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The *Lofton County Free Voice* wasted no time when it was after a story, and often led the rest of Lofton County's news organizations in terms of digging into news – as a result, news reporting across the county had improved out of sheer spite, because the usual media powers that be hated the thought of being beaten by the Black news organization not even a year old.

Thus, the *Free Voice* was ahead of the pack in getting the story that Lofton County's newest food phenomenon would have Sgt. Vincent Trent, among the region's Black veterans, as its vice president.  

People already knew about The Ludlow Bubbly – Capt R.E. Ludlow's soda-making skills had made a colossal splash at his new home in the Veteran's Lodge, and his veteran backer Gen. Ira Hamilton was making moves in the background to make sure more and more people in the veteran community across southern Virginia were tasting and falling in love with the samples that were available every week.

The surprise was that as Capt. Ludlow – with a name well-known among Virginia's first families – was putting together his company, he had selected his Black neighbor not as a worker, but as fellow founder.

The *Free Voice* sent out veteran reporter Sgt. Sylvester Watkins along with intern photographer Thomas Stepforth III (who just happened to be Sgt. Trent's nephew, and had thus brought the story to the *Free Voice*).

Young Tom quietly videod and photographed while the interview took place, hoping that he would get to ask his burning question … and, sure enough, Sgt. Watkins gave him a chance.

“Tom, you're new to this, and just because you are a visuals man doesn't mean you may not have a good question or two – you're still a reporter, all the way.  Go on and get it in.”

“Yeah, so, this isn't a good polite journalism type of question, but, how are you gentlemen even able to sit next to each other, even 12 feet apart, when the country is polarized like this and we all know what is going on in the streets?”

Silence, and then the three grown men broke out laughing.

“Keep him!” Sgt. Trent said to Sgt. Watkins.  “That's actually the question, now isn't it!”

“The answer: it's God's doing,” Capt. Ludlow said when he recovered himself.  “Left alone, and the way I gave this man and his family the cold shoulder when they came, we likely would have killed each other by now if we were just operating the way history and the anger over the death of George Floyd says we should.  But this is what God does to show what Christ can do – that is the only answer!”

“Christ is the answer to the sins that make up racism,” Sgt. Trent said, “because doing good to ALL MEN is among His commands, and if you know Him, and you are willing to be led by Him, He will lead you away from the polarization.  It wasn't easy for me to believe Capt. Ludlow was changing, and my pride wanted to hold the racism of all his Southern White men against him even after that – but the Spirit of God will lead you right away from all of that, into blessing each other and the world around you.”

“So, here we are!” Capt. Ludlow said – and, that ended up being the story, to the glory of God.