THE EDITOR, Sir"
IN MELVILLE Cooke's article, 'Black History Sanitised', he stated: "The history of African people, my people, did not begin with slavery." Mr. Cooke and all people of African descent should use 'Slavery' as a proper noun (upper-case 'S') when referring to:
"The institution of chattel slavery in North and South America involving African people and their descendants from the 16th century through the latter part of the 19th century."
Also, "chattel slavery in America during the 246-year period from 1619 to 1865."
In all major dictionaries, there is a definition for the word 'holocaust' as a 'noun' and a definition for 'Holocaust' as a 'proper noun'. For example, in addition to its definition of 'holocaust' as a noun, Random House defines 'Holocaust' (as a proper noun) as "the systematic mass extermination of European Jews in Nazi concentration camps prior to and during WWII".
If 'Holocaust' is recognised as a proper noun to define what Nazi Germany did to European Jews for 12 years, then 'Slavery' should be recognised as a proper noun to define what was done to African people for almost 400 years.
Please go to www.project2019. com/Slavery.htm if you need additional information. If you agree, please help spread the word.
'Project 2019' is a national movement by black Americans to reach 'educational parity' with the rest of America by the year 2019 the 400th anniversary of the beginning of Slavery in America. Education and knowledge is the 'gateway' that will lead to the solutions to all the problems that afflict black America.
I am, etc.,
CHARLES E. SANFORD
chucksanford@prodigy.net
Chicago, Illinois
Via Go-Jamaica
