In reference to an article that appeared in The Natchez Democrat Sunday written by Mr. Edgar Field: I don’t know what your problem is with the Zion Chapel Church project and personally, I don’t care what your problem is.

Frankly, I don’t think you did enough research on any of the things you wrote and the statement about, and I quote, “In 10 years will it also be falling down like the old post office building?” Have you even been inside of the NAPAC building lately? Have you ever been in there since NAPAC took it over?

Just because we (African-Americans) put our hands into something doesn’t mean ruination is bound to happen. NAPAC is really fixed up inside and you need to call one of the founders and find out about the literary celebration that is coming soon and how many people they are expecting. But you probably are not interested.

Anything that Zion Chapel Church wants to put in Club Delisa would be an improvement to downtown. Your problem is where it’s located. Well, too bad because it will come into fruition, and I hope I can be one of the first volunteers.

But, Mr. Field, it doesn’t have to wait 10 years to fall down. Just go give a little push and it’s dust.

But the worst part of your letter was concerning the Rhythm Night Club. In the first place, if you don’t know what a juke joint is, ride down Main Street and you will see juke joints in the purest form. And I don’t think they just sell lemonade in them.

You made it sound as if blacks only hang out at these places. In fact, I thought the Rhythm Night Club was a dance hall (little did I know). When you ride down Main Street, take a look inside and see what kind of dancing is going on. I am sure you would be shocked.

The other part is so funny I almost didn’t mention it: “hooking up.”

I want you to just ride around Natchez and see how many bright, light, darn new white, black people there are here, so it looks like someone’s been hooking up way before the Rhythm Night Club.

I need to address your statement “where were the parents of young patrons who allowed their youngsters to go to such a place.”

Those parents were in the same place the parents are today when their children are driving drunk at 150 mph and get wrapped around a tree.

Seventeen-year-old kids of any color will do the same thing, and anyone who thinks differently is crazy.

And let’s not talk about helping people pay their light bill. One of the persons who wrote about the Interpretive Center, Dr. J.R. Todd, has helped pay light bills, given money to people for food and helped to find clothes for them.

So next time you write, do your research and please never, never write or even think black people want to be treated “special.”

Black people just want to be treated fairly. Your letter to the editor is very insensitive, but I would not have expected anything different.

Thelma B. Angelethy

Natchez resident