--- id: 20180401_amazing_phenomenon title: BLOG - Amazing Phenomenon category: Biblical Life Counsel predicted_narrative_arc: personal-memory-to-ongoing-justice sentiment: Grateful emotions: - Amazed - Grateful - Challenging keypoints: - Dean recalls a college basketball team with one Black teammate, Mel Jolley - The team faced harassment from fans and once from police because of Mel's presence - He thanks God and credits Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for national awakening toward equality - Advancement is real but not final victory over bias; recent events show more work remains - Romans 11:36 closes the post in doxology — from Him and to Him are all things summary: > Dean Rush remembers college basketball with teammate Mel Jolley and the harassment the team faced because of Mel's presence. He marvels at fifty years of progress against prejudice, thanks God and Dr. King's leadership, warns that advancement is not yet victory over bias, and closes with Romans 11:36 — glory to God from whom and to whom are all things. tags: - blog - human-resources - martin-luther-king - equality - prejudice - basketball - teammates - romans-11 - gratitude - dean-rush sycophancy: 0 truth_score: 8 entropy: 3 sample: false consent: owner_approved agent: blog created: '2018-04-01' updated: '2026-09-09T00:00:00Z' vault_stage: 07_CODEX headwaters: BLOG prefix: BLOG enrich_status: ok enrich_blockers: [] enrich_method: manual pipeline_filename: BLOG_2018-04-01_amazing-phenomenon.md source_kind: blog_article proposed_topic: Wisdom lane: Wisdom voice: desk active_voice: desk voices: - desk routing_source: carbon corpus_topic: Wisdom content_status: active date: '2018-04-01' share_url: https://deanrush.net/blog/amazing-phenomenon source_url: https://deanrush.net/blog/amazing-phenomenon site_category: Human Resources archive_month: 2018-04 description: > Dean recalls teammate Mel Jolley, thanks God for progress against prejudice since Dr. King, and insists the work of treating all people as equals is unfinished. --- # Amazing Phenomenon **Author:** Dean Rush **Original post:** [deanrush.net/blog/amazing-phenomenon](https://deanrush.net/blog/amazing-phenomenon) **Archive month:** April 2018 · **Site category:** Human Resources > Voice note: Everything under **Dean's article** is Dean's original prose (lightly cleaned of HTML/image artifacts only). Sections marked **Biblical foundations**, **Scholar sidebar**, **Takeaways**, and **First-time learner** are enrichment for Asker / first readers — not Dean speaking. --- ## Biblical foundations (preface) Dean tells a personal story of teammate dignity under prejudice, thanks God for national awakening, and insists the work of equal treatment is unfinished. The enrichment below does not replace his memory or his closing doxology; it shows the wider biblical frame for a first-time reader. | Dean's claim | Scriptural undercarriage | | --- | --- | | Every teammate bears equal human worth | All made in God's image (Genesis 1:27); God shows no partiality (Acts 10:34–35) | | Prejudice and harassment violate neighbor-love | Love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18; Mark 12:31); do not favor by appearance (James 2:1–4) | | Progress is real; the work is not finished | Do justice, love mercy (Micah 6:8); seek good and not evil (Amos 5:14–15) | | Glory belongs to God for opened eyes | "From him and through him and to him are all things" (Romans 11:36) | --- ## Dean's article ### The Team I was fortunate to play basketball in college. It was an honor to play at that level and even more of a blessing to get to know my teammates. They came from every possible background. There were some from wealthy families and others who like me and just thankful to be able to get to a university for a college degree. ### One black member! Our team had one Black player, Mel Jolley. Mel was a gifted player who excelled in every element of competition. The team played in many venues. We were sometimes harassed by fans and one time by police in Florida because of Mel's presence on the team. ![Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. image from Dean's original post](https://deanrush.net/Portals/0/images/article/king-2984934__340.jpg) Today Mel can be recognized as he should have been in 1962, a great teammate and friend. Thank the country of waking up and recognizing all Americans as equals. Today is a different era and time because of Dr. Martin Luther King's contribution to our nation. I stand amazed at the advancement in the last 50 years that erased so much prejudice and bigotry. Advancement does not equal victory over bias. Yes, we need to continue trying to eliminate all discrimination. With the events of this past week we provide evidence that there is much more to do to carry on the work of Dr. King! We reached a milestone but it is but one step in the objective of treating all people equal in our culture. We still have a lot of work to do to carry on the intent of Dr King's the great leadership. *Thank you Lord for opening our eyes to truth. "From Him and to Him, all things are possible. To Him be the glory forever! Amen." (Romans 11:36)* In Him Dean > **Scholar sidebar — Image of God, no partiality, unfinished justice** > Dean's teammate story is anthropology before politics: Mel's worth as player and friend was never contingent on the crowd's approval. Genesis 1:27 locates dignity in God's image; Acts 10:34–35 and James 2:1–4 forbid partiality. His doxology from Romans 11:36 keeps credit with God for opened eyes, while Micah 6:8 keeps feet on the ground — justice and mercy are still required. The scholar layer underwrites his gratitude *and* his refusal to declare the work finished; it does not invent details about the "events of this past week" beyond what he names. --- ## Takeaways 1. **Teammates before tribes.** Dean remembers Mel as gifted teammate and friend — dignity measured by personhood and excellence, not by the mob. 2. **Harassment was real.** Fans and even police once targeted the team because of Mel's presence; the memory refuses nostalgia that erases cost. 3. **King and national awakening.** He credits Dr. King's contribution and thanks God for eyes opened to treat Americans as equals. 4. **Advancement ≠ victory.** Progress against prejudice is celebrated without pretending bias is gone; recent events prove more work remains. 5. **Doxology closes the essay.** Romans 11:36 turns the reflection Godward — from Him and to Him are all things; glory forever. --- ## First-time learner ### What is Dean saying in one sentence? Remember what prejudice cost real teammates, thank God for progress since Dr. King, and keep working — advancement is not yet victory over bias. ### Why Romans 11:36? Because Dean refuses to end on human achievement alone. Opened eyes and national change, as he tells it, call for glory to God — the source and goal of all things. ### Key verses to read with this post - **Genesis 1:27** — Human worth from God's image. - **Acts 10:34–35** — God shows no partiality. - **James 2:1–4** — Faith rejects favoritism. - **Micah 6:8** — Justice, mercy, humility. - **Leviticus 19:18 / Mark 12:31** — Love your neighbor. - **Romans 11:36** — From Him, through Him, to Him. ### A simple practice (Dean's challenge made concrete) This week: (1) thank God for one concrete advance against prejudice you have witnessed, (2) refuse one partial judgment of a person by appearance or tribe, (3) ask what "carry on the work" looks like in your own workplace or church — then do one small just act. ### How this feeds Ask Dean This post is seed material for questions such as: *What does Dean say about prejudice and equality? How does he remember Mel Jolley? Why does he quote Romans 11:36?* Answers should keep Dean's voice primary and use the scholar notes only as supporting biblical scaffolding.