Christmas in Dixie

When the frantic calls started to flood his phone, Bobby Daniels knew his son Bias was in deep trouble. In the midst of an emotional breakdown, Bias had a gun and had just held a hostage for 45 minutes. Desperate to save his son, Bobby rushed to the scene. Talking his son down, Bobby got his son to put the gun on the hood of a car. Having served in the Navy and as a security guard at CNN in Atlanta, this was not Bobby’s first encounter with a volatile situation. When a Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy arrived, Bobby sought to swat the gun away. Seeing a black man close to a gun, the Deputy opened fire. Seconds later, Bobby was dead.

Growing up, I enjoyed the song “Christmas in Dixie” by Alabama. Riding back from our visit to Atlanta tonight, the song came over the radio. This being the first time I’d heard the song in a very long time, I turned it up. As the syrupy imagery flowed, I realized the song has nothing to do with the region I’ve always called home. Honestly, the shooting of Bobby Daniels is much closer to reality. Christmas in Dixie is about killing black people and going home to assure your white children that they’re safe. Make no mistake…Jesus lives in Dixie. Jesus lives with those being slaughtered by the white supremacy of the region. Jesus lives with the family of Bobby Daniels. On this night, Jesus is standing outside the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department demanding an end to the genocide of black people. How is that for a Christmas in Dixie?

Amen.