11/29/2008 Ethnically Speaking, November 29
Dear Larry: I am the pastor of a medium-sized African-American church. On any given Sunday, we have at least 250 people. I have been trying to entice more people from the surrounding community. Over the years, the community has changed from almost 100 ...

11/22/2008 Ethnically Speaking, November 22
Dear Larry: Just because Barack Obama has been elected president, it does not mean blacks should think that racism is gone and that they don't need to continue to fight against racism from white people. Whites still hold the black man down. I think ...

11/15/2008 Ethnically Speaking, November 15
Dear Larry: Two married friends of mine enrolled their daughter in school for kindergarten. The wife is white, and the husband is Hispanic. They had to fill out a mountain of paperwork, and part of the stuff was a section concerning the race of the ...

11/08/2008 Ethnically Speaking, November 10
Dear Larry: I am a white female college student and thrilled about the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States. I am not alone in my happiness. All of my friends, especially the African-Americans, are giddy with glee. I have heard ...

11/01/2008 Ethnically Speaking, November 1
Dear Larry: My wife of five years is leaving me. I am heartbroken and need some advice. I live in a very rural community, am out of work, and have few friends. I don't think this makes any difference, but my wife is white, and I am black. Her ...

10/25/2008 Ethnically Speaking, October 25
Dear Larry: I'm an editor for the newspaper that carries your column. I have a question concerning your answer to the woman who demanded a seat change on an airline because her assigned seat was next to a black man. You mentioned that the woman'...

10/18/2008 Ethnically Speaking, October 18
Dear Larry: I am a stewardess for a major airline, and I ran into a situation that I am not sure I handled in the proper manner. I cannot ask my supervisor or anyone else because I am not sure whether I will get in trouble for not taking care of ...

10/11/2008 Ethnically Speaking, October 11
Dear Larry: I am white, and my wife is Filipino. I am having trouble getting along with some of my wife's relatives. This is the second marriage for both of us. Before we married, I insisted that we do everything right about involving her ...

10/04/2008 Ethnically Speaking, October 4
Dear Larry: Have you seen the newest McDonald's commercial? If you haven't seen it, it goes like this: There is a black family, a mom and two kids, at McDonald's. The two kids can't be more than 5 and 8. The older child asks the worker whether ...

09/27/2008 Ethnically Speaking, September 27
Dear Larry: I have met Mr. Right for Me. I am white, and Mr. Right is black. He is everything I have wanted in a man. He is good-looking, taller than I am, considerate and hard-working; he gets along with my family and friends, and he's the most ...

09/20/2008 Ethnically Speaking, September 20
Dear Larry: In all of my 37 years, I never have written a letter to an advice columnist, nor have I felt moved to respond to anything — until today. The letter from "Worried Mom" moved me. In fact, if you had listed a phone number, I ...

09/13/2008 Ethnically Speaking, September 13
Dear Larry: I am 19 years old, and my girlfriend is 21. She is black, and I am white. We get along great, and this is the first time I have fallen in love. It is a great thing except for one thing: My girlfriend loves to wear very low-cut blouses. ...

09/06/2008 Ethnically Speaking, September 6
Dear Larry: Please respond to my letter right away because I want people to know what I think before they make a mistake in the upcoming presidential election. I think it is a shame that the Republicans' vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, ...

08/30/2008 Ethnically Speaking, August 30
Dear Larry: I am so angry I don't know what to do, so I am writing you to let off some steam. My sorority, which is primarily black, gives scholarships to some children of our sisterhood. The children have to achieve grade-point averages of 3.0 ...

08/23/2008 Ethnically Speaking, August 23
Dear Larry: I enjoy your column, but I feel you were off the mark in your response to the man who wrote to you concerned because his wife started expressing an interest in separate vacations. I agree with you that it is important for families to take ...

08/16/2008 Ethnically Speaking, August 16
Dear Larry: I am white and have been living with my black boyfriend for three years. We do not have any children but want to start soon because I am 32 years old and he is almost 40. No one in my family has married outside of our race, and I ...

08/09/2008 Ethnically Speaking, August 9
Dear Larry: I don't know whether I have a problem or not. Maybe I am being too sensitive or too possessive; that is what my wife thinks. I need your opinion. I have been married for 17 years to my childhood sweetheart. We got married right out ...

