Letters To The Editor

Ebony, Nov, 2000

MARY E. WATKINS

Pocatello, Idaho

I found your article, "Why So Many Stars Are Getting Pregnant First and Married Later (If Then)," to be very disappointing. The high illegitimacy rate among Black teens has become a detriment to family structure in the Black community. Yet your article seems to imply that out-of-wedlock births have become a trendy, acceptable life-style choice among Black Americans.

If Nia Long decides to have a child and not marry, does that mean that a 14-year-old girl living in the projects somewhere should consider doing the same? Erykah Badu states in the article that the reason why she and her son's father get along so well is because they have a long-distance relationship. ("We don't have to be up in each other's face all the time"). Well, doesn't her son deserve a father up in his face on a daily basis, committed to raising and nurturing the child he fathered?

SANDRA CLARK

Los Angeles, Calif.

Letters intended for this column should be addressed to: Letters To The Editor EBONY Magazine, 820 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago IL 60605. To be considered for publication, letters must bear the name and address of the sender and--because of limited space--should not be unduly long. Letters may be edited to meet space, clarity or style requirements.

Visit EBONY at our World Wide Web Site at: http://www.ebony.com