This Media Portfolio entry is about an even that took place in July. I chose this article because it is a step in the right direction.
At the NAACP meeting in Detroit, local community leaders staged a funeral for the “n word.” The word is used by racists, but is also used in modern hip hop music. It was part of a new initiative to stop a variety of behavior that is detrimental to the African American community. The symbolic funeral was a nice way to get the message out and encourage people to stop using the word. As I recall the meeting was a good success, and many people supported the idea of not using the “n word” anymore.
I think that the African American community should come up with a new word to describe themselves. I am thinking about the term Chicano as used in Takaki chapter 12. The term Chicano is a unique word that describes a race of people that is not derogatory. The “n word” has been used at times in the way that Chicano is used to describe people of Latino dissent. In those cases the “n word” is not the proper word to use, but no alternatives exist. Black is a color and does not characterize African Americans. Brown would be more accurate, but would not be a reasonable word to describe a race. Also there are unfavorable connotations around the word black that further make the word impractical. African American is a technically accurate term, but it is a product of political correctness. It is an antiseptic term also doesn’t denote any cultural or racial heritage. I do not have an answer to what word to use, and I feel that it is not my place to come up with one. The African American community should come to a general consensus about a word to describe themselves and go with it.
I applaud the efforts to stop the use of the “n word.” It has been used too often and has no place in reasonable speech. Maybe the funeral can put this hideous and unacceptable word out of the collective consciousness forever.
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