08/02/2008 Ethnically Speaking, August 2
Dear Larry: I want to respond to the column dealing with a minority shoplifter and the column about a black man being called an Uncle Tom at a baseball game for standing while the national anthem was played. There is an old saying: "What's ...

07/26/2008 Ethnically Speaking, July 26
Dear Larry: How should I respond to "interested parties" who want to discuss how I am planning to vote in this upcoming presidential election? I do not appreciate people prying because I am not the type of person who likes to discuss ...

07/19/2008 Ethnically Speaking, July 19
Dear Larry: I have a question about working parents who bring their children to their places of employment. I was in a Starbucks at 11 p.m., and an employee was sitting at a table working on a sign. She had her daughter with her. I estimate the ...

07/12/2008 Ethnically Speaking, July 12
Dear Larry: I need some help with my marriage. I am trying to understand my husband, and I need a man's point of view. My friends are all women, and they tell me to kick the bum out. I am confused and don't know what to do. I am 35 years old, ...

07/05/2008 Ethnically Speaking, July 5
Dear Larry: I was at a baseball game recently. Before the start of the game, the national anthem was played, and a black gentleman was on the field singing with such passion it almost brought tears to my eyes. While he was singing, I noticed most ...

06/28/2008 ETHNICALLY SPEAKING
Dear Larry: What do you do when you observe someone breaking the law? I was in a major department store buying some clothes for my little girl, when I observed a woman and two children stealing clothes and putting them in a shopping bag. They ...

06/21/2008 Ethnically Speaking, June 21
Dear Larry: Someone gave me a copy of your column about the child who needs to have her teeth fixed because they are decayed. I live in a small town, and my child's teeth are not the best. I think you must be talking about me. First of all, ...

06/14/2008 Ethnically Speaking, June 14
Dear Larry: I am in a dilemma and don't know what to do. Even in these tough economic times, my wife and I have been blessed to make a great amount of money. The town we live in is very small, so everyone knows we are considered well-heeled. We ...

06/07/2008 Ethnically Speaking, June 7
Dear Larry: It has long been my belief that after the end of the Civil War, when the freed slaves generally were excluded from mainstream American society, they developed their own. This was not an overt action, but an evolutionary action, which is ...

05/31/2008 Ethnically Speaking, May 31
Dear Larry: As a responsible working student and new dad, I worked double shifts on the weekends and had to drive home late at night through a resort community. Going home always proved to be a nightmare. Within a two-year period, the police ...

05/24/2008 Ethnically Speaking, May 24
Dear Larry: By what measure do you base your statement that "whites feel guilty"? In her thoughtful letter, Robin indicated that her family owned slaves and she felt no guilt. There is no recorded history that my family ever owned slaves, ...

05/17/2008 Ethnically Speaking, May 17
Dear Larry: I know you get lots of mail about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, but I just feel compelled to ask you a question that has stayed on my mind for a long time. I understand that the Rev. Wright and his following believe they are suppressed ...

05/10/2008 Ethnically Speaking, May 10
Dear Larry: I was reading your column this morning regarding the man who is trying to create minority friendships. I really liked your answer. I don't have many minority friends, and I am not a racist. I don't have minority friends because ...

05/03/2008 Ethnically Speaking, May 3
Dear Larry: As an adult man, how do you show to others that you are not racially biased? Especially when it is so hard to make friends in general, much less to reach out to others outside your circle. It's very hard to have a diverse group of ...

04/26/2008 Ethnically Speaking, April 26
Dear Larry: I was appalled to hear the hateful words that came out of the mouth of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama's former minister. One of the things he said is Hillary never was called the N-word. Maybe not, but I'm pretty sure she ...

04/19/2008 Ethnically Speaking, April 19
Dear Larry: I think the idea of offering Spanish in kindergarten is good. Spanish is a language that is very useful in this country and abroad. I think other languages should be offered, as well. When I was a teacher about a year ago, the ...

04/12/2008 Ethnically Speaking, April 12
Dear Larry: I heard Barack Obama's speech regarding race relations in America, and I still am puzzled. I do not understand how he can have hatred or latent hatred for a country that has been so good to him and his family. I could understand if ...

