In reply to Jeff Southmayd, who asks: "Why is the forum so filled with programs on the history of racism (white oppression of Blacks, Indians, etc.) in Virginia and racial divisiveness when those issues are no longer relevant to Virginia and American society and just throw wood on a fire that has long ago gone dormant.? Perhaps one session might be of interest, but those issues dominate the meeting.? A few more programs on the positive aspects of Virginia history would make the forum more interesting and less like a Jesse Jackson/NEA appreciation meeting, in my humble opinion." The Program Committee reviewed all of the proposals for sessions and for individual papers and elected to include almost all of the proposals that it received. That the Forum meets this year in Prince Edward County, where the Virginia suit that was combined with others to become Brown v. Board of Education began, and in the fiftieth anniversary of the invalidation of the state's Massive Resistance laws, no doubt combined to stimulate more people than in past years to submit proposals relating to Civil Rights issues. In that sense, the roster of program participants is largely self-selected. In fact, that has been the case with the previous Forums, too. Brent Tarter The Library of Virginia [log in to unmask] Please visit the Library of Virginia's Web site at http://www.lva.virginia.gov ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html