Letters To The Editor

Ebony, March, 2000

THE PUFF DADDY NOBODY KNOWS

I knew Scan (Puffy) Combs was a major presence in the music industry, but your article, "The Puff Daddy Nobody Knows" (Jan. 2000), made the reasons much clearer. I enjoy his music and I am always grateful for any positive role model for our people. I was impressed with his candor and the focus he places on his music. A week or so after I read the article, Sean (Puffy) Combs and others were splashed all over the news in an altercation involving a handgun, a shooting, the police, etc. Yes, the media will "run with any little thing," (as Sean "Puffy" Combs is quoted in the article). In all fairness, learn from history. Surround yourself with God and positive people. There will always be entourages of self-serving, dangerous people. I truly hope Mr. Combs and all our artists will eventually realize that people with enough money will try to buy their way into the limelight, anyone's limelight, and at any cost.

ELMIRA PARKS Chicago, Ill.

I enjoyed your article, "The Puff Daddy Nobody Knows." Puffy, I want to commend you on a nice concert you and Mase put on in Minneapolis (some time ago). Whenever you come to Minnesota, I will be the first in line to greet you. You really have come a long way, so don't stop until you get enough. I hope you get all that you want in life and continue to serve God. God bless you, and I hope you don't take life for granted. God bless.

FELICIA STEWART-JOHNSON Minneapolis, Minn.

I strongly disagree with Sean (Puffy) Combs about Blacks not loving one another. How did we survive slavery, apartheid, colonialism and racism? We are survivors and lovers of humankind. No race of people is perfect. As a Black Jamaican-American citizen, I love my Black, African, Canadian, Briton, Brazilian, West Indian and Fijian brothers and sisters. Also, Sean, please do not forget that negative stereotypes in a predominantly White society like ours will affect how we view and interact with one another. Nevertheless, Black love has always rebounded and triumphed. If Whites love one another so much--explain Northern Ireland, Kosovo, World War I and World War II.

Love you, EBONY and all Johnson Publishing Company staff. How is that for Black love? By the way, I love Puffy, too.

DESMOND R. HERRON Boston, Mass.

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES

The article, "Risky Business: What's Behind The Surge In STDs" (Jan. 2000), missed the fact that STDs can now be readily diagnosed with a very easy and painless urine test. No more painful swabs! Every sexually active person should ask his or her doctor or clinic for the urine test for STDs. Since most STDs are without symptoms, routine testing is the only way to know if you are infected. Congratulations to EBONY for bringing light to this hidden epidemic.

JEFFREY D. KAUSNER, MD, MPH Director, STD Services City and County of San Francisco San Francisco, Calif.

The increase in sexually transmitted diseases is a bitter fruit of the playboy philosophy and lifestyle. Sex should be the language of the body that conveys a communion of hearts, minds and souls within the sacrament of marriage, but the playboy lifestyle reduces sex to a plaything. The result of the playboy philosophy and lifestyle is broken hearts, broken lives, broken homes, broken families.

HAVEN BRADFORD GOW Eudora, Ark.

TAYE DIGGS

I would like to compliment EBONY for printing such a wonderful article, "Taye Diggs: Hollywood's Hardest-Working Hunk" (Jan. 2000). It is truly a great pleasure to read about such a wonderful person. I have to say that he is very intelligent and very thoughtful. He also continues to be a great role model.

EBONY, keep up the good work for the year 2000.

RUTH ANITA ALLEN Sunrise, Fla.

NEW FACES IN EXECUTIVE SUITES

I am writing in regard to the article, "New Faces In Executive Suites" (Jan. 2000). I am a young Black man who aspires to one day own my own company, so it was a very rewarding thing to see and read about my people accomplishing great things, and to see that we are being recognized for something other than playing a sport or entertaining someone. When I read about the strong men and women who have succeeded in the business world, I feel as though that could easily be me in the near future. I'm glad we have role models who have paved the way for my generation to follow so the road won't be as rough. I am proud of the Brothers and Sisters I saw in that article. It gives me hope for the future of our people in the next millennium.

ELIAS WASHINGTON Waukegan, Ill.

When I read "New Faces In Executive Suites," I really enjoyed this article, and it really made me feel good. The path to the corner office is being taken by more and more African-Americans. However, we still have a long road ahead of us. This article has really inspired me to never give up and to realize that with God and hard work, anything is possible. My goal is to be where these young men and women are in corporate America, making a difference in our society.

CLEVELAND WILLIAMS White Plains, N.Y.

M'LIS WARD

I wanted to personally thank you for the wonderful article about my daughter, Melissa Ward ("M'Lis Ward: First Black Female Captain In Commercial Aviation," Jan. 2000). However, there's one correction that must be made. I was one of the first two Black women to graduate from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. Dr. Irma Bland also graduated with me in 1974. We were the first to be admitted and then the first to graduate. I would like to make sure that Dr. Bland is not slighted in her accomplishment.