04/07/2008 Second Languages Are Worth the Effort
Dear Larry: I'd like to hear your thoughts on a situation my husband and I have been debating. This concerns our 2-year-old daughter. When it comes time for her to start kindergarten, we will have to make a decision whether to send her to the ...

04/05/2008 Ethnically Speaking, April 5
Dear Larry: My father was murdered by his wife for his insurance money. She was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. The legal stuff is still going on because we are still in court trying to settle the money issues with my father's life ...

03/29/2008 Ethnically Speaking, March 29
Dear Larry: Our teenage sons (ages 13 and 14) got into a fight with each other after a church-sponsored youth outing. According to adult witnesses, they were really going at it with each other. We have addressed their issue of fighting, and I know we ...

03/22/2008 Ethnically Speaking, March 22
Dear Larry: I have a problem that needs your advice as a man. My wife of 16 years is obsessed about her weight. Fifteen of the 17 years we have been together have been a living culinary hell. She watches everything she eats. We cannot go to a ...

03/15/2008 Ethnically Speaking, March 15
Dear Larry: I just had to comment on your column concerning domestic abuse that was being described as "a black thing." Of course you're right that domestic abuse isn't "a black thing." It cuts across all races and ethnicities, all ...

03/08/2008 Ethnically Speaking, March 8
Dear Larry: Please respond to my letter because I have a real problem and need your help in a hurry. My daughter, who is white, happens to be living with a black man. She has been with him for eight years, and they have three children — ...

03/01/2008 Ethnically Speaking, March 1
Dear Larry: I was raised by wonderful parents, who told me every day of my life they loved me. I thought I lived a great life. Everything around me crashed when I became aware at the age of 13 that I was adopted. My adoptive parents are of ...

02/23/2008 Ethnically Speaking, February 23
Dear Larry: Our African ancestors were the only group who did not come to this country voluntarily. They were enslaved for approximately 300 years. Being a slave meant that families were torn apart, education was illegal, and you could be raped ...

02/16/2008 Ethnically Speaking, February 16
Dear Larry: I am a white male registered nurse and respiratory therapist living in the Midwest. I provide care for elderly Southern black patients in a hospital near a Martin Luther King Drive. I am driven by my conscience to treat patients as ...

02/09/2008 Ethnically Speaking, February 9
Dear Larry: In a recent column you said, "Once that issue or irritation has been swaged, they will jump on the next great problem." I believe you meant to say "assuaged" which means to make milder or less severe; relieve; ease; ...

02/02/2008 Ethnically Speaking, February 2
Dear Larry: I want to respond about people who are offended by the word "lynch." They may be offended by this word, but what about the other words that signify racism and slavery? The Confederate flag: no stranger to this controversy. ...

01/26/2008 Ethnically Speaking, January 26
Dear Larry: I have wondered for some time why Halle Berry, Barack Obama, and others who have one white parent and one black parent, identify themselves as black? If my memory is accurate, both Halle Berry and Barack Obama were raised mostly by their ...

01/19/2008 Ethnically Speaking, January 19
Dear Larry: Because you seem like a sensible person, I thought I would ask you a question that I have been wondering about: Where did the word "lynch" come from, and when did it become racist? Has it always been racist? I am not a ...

01/12/2008 Ethnically Speaking, January 12
Dear Larry: My black counterparts and I were seriously offended by your article "My Wish for Black America." It seems to me that you are discriminating against blacks when you say that you wish black fathers would take responsibility ...

01/05/2008 Dear Readers: Very early in this column's history, as a New Year's resolution, I wrote "My Wish for Black America." Since that time, it has been my most requested column for repeats and copies. In celebration of the new year, I would like to share it, wi
My Wish for Black America I wish black fathers would assume responsibility for the children they create and stop acting like some flying insect that goes from flower to flower trying to see how many blossoms it can fertilize. I wish ...

12/29/2007 Ethnically Speaking, December 29
Dear Larry: You're usually a smart and very wise man, and I always have applauded your sensible advice. However, your response to Ben regarding an Aussie's criticism of America was surprising and narrow-minded. Larry, I was born in the USA, as ...

12/22/2007 Ethnically Speaking, December 22
Dear Larry: I was at a printing store and met an Australian couple who were trying to print some photos. They told me they were on a tour of the USA and were heading to Las Vegas. While the wife was at the computer, the husband engaged me in a ...

