In listening to Queen Latifah this morning on Tell Me More, I was inspired by how well she articulated the plait of the minority race as it relates to how difficult it is for Blacks to have influence and control of their own destiny. As I long have realized, blacks with influence give little thought to how they are dictated to by the system in order for the majority race to exceed. Most Blacks in a position of power are blind to who???s really making decisions for them. Case in point, I attended a Obama rally this past weekend and quickly realized that Obama and Oprah were shielded from any real contact with Blacks by the establishment, whites. Their agents were white, their security managers were white, their press persons were white and so forth. At every turn, in order the communicate with Mr. Obama or Ms. Winfrey you had to be white or go through a white person, thereby reducing even important Blacks from a direct channel to those that need to hear from other Blacks without their message being sanitized by a white person that may or may not feel or agree with the message that individual was trying to communicate to an influential Black. This prevents the lower economic blacks from ever having their voice heard, thus reduces their chances of success. Ms. Latifah understands the struggles that lower economic minority face in dealing with a system that???s about power in numbers as long as those numbers look like the majority. I can agree with her that this American does not want to address race, because a discussion of race will expose the facts that we live in an unfair American and knowing that requires a well-mannered White American to do the right thing and act. This means that he/she will have to give up something and its hard to give up something so that another race can become equal.

Sent by Sam William Long | 10:51 AM ET | 12-12-2007

I would just like to commend Queen Latifah for her comments about America's difficulty with discussing race in a constructive and honest way. I agree wholeheartedly and I would like to see more honest conversation about our hopes and fears for a better future -- a future of equality that celebrates and empowers diversity.

I have always admired you, Queen Latifah, for your vibrant, inspiring performances, your no-nonsense approach to important issues, and your commitment to deep beauty.

Sent by Rachel N H | 12:49 PM ET | 12-12-2007