The Debate Over ‘Jungle Fever’ : PRO-LEE

T imes staff writer Itabari Njeri’s commentary on Spike Lee’s film “Jungle Fever” (“Doing the Wrong Thing,” June 23) has prompted an outpouring from readers, with responses supporting Lee outnumbering those supporting Njeri about 2 to 1. A sampling:

Black Men Endangered

Njeri’s defeatist line is that racism has done a good job in making black men an endangered species. So to the victor goes the spoils: black women.

And those into Afrocentrism, seeking to courageously turn around the alarming situation, Njeri vilifies.

Black anger could be channeled into a source of creativity to benefit all humanity: It asks for ultimate truth and justice. But it would have to be shared on the terms of black people (that it would not be Vanilla Iced). Which is what black defeatists like Njeri, along with whites, fear in Lee and African proud men.

FREDDIE L. BISHOP

Los Angeles