12/15/2007 Ethnically Speaking, December 15
Dear Larry: I felt compelled to respond to the letter from "Rosemary," who was trying to provide her daughter with an incentive to get good grades. Your letter answered her question about money, but I think you missed the child's real ...

12/08/2007 Ethnically Speaking, December 8
Dear Larry: Is it ever OK to bribe your child to make good/better grades? My daughter is 16 and a junior in high school. Finals are coming up, and at the moment, her grades could go either way — either four A's and two B's or two C's and four B'...

12/01/2007 Ethnically Speaking, December 1
Dear Larry: My son, who is white, is in fourth grade. Last year, during Black History Month, he came home and said, "I am so glad we had Martin Luther King Jr. because if we didn't, Ty (his African-American classmate and friend) couldn't be my ...

11/24/2007 Ethnically Speaking, November 24
Dear Larry: From Michael Vick's dog fighting and cruelty to animals to O.J.'s arrest in Las Vegas for armed robbery and Barry Bonds' indictment for perjury involving his use of steroids, it did not take long for certain critics to make it a racial ...

11/17/2007 Ethnically Speaking, November 17
Dear Readers: The reluctant wife who only wanted to have sex two or three times a month created a firestorm of letters on both sides of the issue. It is obvious many people are grappling with this problem of unequal sexual desires. I hope you can ...

11/10/2007 Ethnically Speaking, November 10
Dear Readers: A 35-year-old mother of three children, ages 10, 7 and 4, complained she is very unhappy with her sex life. She said she is happily married to a wonderful man who seems to worship the ground she walks on. However, she only wants sex once ...

11/03/2007 Ethnically Speaking, November 3
Dear Larry: I agree with you about sex being something you do because you love your spouse. I think if more women agreed with you, there would be a lot less divorce out there. I also think, however, that some people might say that you are advocating ...

10/27/2007 Ethnically Speaking, October 27
Dear Larry: I am a 35-year-old mother of three children, ages 10, 7 and 4. I am happily married to a wonderful man, who seems to worship the ground I walk on. I read about women who have husbands who are selfish, inconsiderate and can't seem to keep ...

10/20/2007 Ethnically Speaking, October 20
Dear Larry: I am a white man and madly in love with an African-American woman at my job. Every time I see her, I get weak in the legs, tongue-tied and generally make a fool of myself. I want to go out to dinner with her, but she does not get my hints. ...

10/13/2007 Ethnically Speaking, October 13
Dear Larry: I want to add to your 10-point recipe for raising boys: Parents should set high expectations for all their children's behavior and academics. This includes boys and girls. These expectations should be made crystal clear so there ...

10/06/2007 Ethnically Speaking, October 6
Dear Larry: In order to get vanity license plates for one's automobile, the rules require that the word(s) cannot be demeaning, vulgar or profane. Just recently, the state of Oregon ordered a family to turn in their vanity plates because their ...

09/29/2007 Ethnically Speaking, September 29
Dear Larry: I am white and have been madly in love with a black man for years. We are not married because of his inability to make a commitment. I know he loves me because every day, he recommits his love for me with words of endearment. We have been ...

09/22/2007 Ethnically Speaking, September 22
Dear Larry: I have lived here in the ghetto more than 30 years and have seen it change for the worse over the years. It used to be a place where one could walk to the store to buy groceries. It used to be a place where my children could play football ...

09/15/2007 Ethnically Speaking, September 15
Dear Larry: I have often wondered why black voters are so tied to the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party fought the abolition of slavery, they fought voting rights in the South for years and have been the party responsible for keeping blacks "...

09/08/2007 Ethnically Speaking, September 8
Dear Larry: I am black and work for a large corporation that employs many African-Americans. When we have a lunch break, it is not uncommon to have 50 or more blacks in a room discussing many subjects. Now that we are going hot and heavy in the ...

09/01/2007 Ethnically Speaking, September 1
Dear Larry: I have a question I've been wondering about, and I figured maybe you could answer for me. I frequently visit a local karaoke bar and sing pretty much anything, from rock to hip-hop and rap. At times, a few rap songs I've sung have ...

08/25/2007 Ethnically Speaking, August 25
Dear Larry: I have read and admired your wisdom for several years and never thought I actually would end up writing to you. However, I am dealing with a situation now that could use some of that famous wisdom. My husband and I are both ...

