Griffin Speaks

GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER?

In Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner a young white woman, named Joey Drayton, portrayed by Katharine Houghton brings home her future husband, Dr. John Wade Prentice, portrayed by Sidney Poitier to meet her parents. The man turns out to be a prestigious 40 year old black physician, the liberal parents, portrayed by Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy are forced to reexamine their liberal belief about interracial marriage.

Unfortunately for movie lovers around the globe this would be Spencer Tracy’s last film. He passed on June 10, 1968, 17 days after he completed the film. I was devastated because he was one of my favorite actors. 

Katharine Hepburn received an Academy Award for Best Actress. I had no idea that one day I would experience something similar to what happened in the film. My situation was one of interracial friendship. 

It was Easter 1982 when a young white freshman at the University of Pittsburgh invited me for Easter Dinner at his home that I became the Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner guest. I was happy to receive the invitation because I thought the world of Jim. I was flattered that Jim thought enough of me to invite me to his home for dinner. 

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner was one of my favorite discussions with my good friend, Harold Poitier.  Harold was Sidney Poitier’s nephew and my law school classmate at the University of Pittsburgh. He was one of two students in my class that had celebrity relatives. The other two students were Reginald Brown, Cicely Tyson’s nephew and Rita Rooney the granddaughter of Art Rooney, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

We left about 8 am on Easter morning for Jim’s parents home in northern Pennsylvania. When we arrived Jim’s parents were excited to see us. They were the nicest white folks I had ever met. I had a wonderful time with Jim’s family. My favorite person was his grandfather. He seemed to like me. He couldn’t stop talking to me. The feelings were mutual. I really liked that old man. He was a real hoot! 

When Jim and I returned to Pitt, Jim told me that he was surprised that things turned out well. Jim said that his grandfather nearly had a heart attack when he found out that he had invited a black guy for Easter dinner. The grandfather asked “what are we suppose to do, paint everything black?” 

Jim’s grandfather had a preconceived idea about black folks, as do many white people. He simply was a product of his time. When people don’t know individuals of a group they tend to rely on the stereotypes of that group. 

I have learned that it is easy to hate the group at the same time that you love the individual. This is why segregationist wanted to keep the races separate. They knew that if the races mingled they would find out that they had a lot in common. 

My experiences with white folks have taught me that most white folks are good people. If the majority of white folks were not good God fearing people, blacks in America would be slaughtered. White folks have the weapons and the power. You see the mystery of death keeps most sane people in line. It is the not knowing for sure what happens when you die that keeps most people on the up and up. As Christians we have our beliefs about the hereafter, but we know that absent faith we really do not know what the end will bring. 

Amazingly, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner is still relevant. How many people of a different race have you invited to your home? In Montgomery, Alabama social segregation is alive and well. People in this city are more comfortable socializing with their own kind. When you see social integration it usually occurs among the upper middle class. 

Our religious leaders should encourage members of their congregation to invite people of a different race into their home once a month for dinner. You see the quickest way to deepen a friendship is over a meal. You would be amazed at what a difference it would make in race relations. 

When I was going home the other day I noticed a middle age white woman driving a First Baptist Church Van. She had a van full of Tulane Court youngsters. She looked like the happiest woman in the world. I was puzzled for a moment until I realized why she was so happy. She realized that we are all GOD’S CHILDREN!