BAD DREAMSAs a senior citizen, a long-time reader of the Boston Phoenix, and an African-American, I found the title of your September 16 Back Talk, "Hood Dreams," to be inappropriate, in bad taste, and misleading. The community's dream is peace, security, love, and non-violence. Did the author of the headline read the interview or just react with this clever but racist out-of-context play on words, to Steve James's renowned Hoop Dreams? Also, why stereotype all people in these communities as hoods? Is the headline writer telegraphing his thinking and feelings? After all, the title of James's documentary, The Interrupters, documents the attempts of community members to end the violence and utilizes non-stereotypical documentary techniques to present the views, observations, and experiences of individuals in the communities. Thus, it avoids the so-called experts who, in many instances, from their ivory towers spread incorrect paradigms and stereotypes either unconsciously or with political intent.
JAMES RAYNOR
ROXBURY
CORRECTIONS
In our Fall Arts Preview (September 16), a photo in our theater preview of actor Jeffery Roberson gave an incorrect title for the play. The play is The Divine Sister, not The Sister Acts. The Divine Sister opens at SpeakEasy Stage on October 21.
In our September 30 cover story, "Boston's Rap Class of 2011," we incorrectly stated that Chilla Jones was a former church singer. In fact, his brother was a church/R&B singer, which inspired him to get into hip hop.
