic formula for this, this is about doing the hard work, and of course someone needs to commit to doig that, and we all need to do that," says Pointer.
Pointer says individually, race relations are improving, but the nation as a whole, not so much. "I think what we see is the result of decades of entrenchment. I keep being prayerful and willing, and I hope that's the case for everyone else," says Pointer.
Pointer says getting a dialogue is important because "it's impossible to hate someone you know."