08/18/2007 Ethnically Speaking, August 18
Dear Larry: Recently I was asked to participate in a survey at work about my experiences as a male in the nursing profession. I refused because when it asked for my race, mine was not listed. Like most of the United States population, I am a white/...

08/11/2007 Ethnically Speaking
Dear Larry: I am in a deeply committed relationship with a wonderful black man. I am white, 25 years old and have a little boy by another father, who also happens to be black. My parents do not like my current boyfriend, and they do not get along. ...

08/04/2007 Ethnically Speaking, August 4
Dear Larry: I do not know how far back you keep a record of your columns, but in the late '90s, I think, you did a column in which you refer to the March/April issue of Psychology Today that featured a study done by Dr. Randolph Byrd, a cardiologist ...

07/28/2007 Ethnically Speaking, July 28
Dear Larry: I have been doing some research about black-on-white crimes. One such case in my area was the brutal murder of a white couple. The accused were four black men and a black woman. Despite the murders being so horrific, the authorities,...

07/21/2007 Ethnically Speaking, July 21
Dear Larry: Not long ago you had a column about people wearing tattoos. I didn't write at the time, but now I have the time to drop you a line. I am a 27-year-old woman and I hate tattoos. My brother said tattoos on women are called "tramp ...

07/17/2007 Direct Anti-War Sentiment at Decision Makers, Not Soldiers
Dear Larry: My daughter attended an antiwar rally this past weekend. When she came home all excited about the experience, she decided to suspend college and work full time trying to prevent war. My daughter said some pretty terrible things about the ...

07/07/2007 Absent Mother Wants to Be a Part of Son's Wedding
Dear Larry: I am the youngest of seven boys. My father raised us without our mother. She ran off to be with her boyfriend when I was eight months old. Dad never remarried or brought any girlfriends over to the house. He made sure we attended church ...

06/30/2007 Separation of Church and State Issues Arise With Footbath Purchases
Dear Larry: I am writing to ask your opinion on a topic that has recently come to my attention. I have learned that several universities, most recently the University of Michigan-Dearborn, are using taxpayer money to install footbaths for Muslim ...

06/23/2007 Traditional Headscarf Makes Job Hunt Difficult
Dear Larry: I am a biracial female married to a biracial man of like parentage. Both of our fathers are white and Puerto Rican. Both of our mothers are African American. Therefore, we are obviously biracial and have Hispanic surnames. My ...

06/16/2007 Ethnically Speaking, June 16
Dear Larry: I own a retail store that sells foodstuff and casual items. I also happen to be a minority. My store is in a minority neighborhood, and I also live in the area. I see kids walking the streets, lost to the world. There is hardly a ...

06/09/2007 Ethnically Speaking
Dear Larry: When I read that letter about the nursing students failing their state exam and blaming it on the school, I just had to write to you. I am tired of the whining from some folks about not getting an education from this or that school. ...

06/02/2007 Students Struggling at Minority School
Dear Larry: I want your opinion of our local poor black university's mishandling of its low graduation rate within its nursing program. After four years of passing grades, all of the senior students were given a written exam to measure how well ...

05/26/2007 Compromising on College
Dear Larry: I am the mother of two graduating high school seniors who happen to be identical female twins. I raised them without their father being involved in their lives. I divorced their father because I found out he was involved in meth. ...

05/19/2007 A Difference Between Snitching and Reporting
Dear Larry: You are right about this "stop snitching" garbage. I'm sick of hearing the word snitch — there's something about the way it sounds that I don't like. These rappers don't get the difference between snitching and ...

05/12/2007 Different Standards
Dear Larry: I am a fan of Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" for its humor and satire, but something Stewart featured this past week left me far from laughing. It's the "stop snitching" campaign that's going on in the hip-hop industry.<...

05/05/2007 Tips for Keeping Your Kids Away From Drugs
Dear Larry: I am a 35-year-old mother of two boys and one girl. The two boys are 9 and 6. My daughter is 3. My friends with older children are in real trouble with their children. Many of their children are out of control, running the streets and ...

04/28/2007 Body Art Is a Personal Choice
Dear Larry: I am a 45-year-old mother of five and am about to become a grandmother. My husband has started to have a fetish for tattoos. He is decorating his body at an alarming rate. The only place he does not have a tattoo is on his face. He ...

