Fair, 54°
Weather sponsored by:

Letter to the editor: Reader takes issue with Black History Month story


Posted

There was an ambitious Black History Month program organized by Mrs. Brandye Mackey of Fleming Island last Friday. In spite of the fact that the impetus for the event was Black History Month, I was impressed by the diversity and inclusion of the participants. I don’t think the writer of the article stayed for the entire program because the point of the evening was sorely missing and even misunderstood. This wasn’t even “Fake news” it was no news at all.

The group featured in the article performed and was paid to do so. Many of the other players, models, singers not to mention sponsors and vendors were not only unpaid volunteers, they were not black. The article featured an albeit good act but they were not uniquely representative of the theme of the show by any means.

Mrs. Mackey worked for several months to get sponsors and chose to benefit the PACE Center for Girls. In the 2010 Census, perhaps only 10% of Clay County residents identified themselves as African-American, but seven years later a fabulous Fashion Show and Black History Month program attracted a panoply of Clay County residents of all races, ages and persuasions. Shouldn’t this have been the highlight of the article?

It is fine to write about the dance troupe but this wasn’t the place to give them an exclusive. I hope to see a real write-up soon.

Alberta Wilson

Middleburg