Blessed By A Gracious Voice From The Past

In his retirement Whitelow became known as the man who
greeted school buses and passing motorists every morning on
Bridgewater’s Main Street.

Carlyle Whitelow, a lifelong resident of Bridgewater, Va., died just over a year ago at age 89. He and his brother Alfred were the first black students to graduate from Bridgewater College, and Carlyle was the first black athlete in the South to compete in a predominantly white college. He later became a beloved professor and distinguished coach at his alma mater for 28 years.

I never got to personally know Mr. Whitelow but in going through some old papers during our move a year ago I ran across a letter he wrote to me in 2013 as a total stranger. It is one I will always cherish, especially since learning more about this good man in the years since then. 

In his handwritten post he graciously commended me for a letter to the editor I had written in response to a July 30, 2013, edition of the Daily News-Record commemorating the life and legacy of the late Harry F. Byrd, Jr., under the heading DN-R's Coverage Of Byrd Incomplete:

Here is Professor Whitelow's kind response, mistakenly addressing me as "Dr. Yoder":

My prayer is that we all become encouragers like this godly and good hearted man. 

Note: For the record, this is the text of the letter I had written to the DN-R and to which he he took the time to respond:

Editor, Daily News-Record: 

I appreciated your extensive coverage of the many accomplishments of the late Harry F. Byrd Jr. However, it included only the following brief mention of his role in opposing desegregation and civil rights legislation: "Throughout the agonizing times of the 1950's, Harry Jr. said little but stood firmly with his father in Massive Resistance, a policy of opposing school desegregation." 

A newspaper, including this one owned by the Byrd family, is free to publish whatever it chooses. But it also has the responsibility to give us the full story on an issue of this historic importance.