I am writing this letter in response to the article appearing in the Monday edition of The Northern Star on which the focus was “Being Black in DeKalb.” My response is “SO WHAT!!!” I had no idea that after transferring to this school two years ago, that I was being deprived of “a cultural base from which to fully express and enjoy my Afrocentric heritage.”

In the article, Ms. Monteiro says Blacks … pardon me … African Americans are denied access to entertainment, food and hair products and schools which provide good role models for children. Give me a break, please! I doubt there is a conspiracy between the entertainment merchants in DeKalb to keep all African American acts out of the DeKalb area. And last time I checked I still ate the same kinds of food many of my white … excuse me … Euro-American counterparts did. And I also always thought anyone who worked hard and was successful was a good role model for children, hey, it worked for me as a kid.

With the whole issue of “Being Black in DeKalb” I really don’t see a problem. No one has burned a cross in front of my house, and the last time I saw a movie at the Egyptian theater I was as happy when the show was over as most of the predominately Euro_American audience was. But the way I see it, when you have a fully active and fulfilling life, “Being Black in DeKalb” is really immaterial.

Abdul H. Shabazz

Communications/Journalism