The grievances of African Americans are starker. Their ancestors were kidnapped and brought to a country that was foreign to them and enslaved by mostly (but not exclusively) white people. Although the actions of a 19th-century Republican president freed them April 3, 1865, 20th-century Democratic politicians discriminated against them, defiantly standing in schoolhouse doors, blocking their way to a better future.  This accusatory back and forth between races will continue beyond the current election unless all of us stop replaying past grievances. One can criticize some of what Obama said (and I have), but his appeal to lay the past to rest and move on to a better future is compelling and worth discussing. One of the best tools I have seen that could help bridge the racial divide is a PBS documentary series called "African American Lives." Its creator and host is Harvard professor Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. The program is a rarity in television. It informs without bias. This four-part series features Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Quincy Jones, Mae Jemison, Dr. Ben Carson, Dr. Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot and Chris Tucker. Using DNA, the program traces their ancestry. Some have firm roots in African tribes, but others are surprising. For instance, Gates, who is African American, found that much of his DNA could be traced back to Ireland.  "African American Lives 2," the sequel to the original program, traced the lineage of comedian Chris Rock, singer Tina Turner, Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman Jr., and magazine publisher Linda Johnson Rice, among others. Using courthouse documents, plantation ledgers and slave ship records, the subjects learn surprising things about their forebears. One of Rock's ancestors was a South Carolina state senator. One of Turner's ancestors founded the school she attended as a child, though she didn't know about the genealogical link until the program revealed it in a touching moment. Read On

OH NO, NOT THE SCOUTS The lawsuit over zoning of the Owasippe Scout Reservation will continue after the Chicago Boy Scouts council voted to pursue an appeal of its recent loss in Muskegon County circuit court. The council board voted 15-5 last week to appeal Circuit Judge William C. Marietti's decision that Blue Lake Township is justified in zoning Owasippe property so that it can be used only for camping or conservation. The appeal will be filed in the Michigan Court of Appeals.According to one member of the Chicago Area Council of Boy Scouts, the Boy Scouts have spent $1 million on the dispute over the Owasippe zoning, though an attorney for the council denies the figure.The Chicago Area Council, which owns the 4,800-acre Owasippe property that's been used for Boy Scout camping for nearly a century, sued the township in 2006 over the restrictive zoning. Attorneys for the Boy Scouts have argued that the zoning unfairly limits the value of the property, while the township argues it protects the township's rural nature and fragile infrastructure.The Scouts have received a $19 million purchase offer for the wilderness property from Holland businessman Benjamin A. Smith III that is contingent on the land being zoned for residential use. Marietti calculated a potential for 2,400 new homes if the property was rezoned. Grand Rapids attorney Devin Schindler appeared before the Chicago council's board on Thursday for what he characterized as an "update" on the Owasippe case, though others said he gave a pitch in favor of an appeal. Board member Frank Kriegseis said he was one of five on the board who voted against the appeal. "We've lost this case. We cannot get this land rezoned," Kriegseis said. "By going through an appeal, it's only going to upset more people. ... It's going to divide people. That's what we have, we have a huge division in Chicagoland Scouts." A group called the Owasippe Outdoor Education Center has notified the council of its wish to purchase the property for $12.3 million, though OOEC officials said the council has not shown much interest in the offer. The OOEC wants to use the Owasippe property for a camping and educational facility apparently allowed under current zoning. Kriegseis said some scouts have been raising money for Blue Lake Township's defense fund, and some have called the national Boy Scouts headquarters to complain about the actions of the council. Boy Scouts to appeal Owasippe ruling Updates ...