FROM THE TIMES-NEWS:
As I read Howard Tennyson’s letter April 22, I could not believe the garbage he was spouting. To say that the way southern blacks were treated is hogwash, phony and just ignorant. He wrote that he lived in Montgomery. Did he participate in the march or was he someone on the sidelines? Did he grow up being denied a decent education based on the color of his skin, or was he in a nice, warm schoolhouse within walking distance of his home, not having to be bused 30 miles because of the color of his skin? Was he denied access to certain places strictly because of skin color or was he accepted anywhere? How could the government “blow everything out of proportion” about the treatment of “African-Americans” when there is documented proof in pictures and photos, newsreels, letters and memos?
My father is from Marion, Ala., and all of these things happened to him, his family and friends. I have heard the stories, so don’t tell me it didn’t happen. Not all African tribes participated in the slave trade, so don’t try to generalize an entire nation that this is a mess “our own kind created.” Yes, the Native Americans — you insult them by calling them “Indians” — have gotten a raw deal, but guess who did it? The same people that introduced slavery. Get some facts straight and maybe even read a couple of history books.
Kimberly Valentine
Kingsport
