It's refreshing to read Jerry Ward's response and analysis of Charles Johnson's "The End of the Black Narrative." Both Ward and Johnson arguements on our past converge in agreement...that our heritage is not the one-dimensional legacy of slavery.

I described Ward's argument as refreshing because his is a healthy discourse. He has no use to pepper his argument with the "blacker than thou" that we unfortunately read too often in African American dialogues.

We need to see the same healthy discourse on these pages and the Book Forum.

Thanks again, Dera.

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