but I have to tell you straight out that I am NOT in favor of segregated schools until the university level. I think that in order for us to achieve any sort of understanding between the many races in this country but particularly between Black and white (sorry KoalaLove), one of the most important steps is for little kids to learn together, play together, get to know each other while they're still too young (I hope) to have been too badly affected by society's or their parents' stereotypes.

I know that this is swinging out on a tangent from just one thing that you said, and I agree with your response to my remark above about the parents being the bottom line -- we have to watch out for the kids whose parents for whatever reason can't take responsibility for pointing their child toward books or toward Black authors or you name it. At the same time, what I'm saying here is that I don't think that the answer is to create an isolated culture within American society, with separate schools, separate accreditation standards, separate businesses, etc., even if it were possible. I don't think that's a desirable outcome. Do you?

I mean, I strongly favor community support -- given a choice between a Black owned business and a whatever-owned business, I'll choose the Black-owned business, but not because I want to put the whatever-owned business out of business. Instead I support the Black-owned business in order to see it thrive and prosper. See the distinction?

Let me try it from this one more side and then give up and get some lunch. We're all here together. I support an inclusive reading list, but I also think that this is more than a Black/white issue -- there are a lot of Chinese kids in my neighborhood, a lot of Hispanic kids. I'd like to make sure that they feel like a part of things, too, but I don't think it's necessary for the local teachers to teach the Chinese kids about Chinese New Year, because they get it at home, so I can't turn around and insist that they teach the Black kids about Kwanzaa, nahmean?

Sorry this is all garbled.

Peace.