Columbus
We heard it in 1992 and now we’re hearing it again (“Why Black History Is Not Just for Blacks,” by Halford H. Fairchild, Commentary, Feb. 5): Columbus could not have discovered America; after all, there were already millions of native peoples here. This is as logical as saying that archeologists don’t “discover” Mayan antiquities because the Mayans knew exactly where they put them.
What Columbus accomplished was monumental--his discovery changed history. Had the tables been turned and the Americans discovered either Europe or Asia, it would have been equally monumental. That achievement would have changed history no less.
ROBERT H. PENOYER
Monterey Park
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
