Teenagers of today are doing just fine, thank you

Teenagers of today are doing just fine, thank you
EDITOR:
I'm writing this letter to The Vindicator to let people know what I witnessed a few weeks ago. As you know everyone always has negative things to say about our teenagers of today. I went to St. Christine's Church to see teens who made their renewal there.
I saw teens 15, 16, and 17 years old from different schools. I saw big football players crying on their friends' shoulders and hugging one another. There were different teens who were musicians, volunteers and other things in their schools.
Their actions brought many of us -- parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters and many more -- to tears. You could see how many parents were so proud of their sons and daughters.
So my point is, don't always look at the bad in teens, but look at the many teens who do so much good that should make all of us proud. I know I am very proud.
HELENE ROTZ
Lowellville
What black-history book was Ron Daniels reading?
EDITOR:
I read with interest the article headlined, "Speaker outlines case for reparations for black Americans" that appeared on B-3 Feb. 28. The speaker referred to in the headline was Ron Daniels, Ph.D., and the lecture was given at Youngstown State University and sponsored by the African Studies Program.
I don't wish to get into the debate over reparations, but I was shocked by some of the inaccuracies attributed to Mr. Daniels that were mentioned in the article. I immediately contacted several black historians and asked if I had missed these chapters in history class. One historian stated that not one of the statements were true. My friend furthered wondered why the press did not challenge these statements. My response to that was simply why should we expect the press to be any better educated in the history of this country than anybody else who slept through history class in school.
1) America benefited from 50,000 to 60,000 blacks who fought in the American Revolution. I'd like to know the source of those numbers, because I have never seen any statistic remotely comparable. The Continental Army banned blacks during a good portion of the war. Most blacks who did fight in the Revolution fought with the British against the colonists. Britain promised freedom to blacks who would help them defeat the colonists. How the colonists -- America -- "benefited" from that I do not understand.
2) Many returning black World War I veterans were murdered in 1919 in Tulsa, Okla., while still wearing the uniforms of the U.S. Armed Services. Again, I would like to see the source for this information.
There were race riots in Tulsa in 1921. Black veterans were disappointed that the service to their country did not result in relief from Jim Crow treatment in the South. But I'd sure like to see corroborated sources giving evidence to the slaughter of "many" black soldiers in Tulsa.
3) Blacks are owed reparations, and the United States has set precedent by paying compensation to "many Jews" for the Holocaust. The United States was not responsible for the Holocaust. The U.S. government assisted survivors and their relatives in collecting compensation from the German government via assets of the Nazi regime deposited in Swiss banks.
4) The United States should be thankful for how many Haitian blacks helped them defeat Napoleon. The United States was never at war with Napoleon, who negotiated the sale of the Louisiana Territories to the United States and gave some support to the United States in its fight against Britain. Haitian blacks did indeed rise up against the French government and won their independence from France on Jan. 1, 1804.
History can be distorted, and history can be skewed by selective acknowledgment of events, but outright inaccuracies cannot be permitted to go unchallenged.
Black Americans have a long list of legitimate grievances for past mistreatment. Damaging the credibility of their struggle by embellishing the truth and making up additional wrongs will do little to further their cause.
ANNE COLUCCI
Cortland