Letters To The Editor

Ebony, Sept, 2000

MARY J. BLIGE

As luck would have it, your article, "Mary J. Blige Talks About Marriage, Her Triumph Over Drugs, And The Day That Changed Her Life" (June 2000), couldn't have come out at a better time. I had the opportunity to see Mary in concert at Mud Island in Memphis. I must admit that I enjoyed every minute of her show.

I realize I would have missed a treat if I hadn't gone to the concert. The new Mary has become and inspiration to help me realize that you can only do your best with help from God. Nothing good comes from seeking an artificial high. Mary, keep your head up and your eyes on the prize.

DWIGHT L. MARTIN Humboldt, Tenn.

I am writing in regard to the article about Mary J. Blige. As I read the article, I never realized how much she's been hurt and is hurting. She credits God with her deliverance from drug addiction. My heart goes out to her. I prayed to God for a chance to administer the word of God to her.

I applaud Mary's efforts to educate our children about this drug epidemic. I thank God that she realizes that money, fans, fame, music, and material things in this life don't matter. I hope and pray she understands that Jesus is the only way.

DAVID HOUSTON Midway, Texas

Thanks for the article on Mary J. Blige. She represents a lot of Brothers & Sisters in the streets who are stressed and struggling day-to-day, trying to make a way out of no way. She gives them hope for brighter and better days.

SANDERS COCHRAN-EL Jesup, Ga.

SPEAKING OF PEOPLE

Thanks so much for your excellent "Speaking of People" (July 2000) profile of Columbia College Chicago president Warrick L. Carter. One correction: Keisha Carter is his daughter by a previous marriage, not his marriage to Laurel Carter.

CAROL BRYANT College Relations Director Columbia College Chicago Chicago, Ill.

SEXY OR SLEAZY? ARE FASHIONS GOING TOO FAR?

In your story, "Sexy or Sleazy? Are Fashions Going Too Far?" (July 2000), I feel like a whole lot of it is sleaze.

GEADONNA MOORE Birmingham, Ala.

THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN BLACK AMERICA

Thank you, thank you, thank you! It did me a world of good to read the article, "Out of the Closet: The Mental Health Crisis In Black America" (July 2000). I'm sure many others have watched those talk shows, where the parents have out-of-control teens. They send them off to boot camp, and they come back home different for a day or two. I wonder if the parents ever thought about mental health. There may be a problem just like the young 13-year-old had in the article. I believe self-destruction should be looked at by a doctor first. The last straw should be boot camp.

DOROTHY RICE Inman, S.C.

In response to "Out of the Closet: The Mental Health Crisis In Black America," I felt it to be very true and interesting. I am a Black woman who has suffered from depression for years. It is so true about the stigma attached to someone who is dealing with a mental illness.

For me, it is so hard to let people know that I suffer from mental illness. I am getting help now, but I still fell uneasy. I just wanted to say thank you for that story; it lets me know that I am not the only person suffering with this condition.

NAME WITHHELD Gainesville, Fla.

M'LIS WARD

I wish to take this opportunity to thank you for the article, "M'Lis Ward: First Black Female Captain In Commercial Aviation" (Jan. 2000). I recall that in past years EBONY published, once a year, a profile of all Black pilots in the airline industry. It was these articles that inspired me to pursue a career in aviation.

I do not wish to use myself as a prime example; however, I do wish to say that it took me 15 years or so to reach the position of First Officer with a major airline. Before that, I spent years instructing (mostly non-Black students) and flying charter. After that, I did corporate aviation and freight-flying for many years. I never gave up my dream of flying for a major airline. And it was the articles in EBONY that were my inspiration.

REGINALD L. EDMOND Captain Alaska Airlines Federal Way, Wash.

PHENOMENAL FATHERS

I enjoyed reading the article, "Phenomenal Fathers" (June 2000). It is nice to read about everyday, common folk who are recognized for being outstanding fathers. There is another set of fathers out there who get little or no recognition. They are fathers of children with disabilities, especially mental disabilities. My husband is one of those fathers. We have a 9-year-old son with autism. We can truly testify that our son's autism is the greatest challenge of our lives. But I and my husband love our son unconditionally.

On days when living with autism seems unbearable, I'm sure many people look at us with sorrow. Fortunately, we are thankful to the Lord for trusting us with a special child, and I am thankful that the Lord has blessed my son with a phenomenal father.

EUGENA GOGGANS Madison, Ala.

THE 25 MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS IN MUSIC HISTORY

Congratulations on your article, "The 25 Most Important Events In Music History" (June 2000).

I have taught the History of Black Music since the fall of 1970 at several New England universities and colleges. I am certain that I am among the first Black professors to teach the music of Black Americans within the context of the "culture" from which it sprang, therefore I am in complete agreement with your choices in this article.