The emails keep pouring in. A reader writes:
Consider how long one of America’s chief exports has been its culture. Now think about what form that culture takes: Music, art, consumer goods, movies, all have huge “black” influence. If we were simply following the Western European lead, do you think that people would line up to hear/taste/see that? I think not. They want our stuff because it isn’t bland, because homogeneity is boring.
Another adds:
To the "southern white man" who wrote in today: I felt the same way when I visited southern Africa a few years ago and was wondering whether my hunch about the cultural similarities was right. I'm originally from Mississippi, and there's a warmth in Africa that feels very much like the American South.
The Dish 