I would like to thank Rita Christopher for her outstanding Person of the Week on Marilyn Alverio (“Marilyn Alverio: Powering Up,” Sept. 19). At a time when all forms of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are under attack, it is good to be reminded of the ways in which real humans—rather than scary stereotypes—benefit from these programs. Alverio bluntly reminds us of the purpose of these government programs: “Affirmative action opened the door for me.” At almost no cost, individual lives and society at large gain from helping the children of the poor to rise to the level of their abilities. At a young age, I was fortunate to gain the assistance of a recent Great Society program, Upward Bound, which guided me toward a college education I could not have otherwise imagined. As Alverio says: “Inclusion benefits all people. Excluding a lot of people means excluding a lot of solutions.” Thank you for highlighting such an inspiring figure.

Michael Bellesiles

Chester