Not a big deal, but I think it ought to be pointed out that blackface was a near-universal theatrical convention at the time of the making of "The Birth of a Nation", much as the portrayal of women by young boys was an Elizabethan theatrical tradition. By our present standards and values, both practices are, of course, inappropriate and, one might argue, symbolic of the prevailing prejudices of the time. However, to single out Griffith as a particularly virulent racist on the basis of this specific convention is unjust and a deliberate distortion of history. Griffith was indeed a man who, as a conventional Southerner of his time, must be considered a racist by our 1994 understanding of that term. But to justify ignoring or discounting his work on that basis is unjustifiable. Gene Stavis - School of Visual Arts, NYC