To the Editor:

Some perspectives cannot be allowed to go unchallenged and, while journalistic protocol may prevent The Newtown Bee from properly setting the record straight on the misrepresentation of history by Ms Reiss, frequently publishing her opinions without a counter gives them the façade of legitimacy.

Dr Martin Luther King was hated at the height of his activism and killed before he turned 40. The man that is revered today was hated by the government and considered an extremist for his urgency in pushing Americans to fight for racial equality. Dr King had a heightened awareness of the disparities Black people face based on skin color. Disparities that are prevalent today. Racial inequities that Ms Reiss chooses to believe do not exist, with no need to focus on race or racism in schools.

Come Election Day, I will vote, and implore my neighbors to vote, for candidates who understand that vast perspectives and experiences should be heard and advocate for teaching culturally responsive education; not those who stoke fear about what goes on in the classroom. Diluting the legacy of Dr King, by twisting his words, only emphasizes the need for proper education.

Nerlande Foote

Newtown

Editor’s Note: According to our records, Cathy Reiss has submitted four letters in the past 15 months including one political endorsement. Any qualified contributor is permitted two letters per month.