To the Editor:

I have never sent anything to a newspaper or magazine, though I have read many comments by others. After coming to your city recently, however, I was compelled to express the many positive emotions I left with. My hope is that someone will read this, and be able to benefit as I have.

I traveled many miles to participate in your Defiant Run on March 31. It was an amazing experience! Only that does not do it justice because it was more than an event, it was an experience – an experience that every single person should have. I walked in the 5K, but my partner and I, so motivated by the true spirit of this endeavor, left vowing to train for the full run next year.

I am a white woman who has interacted very little during the course of my life with people of other cultures or races. However, as the world gets smaller, it seems it would be to our benefit to know more about other cultures and races. When I heard about the Defiant Run, I decided that this was a wonderful opportunity to do so. I met a wonderful African American woman who was my partner.

I have never had a black friend, but after this experience I wondered why I had not. My partner and I hit it off so well. It was amazing for me to walk with someone who initially “seemed” so different from me. It only took a brief time for my nervousness to die down, and once it did, we really connected.

It is a shame more people who actually live in Selma didn’t turn out to take advantage of such a life-enhancing experience.

Still though, I am so grateful that the Defiant Run was conceptualized and has been made into an annual event. I will definitely return next year!

And I am also glad to say that I am beginning a new friendship, which amazingly, can be credited completely to a road race held in Selma, Ala.

A Defiant Run fan

Editor’s Note: The Selma Times-Journal does not normally run letters that are not signed. An exception was made in this case because of the positive message of the letter.