Farrakhan Story Missed the Spirit of the Evening

* Minister Louis Farrakhan was correct when during his two-hour speech at Cal State Northridge he said his message usually was ignored. Your 143-line story carried only 29 lines on the essence of his positive message to blacks.

Instead, your reporters devoted nearly one-third of the space to his quick comments about black lesbians, thereby sensationalizing the story, and another large amount to a previously well-reported dispute over his appearance and to the tight security and his honorarium.

In addition to the suggestion that instead of attacking Jews, he turned his wrath on black lesbians, the spirit and tone of the evening was absent. I was one of the few whites in the crowd of about 3,000. I was impressed with the sense of community in the gymnasium and with his themes: respecting women, fighting drug and alcohol abuse and not criticizing others, including Jews. Whites are poorly educated about black history and the goals of the Black Muslims--your story didn’t help much.

MICHAEL EMERY

Woodland Hills