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We’re less than one full year removed from the first black president wrapping up an historic eight years in office, yet America still seems unable to overcome some of the deep divisions of its past.

Two examples from recent days — one local, one national — illustrate those regularly occurring divides we’re referring to.

The first emerged from a courtroom in Pittston, where homicide suspect Stephen Spencer had his preliminary hearing. Spencer, a black man, is accused of shooting 32-year-old Christopher Williams outside the Saints & Sinners Irish Pub.

Spencer’s defense strategy became clear during the proceeding; he will be arguing self-defense. Testimony from witnesses painted the picture of a racially charged environment inside the bar that night.

One person said she heard a racial slur being shouted. And Christopher’s cousin, Marty Williams, told the court he didn’t shake Spencer’s hand — reportedly the genesis of the dispute — because: “I don’t socialize with anybody not my race.”

Like it or not, Mr. Williams has the right to socialize, or not socialize, with whomever he wants and for whatever reason he chooses.

We would not argue that point.

And we certainly aren’t trying to justify the alleged actions of Spencer. No remark or perceived snub — like declining a handshake — gives anyone the right to lay a finger on, let alone allegedly shoot, another person.

What we are trying to point out is how much remains to be done if we as a society want to keep moving the needle forward on race relations.

In a sad irony, the shooting occurred early July 9, just hours before the city of Pittston was to unveil a life-size statue of President John F. Kennedy, a man who worked hard on civil rights legislation that became law after his untimely death.

Meanwhile, about 24 hours after the Pittston hearing, in another courtroom about 2,500 miles away, there was O.J. Simpson fighting for parole on a botched robbery conviction.

Simpson won — just like he did in 1995, when a jury found him not guilty of killing his ex-wife and her friend in a case that infamously put the black-white divide on full display.

And it’s clear the forces that separated us 22 years ago still are prevalent today. In fact, just this past weekend, someone reading the paper at a local watering hole commented in jest that it was good to see O.J. would go free so he could continue his hunt for the “real killers.” The white bar patrons laughed. A person of color at the bar then quickly spoke up to declare his sincere belief “The Juice” was innocent.

It was a microcosm of the same scenes that played out after Johnny Cochran & Co. helped Simpson beat the murder rap, shocking the vast majority of white America.

So, the way forward from here?

Then-President Bill Clinton provided some very good advice on the heels of the O.J. not-guilty verdict, and we believe it’s worth hearing again all these years later:

“I think the only answer … is for us to spend more time listening to each other, and try to put ourselves in each others’ shoes, and understand why we see the world in different ways, and keep trying to overcome that.”

Sounds simple, but it can be very effective.

The more we listen to each other and learn about each other, the more we will realize we are much more alike than different — no matter creed or skin color. But until we build that framework of understanding, the problems of the past will live on as the problems of the present.

— Times Leader

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