News and Views

October 15, 2005
Comic-Strip Artist to Visit Lodi

You may not know 81-year old Morrie Turner, but you may know his work as the comic-stip artist who, forty years ago introduced Black and Asian faces into newspaper comic strips.

For four decades he has been working on strips with the themes of "rainbow power" and "all people working together." Some days he sees progress, other days he feels defeated. Yet he keeps going!

The strength to 'fight the good fight', to persevere, and to persist despite the odds has been at the backbone of American culture for two centuries. There are many lessons to be learned from Morrie and his "Wee Pals"-lessons that are increasingly valuable as we help our children navigate increasingly complicated waters.

I still haven't gotten to the bottom of the "Chinese Auction" in my town, but unless they are actually auctioning off China, I will persevere and persist. It is my legacy to my Chinese-American daughter that I will try and stop institutional racism when I have the chance,and that I will not
back down. At the end of the day, I will respect and celebrate all cultures, races, choices and abilities.

So, thanks to Morrie, I am continuing on my journey, in my own way, in my own town. It is a first step.

What steps are you taking and are you willing to fight for true diversity even though there are obstacles to overcome?

Read more at: Lodi (CA) Record