I am writing this letter as an Amherst resident who is a downtown businessperson. I am a woman, and I am black. I have lived with my husband in this town since 1966 and raised three children here. My sole proprietorship shop is and has been active in the center of town since 1978.
I want to make it clear that I am not a member of the Black Business Association. I disagree with every assertion its spokespersons have made against Amherst’s town officials, its business community, Gabrielle Gould, and the local Buisness Improvement District [“Town rapped over how ARPA funds distributed,” Bulletin, Dec. 30].
I do wish organizations purportedly representing particular populations would take their cases to fitting entities before publishing unclear, unsupported complaints in a newspaper.
Joyce Austin
J. Austin Jeweler