海角大神

In the wake of a week that magnified racial tensions in America, the nation鈥檚 sole black Republican senator stepped up to embrace those on both sides and point to a path forward.

Unusually,聽Sen. Tim Scott (R) of South Carolina gave聽three speeches on the Senate floor that addressed聽the tension between blacks and law enforcement. He ended on an optimistic note Thursday,聽despite today鈥檚 racial turmoil and sadness.

The seeds of his optimism, he said, lie in progress already seen 鈥� in his own life鈥檚 story and that of his state, where聽Charleston worshippers showed extraordinary forgiveness after a racially motivated church shooting last year.

鈥淢y story is a testament of God鈥檚 love, a mother鈥檚 love, and the love of my mentor,鈥� said Scott, who is 海角大神 and takes part in a weekly, bipartisan Bible study with a few senators on Thursdays.

Personal experience heavily influences political outlook and action, and so it is with the first black US senator elected from the South since the late 19^th聽century. As a conservative and an African American, as the son of a single mom and as a youth聽who was mentored by a white owner of a fast-food franchise, Senator Scott offers a distinct perspective on race issues in Congress.

That came to the fore this week as Scott defended police heroism, testified to black anger and humiliation over unjust treatment, and then offered a hopeful host of legislative and other ways to move forward 鈥� many based on his experience in South Carolina. Even so, he emphasized that 鈥渢he government cannot make us get along.鈥�

鈥淚 think in one person, we have a singular bridge,鈥� says Scott鈥檚 Republican colleague, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. People who feel estranged, as many African Americans do, can relate to Scott's experience, and so can strong supporters of law enforcement, Senator Cassidy says.

Indeed, his message has resonated on both sides of the aisle, and beyond Washington.

鈥楢 frank discussion鈥� that went viral

In the Senate chamber on Wednesday, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) of California sat at her desk focusing intently on Scott as he delivered his second speech, describing the seven times in one year he was pulled over by police, and the times he has been denied entry into congressional buildings, even while wearing his ID pin on his lapel.

The speech, which has gotten tens of thousands of views on YouTube, clearly moved Senator Boxer. She thanked him for his 鈥渇rank discussion鈥� and said hearing the personal stories of him and the Senate鈥檚 other African American, Democrat Cory Booker of New Jersey, 鈥渋s life-changing for us.鈥�

It鈥檚 important that Scott is speaking out publicly, says Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, the nation鈥檚 largest civil rights organization. It was 鈥渃hilling鈥� to hear the senator鈥檚 account of a Capitol guard profiling him 鈥� a reminder that no matter what one鈥檚 station in life, profiling still occurs.

鈥淏ecause he鈥檚 in the United States Senate, because he鈥檚 a member of the Republican majority, he鈥檚 got an ear,鈥� Mr. Morial said. 鈥淚 would hope he would say the same thing in the Republican caucus meetings to further educate and sensitize his colleagues.鈥�

Though the South Carolinian is not one to wear the race issue on his sleeve, says Cassidy of Louisiana, when he does speak it has a powerful impact.

鈥淚n the last two years, I鈥檝e heard him speak about it two or three times, but he always speaks about it so powerfully that it stays with me,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd I think about it, and it lingers 鈥� and I mention it to others.鈥�

From nearly flunking, to statesman

Scott grew up poor in North Charleston, S.C., under the care of a strong single mom who worked 16-hour days as a nurse鈥檚 assistant. He nearly flunked out of high school, but was helped by the owner of a Chick-Fil-A franchise next to the movie theater where the young Scott worked.

The owner, John Moniz, hammered home values of hard work and personal discipline. He taught him that 鈥渉aving a job is a good thing, but creating jobs was even better,鈥� said Scott at the GOP convention in 2012. Scott went on to college with a partial football scholarship, and later got into the insurance and real estate businesses.

He was elected to the Charlestown County Council, and聽went on to a seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives. In 2010 he beat the son of the state鈥檚 powerful former senator, Strom Thurmond, and the son of a former state governor for a seat in the US House.

With strong conservative credentials, particularly on finance issues, he was reelected in 2012 with 62 percent of the vote in a district that is about 70 percent white 鈥� and where the Civil War started, at Fort Sumter. GOP Gov. Nikki Haley appointed him to the Senate to fill a vacancy in 2013, and he was elected the next year to finish the term that ends this year. He鈥檚 running again.

鈥楾he power of forgiveness鈥�

Last year鈥檚 mass fatal shooting of nine black worshippers by a white man at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church in Charleston, and the near immediate forgiveness offered by families and friends of the victims, has had a profound effect on Scott as a senator.

The Charleston shooting spurred him on with legislation 鈥� his 鈥渙pportunity agenda,鈥� which he outlined in his speech Thursday. That includes a bipartisan effort to draw investment to depressed areas in the country, school choice, and a tax incentive for apprenticeship programs. He鈥檚 also sponsored police body-camera legislation with Sen. Booker, and supports bipartisan criminal justice reform, but both are stalled for now.

Like many others, he supports a greater effort at community policing and training to de-escalate tensions.

The Charleston massacre also featured in Scott鈥檚 speeches this week, which were prompted by the killings of two black men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, by white police officers, and were followed by the fatal shootings of five white Dallas police officers by a black man.

Scott told The聽Post and Courier of Charleston that he was 鈥渟urprised鈥� that more of his Republican colleagues didn鈥檛 put out statements after the two blacks were killed, while most of them did for the white Dallas officers.

鈥淚 still marvel at how our state responded to the shooting at mother Emanuel,鈥� he said from the floor on Thursday. 鈥淭he power of forgiveness; the power of love conquering hate.鈥�

Like that response, Americans need to practice the scriptural teaching to love your neighbor as yourself, not just in word, but also with actions, he added. He cited the case of聽a black surgeon who struggled to save the Dallas officers鈥� lives but did not succeed. The surgeon makes sure聽his daughter sees him buying lunch or ice cream for police officers so she can see them interacting in a friendly way.

And Americans聽need to have a conversation as a family that involves truly listening to each other, which is more than waiting for the other person to stop talking. Scott said that Rep. Trey Gowdy (R) of South Carolina and he plan to bring pastors and law enforcement together in Charleston County 鈥渟o we can have an honest, sometimes painful conversation about how to move forward together."