How do you repay a race of people for hundreds of years of slavery, dehumanization, discrimination, police brutality and inferior education, just to name a few? I do not believe that you can. Still, African Americans regained their rights as human beings and triumphed in the face of adversity. I heard once that each person is a product of a sum total of effects before us. I believe that white Americans as a whole still reap the benefits of slavery, namely in the form of economic privilege. This is true even if a white individual is not personally responsible for slavery, is not a racist or is not wealthy by society's standards.

To argue that blacks need to "work harder" and "stop looking for handouts" as Mr. Menegozzi phrased it ("Don't allow reparations to replace hard work," Sept. 5 letter), implies that blacks are lazy. If anything, I feel that my people embody hard work. Most have to work twice as hard as the next person on account of those who believe they are incompetent. My ancestors helped to build this country with hard work.

The truth is, hard work is not the only requirement. Personally, I am not looking for a handout. I want equal opportunity. That doesn't exist. I probably won't see it in my lifetime because, in the year 2002, there are still ignorant people afraid to give up their privileges so that every human can have what is rightfully his: a fair chance.