The "N" Word

Tonight I joined fellow students, colleagues and professors at the Reynolds School of Journalism (JSchool) to watch an ESPN special report on the "N" word.  Because of who was producing the show, the special looked at the use of the "N" word through an athletic lens.  There were several panelists, including a music artist/actor, current professional football player, sports columnist and more. There were small vignettes with high school teens and legendary sports figures. It was a balanced view with people of differing opinions.

The fact that we have to even have the discussion and question it, tells me there is a problem in using the word.

My personal feeling is that the word was created from a place of hate, used as a means for degradation, and continues to exemplify a level of bigotry and ignorance. I have never used the word and won't. I will teach my kid the history of the word and share with them why we don't say it, and why for our family, it is not okay.

It was interesting to hear arguments for the continued use of the word.

• It has a new meaning for a new generation.
• Only Black people should be allowed to say it.
• The Black community is taking the word back.
• It is a euphemism for buddy or friend. 
• It is the only way to communicate and get a message across in some communities.
• If you say it with an "er" on the end, it means something different than if you say it with an "ga" on the end. 

For each of those arguments I can make a solid, passionate counter argument. None of the arguments I heard this evening in favor of the word's use changed my mind one bit. I was not swayed.

This new generation should be taught their history. Some words may change in connotation but many do not. This word is still used from a place of hate by a group of people to hurt another group of people. When you look the word up in a dictionary, it means ignorant, lazy, insolent, and finally, Black. As in a Black person. Only recently was it updated in online dictionaries to reflect it's offensive nature and bitter history.  If you want to call someone your friend, use a different word.  Out of the hundreds of words for friend, why choose one that carries such pain?

A common theme in the discussion that followed the ESPN piece centered on education. We need to do a better job of educating people and ourselves on our history. We can't rely on an over burdened school system to take the place of oral traditions and experiences passed down through generations and shared at the family dining room table. One student made an excellent point when he said he didn't feel his generation understood the experiences of the previous; having no connection to the pain and injustices of the word allows him and his friends to casually throw it around. Through stories and technology we can make those experiences come to life and be felt for a deeper understanding of why using the "N" word is in-appropriate. No pun in-tended. I did it again.

Humor was brought up by people as a way to deal with the word when used against them.  Examples of Richard Pryor and Kevin Hart were used to show how the Black community embraces and uses the word for our own entertainment and personal gain. In some ways I get that using humor can be a method of dealing with the hurt and avoiding the confrontation. However, I don't agree with the use of the word in anyway. I believe there are other ways to use humor or music to convey those same feelings and achieve the same outcomes.

The NFL will attempt to ban the use of the "N" word in their lockers rooms and on the fields. Players, fans, and staff will not be allowed to use the "N" word.One presenter from the special challenged the interviewer on making the game more civil because to him, there is nothing civil about the game being played on the field.  It is a place where all incivilities can meet. If that is true, then I question the entire sport and value of sportsmanship. Is there a need for a place where people can be their most violent selves? If so, what does that say about mankind?

In certain parts of Europe it is illegal to make anti-semetic remarks or hate speech. You can go to jail or be fined. The Holocaust was so debilitating, that people have taken a stand against any spoken injustice against Jews or in favor of Hitler and hate speech against any group (http://www.legal-project.org/issues/european-hate-speech-laws) . World War II ended in 1945,  only 80 years after the end of the Civil War and nine years before the start of the Civil Rights Movement.  If European nations can recognize the harm in words from a war that lasted several years and resulted in over 10 million deaths, why can't we after 200 hundred years of slavery and another 100 of oppression with over 12 million slaves sent round the world (300,000+  were sent to America) and countless current events (http://www.theroot.com/articles/history/2012/10/how_many_slaves_came_to_america_fact_vs_fiction.html) acknowledge that words are hurtful and can lead to abhorrent behaviors?

I believe in the first amendment, but I also believe that one person's rights end where another begins (Finch, 1882). I think it will be hard to police, and even harder to implement consistent punishments with the NFL ban. But, I do appreciate the effort and the conversation.