On The Outside Looking In

Letters to the Editor
Time Out New York
475 10th Avenue, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10018
August 11, 2006

Dear Editor:

In her letter, Jennifer Gilchrist accuses TONY of racially stereotyping the residents of Bed-Stuy along racial lines (white wealth vs. black poverty). But Gilchrist herself is guilty of stereotyping. She writes that in "the wealthiest areas of Bed-Stuy...the vast majority of residents are middle-class and upper-middle-class African-Americans." First of all, being middle-class does not mean that one is wealthy. Secondly, she's on the outside looking in. How many of those "wealthy" African-Americans are struggling to maintain a middle-class life for themselves and their families? How many of them are living paycheck to paycheck attempting to keep up with many financial obligations (credit card debt, car payments, mortgages, school tuition, medical expenses, etc.) while at the same time trying to save enough for a comfortable retirement? As the saying goes, looks can be deceiving.

Sincerely yours,

Charles Michael Smith

This letter was not published.