Boy traumatized at Portage Park school needs healing, support

Earlier this month, Alexis Williams and Juanyea Vinson Sr.'s son, the only Black student in his third grade class, came home and told his parents that he was forced to participate in a reenactment of slavery as part of a Black History Month lesson at school.

His teacher had him play the role of "dictator," WBEZ's Sarah Karp and Sun-Times' Emmanuel Camarillo reported. The hands of classmates were bound with tape to symbolize chains. The teacher said that students with bound hands would be “shipped off in a cage.”

When his mother contacted the school, both principal and teacher denied that the reenactment took place. They were saying, in effect, that her son was lying. More anger for the mother. More distress for the son. Now he was forced to insist to his mother that he was telling the truth.

This fine young son of Juanyea and Alexis has been traumatized. He is nervous about going to sleep. In his dreams men are chasing him. He needs healing.

Could someone do something, as retired TV newsman Phil Ponce has urged on another front? Could someone contact Barack Obama and ask him to send a letter of comfort? Maybe the family could be invited to the opening of the Obama Presidential Center. Maybe the positive experience of meeting a former president — the first Black president — would erase the bad dreams.

Maybe Obama and this boy could toss a football back and forth at the center's Home Court, and Chicago Public Media could film it. It would be a wonderful thing to see.

Then an honor roll student who came home distressed and the rest of us would be able to participate in a new lesson. The name of that lesson? Respect.

William Dodd Brown, Lincoln Square

Delivery robots are a necessity, not a nuisance

May I please disagree with Ainsley Harris, of Lincoln Park, who is disgruntled with delivery robots in the neighborhood? Many small restaurants cannot afford a delivery driver or have the ability to deliver within very short distances. I too live in Lincoln Park and find that those little robots are probably more polite than the residents who choose to have strollers larger than SUVs taking up all the room or ride electric bikes and scooters at alarming speeds on the sidewalks.

Those robots are keeping small businesses alive, and while they should not be allowed to overpopulate the sidewalks, they should be allowed to travel on them. We share the roads with bicycles. Why not share the sidewalk with delivery bots? As it says on their little electronic sign, the robots are "on the job."

Mary von Goeben, Lincoln Park

Peas in a pod

Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Todd Larson’s recent letter about Donald Trump and Roy Cohn and their close friendship. He is right on with his thoughts. Thank you, Mr. Larson.

Virginia Dare McGraw, Naperville