"Too Late to Ban the "N-word"
Too Late to Ban the "N-word"
By the Famuan Editorial Board
Black College Wire
We, as blacks, have been raised with a strong sense of pride. Whether we used our strengths in the music industry or fighting for civil rights, we have been groomed to express ourselves.
Controversy over the racial epithet has prompted a new book by Jabari Asim of the Washington Post.
Ken Corley, mayor of Brazoria, Texas, proposed a $500 fine for anyone who says the N-word in an offensive or aggressive manner.
He has since dropped the idea, which came about, Corley said, because he felt inspired by speeches by the Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson calling for phasing out use of that word.
Still, many of our elders say they feel the N-word should be prohibited. But why?
The word has been hanging over blacks' heads for nearly four centuries.
Once a generation finds a way to change the connotation of the word, a mayor comes along and wants to fine people for the usage.
Why weren't there penalties for the slur once blacks gained their freedom?
Or better yet, why wasn't there a proposal for fines when Martin Luther King Jr. was called the N-word?
It is odd that once blacks begin making money off the word, and its negative implications have somewhat changed, its usage becomes a problem.
All of this in the name of rewriting the wrongs that were done to blacks. It is beyond that point.
With a word that carries so much history, whether positive or negative, you can't just throw it out the window.
If it is that serious, then we might as well rewrite the other slurs.
As a young generation, we have reached a point where we haven't accepted the word, but we have accepted life.
It's not fair, but it's real.
Dontaye Carter, a student at Florida A&M University, wrote this on behalf of the editorial board of the Famuan. To comment, e-mail bcwire@hotmail.com
Posted Feb. 6, 2007
By the Famuan Editorial Board
Black College Wire
We, as blacks, have been raised with a strong sense of pride. Whether we used our strengths in the music industry or fighting for civil rights, we have been groomed to express ourselves.
Controversy over the racial epithet has prompted a new book by Jabari Asim of the Washington Post.
Ken Corley, mayor of Brazoria, Texas, proposed a $500 fine for anyone who says the N-word in an offensive or aggressive manner.
He has since dropped the idea, which came about, Corley said, because he felt inspired by speeches by the Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson calling for phasing out use of that word.
Still, many of our elders say they feel the N-word should be prohibited. But why?
The word has been hanging over blacks' heads for nearly four centuries.
Once a generation finds a way to change the connotation of the word, a mayor comes along and wants to fine people for the usage.
Why weren't there penalties for the slur once blacks gained their freedom?
Or better yet, why wasn't there a proposal for fines when Martin Luther King Jr. was called the N-word?
It is odd that once blacks begin making money off the word, and its negative implications have somewhat changed, its usage becomes a problem.
All of this in the name of rewriting the wrongs that were done to blacks. It is beyond that point.
With a word that carries so much history, whether positive or negative, you can't just throw it out the window.
If it is that serious, then we might as well rewrite the other slurs.
As a young generation, we have reached a point where we haven't accepted the word, but we have accepted life.
It's not fair, but it's real.
Dontaye Carter, a student at Florida A&M University, wrote this on behalf of the editorial board of the Famuan. To comment, e-mail bcwire@hotmail.com
Posted Feb. 6, 2007
