Welcome to the “Akeelah and the Bee” mail call. Surprisingly, not one wacko racist popped up in my inbox. I figured this one was sure to get one since some other benign pieces have drawn the ire of fools in various places. None this time, though.
(Go down a couple entries to find the piece. Too tired to be linking.)
What I did get was a really interesting cross-section of folks that appreciated the perspective of the piece. Not just black folks, though. Check this one from Michael.

Dear Bomani,
Congratulations, and thank you, for a *tremendously* well-written article. I’ve posted the link on my personal blog, so some friends can have the opportunity to read it and pass it along. I just hope that ESPN won’t bury it in the Insider archives for all time, because it’s a disservice in this case.
As a very bright Caucasian child growing up in suburbia, I really had no context for understanding the travails of intelligent black children in a non-suburban setting. Although I lived a kind of isolation because of my intelligence, it took me a long while to understand that in many cases, self-believed isolation is something of a rite of adolescence and finding one’s way in the world.
In any event, having a window into a culture that paralleled my own is a welcome discovery. I’m glad to learn a little more and to have your insights, and it’s refreshing to know that “acting white” is more anecdotal than real. It gives me a bit more hope and understanding than I had yesterday. Keep up the good work!

Next is Jose from Ann Arbor, who also writes for the paper at the U of M.

Your review especially hit close to home when you wrote, “As years went on, I saw what was going on. A lot of the people who I thought didn’t like me didn’t like me not because I was smart but because I spent too much time telling them I was smart. Nobody likes a show-off.”
I had the same problem when I was in middle school. The teasing got so bad that my mother had to call one of my 6th grade teachers to ask her why the kids were being so mean. Fortunately my teacher was honest with my mother and told her why I was being teased so much: I was being a show-off. Not only did I spend too much time making sure everyone knew I was smart, I also made sure they knew I was Puerto Rican. But not until after having a conversation with my mother did I finally learned that very life lesson and since then my life has been considerably better.If it hadn’t been for that moment in my life, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today. Currently, I am a junior at the University of Michigan and I am an aspiring sports journalist.
So, I want to thank you, not only for a fine review, but for also reminding me of why I want to go into journalism: to be able to make a difference in someone’s life through my words, even if it is just one reader.

(That ending was very kind of him, btw.)
Check this from Hardell, who I’m sure would rap as MC Hardazzell.

As someone who grew up in much of the same fashion, I
have to commend your article. If anything you have
given me reason to see a movie that I would have
merely dismissed. Its nice to know that an experience
that is so rarely mentioned yet so frequently shared
is finally being immortalized. Thank You for bringing
this to my intention

The following two are the most interesting. They’ll introduce themselves.

I’m Doug Atchison, the writer/director of AKEELAH AND THE BEE. Thank you
for your thoughtful words about a movie that has taken me more than 10 years
to bring to the screen. First, I appreciate you identifying my film as a
“sports movie” which is exactly how I designed it. Hopefully it will be
portrayed more like this in the media. And I also want to thank you for
your thoughtful analysis of the way in which I portrayed Akeelah and her
peers. I put much effort into trying to tell this story accurately and
compassionately, and your words make me feel I achieved my goal.
May many others be inspired to go see AKEELAH because of your review.

And another. This is from Danny Llewellyn

I’m one of the producers on Akeelah and the Bee. I just read your article on ESPN.com, our director forwarded it to me. I’m thrilled to hear you liked our movie, though that’s not the sole reason I’m writing to you. I just wanted to tell you how rewarding it was to read such a thoughtful analysis of our film. Your ability to further expound perspective by articulating your own life experiences made it all the more enlightening. We’ve had some modest praise for our film so far, but never have I felt compelled to write to someone to thank them for understanding why we made this movie. Your article changed that. Thank you.

If you haven’t seen it, I again recommend you check it out. I had more than a few people tell me they saw it after my recommendation and were pleased that they did. I’m no movie critic, but I really think this is a great one.