I do not want to sound like a snot, but have any of you sat in front of a mixed audience and played these tunes in their original configuration? Have you sat in a class room full of young men and women of all races and brought this subject up? Have you ever had to defend your position in front of the Detroit chapter of the NAACP and had them find your program acceptable?

I can honestly say that I have and so have others that I know. I will never content that this material is easy for all to digest, or that it should be pushed down anyone's throat. I do not ever wish to see minstrel shows return as a form of entertainment. But I do want to present this music for what it is so that intellegent people can make up their own mind. This must be based on the educated knowledge of the tunes and their FULL meansing to both black and white America. This can only be accomplished by education and performance. I feel that to sweep these tunes under the carpet and not talk about them is a stap back towards slavery. We are saying " You might be offended so I wil protect you". So far all who have heard this understand why the music was presented and glad for that presentation, even if they found the music uncomfortable.