To the editor:

We are now in Black History Month. It will be a month of dinners, church rallies, teaching black history, giving awards to people and all of that. I can't help but wonder how much good all of this is doing.

I see lots of people around Cape Girardeau who do lots of talking about how unbigoted they are, but I see very little effort being made by either side to really integrate with each other. Lots of rhetoric, but no real action.

I am becoming impatient with what I see taking place as far as white people learning not to tolerate African Americans and value us as full human beings with all the rights and privileges they enjoy themselves. They need to rid themselves of the stereotypes and misinformation they have had programmed into their brain computers by their parents, families and friends since they were old enough to understand speech or body language.

If this country is going to become all that it can be, we must change our attitudes to what the scientists and the religious scholars know to be true. We have a lot more in common with each other than we do differences. We can pass all the civil rights legislation we want, but until Euro-Americans really accept the fact that we are their equals on all levels, they are never going to follow the legislation. In fact, they will send people to Congress -- like the new Republicans who have just taken over -- who will attempt to repeal all the laws that we fought to have passed during the 1960s and 1970s. This wonderful country will continue to be mired down with the problem of racism.

I have an idea. I would like to give an award every year either during Martin Luther King's birthday week or sometime during Black History Month to the person who is genuinely trying to live Dr. King's dream. Recipients of the award would be people who have dedicated their lives to full-blown, no-holds-barred integration and friendship with people of all races and colors. I am tired of seeing people get patted on the back who are just paying lip service to real integration as Martin Luther King envisioned it.

If you have any positive suggestions or comments concerning the starting an award of this type or know someone whom you think would be a great candidate, please write to P.O. Box 2101, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63702-2101.

JAY SKULKAN

Cape Girardeau