Black culture in America grew from systemic prejudice. Next to the American Indian, no other group has undergone such pernicious subjugation for centuries. It is a blight on American history. I consider Blacks, Negros , and African Americans proper names to be capitalized. In a world where conformity, assimilation, and fitting in are sought, keeping one's identity becomes ever more important. Each person is unique and has value, but there are those who want to group certain individuals to marginalize and ridicule. We are all human. Identifying oneself as one wants is a right, not a privilege. If parents are bi-racial, bi-cultural, bi-lingual, bi-sexual, bi-religion, or bi-polar, it does not define the offspring, unless they want to be defined by such heritage. Miss Simmons has a point though. Her struggle to identify herself as part of a group only accentuates the problem of identity. I see her as a woman finding her place in the world. Aren't we all. Regards, Jerry