Yvonne Latty - Controversies

Controversies

In 2006, Latty wrote an USA Today criticizing the lack of African-American Marines in Clint Eastwood’s films about Iwo Jima. She was misquoted by Time Magazine, claiming she said that "blacks had the most dangerous job in Iwo Jima." Her work attracted the attention of director Spike Lee, who asked her to speak on the subject over the summer in advance of his own World War II film, "Miracle at St. Anna."

"In Conflict" inspired a Connecticut high school teacher to develop a play based on the book. Her drama students produced the play, titled "Voices in Conflict", as a class project. But the school's principal deemed the play too controversial and all performances were canceled. This story was picked up by The New York Times, and the students received widespread support, including from soldiers serving in Iraq. Several New York theaters then offered to present public performances of the work.