From: Jonhillson@aol.com

To: letters@latimes.com

Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2001 8:00 AM

Cubans Prepare to Protest Latin Grammys Show



Editor

Los Angeles Times



The article "Cubans Prepare to Protest Latin

Grammys Show" (California, Sept. 8) misrepresents

the welcome for Cuban recording artists nominated

for Latin Grammys, supported by a broad coalition

of organizations and individuals, and initiated by the

Los Angeles Coalition in Solidarity with Cuba upon

the announcement of the move of the awards

ceremony from Miami to Los Angeles.



The Times chose not to cover a news conference

at the Conga Room September 6, at which, among

others, Mervyn Dymally, former congressman and

lieutenant governor; Steve Martin, of the

West Hollywood City Council; Jimmy Masslon,

president of Ahi-Nama Music; actor David Clennon;

director Nick Castle; student, human rights activists,

and three Cuban Americans, urged Angelinos to

welcome the Cuban Grammy nominees.



Coverage of the event appeared locally, and in

newspapers as the Washington Post and Miami Herald,

and in dispatches from international news agencies.



Our welcome is not a "counter-demonstration" to

anybody or against anything, and was not called

as such, in any way, shape, or form. Instead, the

Times editorially decided in a news piece to

promote those who favor the exclusion of Cuban

recording artists--whose music millions in the United

States enjoy--from the Latin Grammy awards, and

fabricate the public welcome as a response to those

hostile to the Cuban performers. This is utterly

inaccurate.



Ours will be a peaceful, ethusiastic celebration of

culture, a gesture of hosptitality to the Cuban

performers, an affirmation of support for the right

of freedom of expression from southern Florida to

southern California, and a call for Washington

normalize relations with Havana and end its cultural

and economic Berlin Wall around Cuba. All who

share these ideas, for a multitude of reasons, are

welcome, starting at 3pm until 7pm, at the Forum.



Jon Hillson

415 W. 64th Place

Inglewood, CA 90302

(310)419-2298

THIS LETTER RESPONDS TO THIS ARTICLE:

http://www.latimes.com/templates/misc/printstory.jsp?slug=la%2D000072590sep08