Description Reinforces Prejudicial Thinking

The Times is guilty of editorial racism in announcing that Dennis Hightower, the newly appointed president of Walt Disney Television, “becomes one of the highest-ranking African American executives in Hollywood” (“Disney’s Top TV Executive Quits Post,” March 11). Unintentional or not, that description only serves to reinforce the idea that someone who ordinarily wouldn’t be considered for such a post because of skin color or ethnicity has nevertheless “made it.”

The same thing happened when KCAL anchor Pat Harvey was recently announced as one of the few African American anchors.

I know my kind of criticism has been leveled many times before. And I know the counter-argument is that such references imply how racial barriers are falling. But to me, it only serves to keep prejudicial thinking alive.

JERRY FISHER

Los Angeles