To bring Reginald Lewis into the debate surrounding the tragic death of Freddie Gray, as commentators Ron Busby Sr. and C. Earl Peek did in a recent op-ed, is wrong ("Baltimore, Reginald Lewis and Freddie Gray," May 16).
Aside from their names being in the same headline I don't see the connection between the two. Comparing them diminishes the struggles of both men in my view.
I had the privilege to work with Reginald Lewis for many years as a client of his law firm and through his involvement as a general counsel to our industry's trade association, the National Association of Investment Companies.
Reggie was a first-rate businessman. He was ethical, preternaturally intelligent, insightful, kind, generous in spirit and fair in all of his dealings. Really, there are no words that do him justice other than that his track record speaks for itself.
He was a special human being and his business acumen should be studied of its own accord, not used as grist for an evolving national discussion of racism.
I feel confident that Reggie would not want it that way either. He wasn't driven by inequality per se or the systemic racism that would have kept him down. He simply wanted to succeed by dint of a drive that I'm sure is devoid of color.
As an immigrant, I once asked him about this and he said, "I would hope that I will remembered for my successes in their own right, not because I achieved them despite being black. That's a bad message for everyone."
It's possible that Freddie Gray's tragic end will make him more famous than Reginald Lewis will ever be. And that's perhaps OK. The success of Reginald Lewis can fade to a historical footnote, while Freddie Gray may well take his place alongside Rosa Parks, John Lewis, Medgar Evers and many, many others.
But let's not filter the life of Reginald Lewis through the lens of racism. Let's remember him for what he accomplished.
Zindel Zelmanovitch, New York, N.Y.
The writer is chairman and CEO of East Coast Capital Holdings.