04/21/2007 Double Standards
Dear Larry: I find it really confusing that people like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton call themselves civil rights activists, when they have expressed forms of prejudice and discrimination toward others, and then become indignant with others doing the ...

04/14/2007 Ethnically Speaking, April 14
Dear Larry: All heck has broken loose at my job regarding Don Imus's comments calling the Rutgers University women's basketball players "nappy-headed hos." I work for the state government, and my fellow workers are representative of all ...

03/31/2007 Some Racism Isn't Imagined
Dear Larry: I am a student in high school who is very concerned about history and current events, particularly my own history — black history. I would like to know why you make African Americans out to be the bad guys in many situations. ...

03/24/2007 The United States Isn't Perfect, But Still Accepting
Dear Larry: I truly enjoy your column, as it informs, educates and opens minds. A few weeks ago a woman named Martha responded in your column that Germany is so open-minded and accepting. I could not tell from her letter if she is a native-born German ...

03/17/2007 Ethnically Speaking
Dear Larry: A friend of mine told me the city of New York has passed a law that makes it illegal for a person to use the "N" word. If that is true, I am not sure I agree with that kind of action. What will happen if some comedian, ...

03/10/2007 Ethnically Speaking
Dear Larry: Far too many people think they need to go to college in order to be someone or to earn an honest living. Capitalist nations are built by and for entrepreneurs, most of whom provide some kind of service or manual labor. These ...

03/03/2007 America Will Change, Slowly But Eventually
Dear Larry: I lived in Germany for 30 years before I came to America many years ago. When I was living in Germany, one of my best friends married an African American man. They were immediately accepted by everyone — they never had a problem with ...

02/24/2007 Military, Blue-Collar Work Are Respectable Options
Dear Larry: I bet I know who wrote about the out-of-control students. If he is whom I bet he is, then he didn't tell you everything. First, this guy has a thing about kids getting blue-collar jobs instead of going to college. Second, he nearly ...

02/17/2007 Double Standards For Infidelity Are Unfair
Dear Larry: I am writing to you because you are a man and I am too embarrassed to ask my friends. I have a problem I am trying my best to get over. My girlfriend of long standing told me she had sex with a mutual friend. I was never so hurt in ...

02/10/2007 The 'N-word' Can Offend Whites, Too
Dear Larry: My four sons have many friends who are from all races. I've raised them to treat everyone as a person, not as black, Asian or Indian. Our city has a reputation of racial bias, and the CNN report from Vidor, Texas filmed in Beaumont, didn't ...

02/03/2007 Readers Weigh in on Out-of-Control Students
Dear Readers: I continue to get letters from teachers and others who are totally frustrated with kids in school who refuse to learn and are out of control. The anonymous teacher who wanted to invite military recruiters but was rebuffed by her fellow ...

01/27/2007 Classrooms Need More Discipline
Dear Larry: I am a high school teacher, and I can picture perfectly the scene painted by the "Keep Me Anonymous" teacher who was trying to make a difference with out-of-control kids. I recognize those students. Many times, what has ...

01/20/2007 Ethnically Speaking
Dear Larry: I am a white female, over 50, who has been a witness to all the effort made over the years by so many people of all races to eliminate prejudice, bigotry and injustice. On Saturday my local newspaper published a short article ...

01/13/2007 Ethnically Speaking
Dear Larry: I am a teacher assigned to a suspension site where kids are sent while on suspension from school. These kids do no work and spend their time abusing the teachers. When there's no teacher to abuse, they get into fights with one another. ...

01/06/2007 Can You Overcome a Racist Upbringing?
Dear Larry: I just wanted to convey that sometimes actions we perceive as prejudice or racism are not. I was raised by white racist parents, as was my husband. We grew up with racism, but as young adults, realized the truth. We've worked very ...

12/30/2006 Continuing Wishes for Black America
Dear Readers: Very early in this column's history, as a New Year's resolution, I wrote "My Wish For Black America." Since that time it has been my most requested column for repeats and copies. In celebration for the coming new year I would ...

12/23/2006 More Debate on the Race Box
Dear Readers: The issue of marking the right racial identity box on forms has caused quite a stir. I tried to define black and give our country's definition of a black American. As usual, there are those who think I don't think. From ...