To the editors:
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A comment on Steve Bogira’s response to Elizabeth Jones’ letter [March 31], which criticizes Bogira’s use of stereotypical black speech and racist/sexist images in his February 17 article, “The Press: Beautiful Women”: as another black woman living in Evanston I, too, was offended by Bogira’s article, and I was further offended by Bogira’s flippant response, which does not address the criticism at all, but chooses rather to dismiss Jones’ complaints as mere black bourgeois righteousness. Bogira even has the cheek to imply that Jones, who is black, is criticizing his use of stereotypical language solely in order to “get over” in Evanston. Now, I should point out that it is not the use of dialect per se that we find offensive, but rather Bogira’s use–or misuse–of it. Given the context, the use of black dialect in the article was irrelevant and belittling.
Belinda Edmondson
