[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 45 (Thursday, March 15, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E553-E554]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PRAISING THE WORK OF TONY BEST, WHO JOINS MEMBERS OF THE NEW YORK CITY 
               COUNCIL IN SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THE N-WORD

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 15, 2007

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to enter into the Record an 
op-ed article drafted by Tony Best and printed the Carib News. The 
article, ``A Racial Slur That Causes Black Nanny To Cringe: Why New 
York City Council May Ban Use of N-Word,'' published March 6, 2007, 
highlights the power of the word and the need for more thoughtful 
conversation about its implications and usage.
  As stated in the article, the N-word is ``a degrading term and should 
never be used to describe anyone.'' These words are particularly 
salient for Cindy Carter, a West Indian nanny who was physically and 
verbally disrespected by her employer, who insisted in calling her a 
``stupid N-'' among other equally offensive expressions.
  Since its inception the word has been used to pierce the minds and 
hearts of black people throughout the Diaspora. Despite being 
``reclaimed'' by generations who prefer to use the term as a familiar 
greeting for one another--an attempt to take a word that has been 
historically used by whites to degrade and oppress black people, a word 
that has so many negative connotations, and turn it into something 
beautiful--the slur is abusive, ignorant and derogatory.
  I applaud the work of Mr. Best and New York City Council persons, led 
by member Leroy Comrie of Queens to call for a moratorium on the use of 
the N-word in our city.

  A Racial Slur That Causes Black Nanny To Cringe, Why New York City 
                     Council May Ban Use of N-Word

                             (By Tony Best)

       Every time Cindy Carter, a West Indian who lives and works 
     as a nanny on Long Island, hears the racial slur, it brings 
     back nightmares.
       ``It's an awful word,'' said the young woman referring to 
     the infamous and derogatory N-word.
       Her nightmares go back to 2005 when an employer, Fontaine 
     Sheridan, allegedly pushed her down some steps at the white 
     woman's Massapequa Park home in Nassau County, scattered her 
     clothes on the lawn, screamed vulgar expressions, called her 
     a ``stupid nigger'' and ordered her to get ``off my 
     (obscenity) property.''
       The housewife didn't stop there. She reportedly told the 
     Black woman who had been looking after her children, ``I have 
     been waiting for three years to call you a nigger.''
       Almost a year later, Sheridan pleaded guilty to simple 
     assault in a Nassau County court and was placed on probation, 
     ordered to do community service and to attend anger 
     management classes.
       The N-word and the circumstances surrounding Carter's 
     injury, allegedly at the hands of her former employer are at 
     the heart of a federal civil rights case in which Carter is 
     seeking substantial damages from the Sheridan family for 
     abusing her civil rights. Fred Brewington, one of New York 
     State's top civil rights attorneys, is handling Carter's 
     case.
       ``It's a degrading term and should never be used to 
     describe anyone,'' said the West Indian.
       The slur, its abusive use and why it should be banned are 
     the subject of a resolution, which is to be debated by the 
     New York City Council this week in Manhattan. Introduced by 
     City Councilmember, Leroy Comrie of Queens, the measures 
     describes the word as ``an ignorant and derogatory'' insult.
       Because of constitutional issues, such as the First 
     Amendment right of free speech, the resolution which calls 
     for a moratorium on the use of the word in New York City 
     wouldn't have the force of law but its approval would be 
     symbolic while drawing attention to the importance of not 
     using it.
       Austin ``Tom'' Clarke, one of Canada's top novelist whose 
     book, ``The Polished Hoe,'' won the Giller Prize, Canada's 
     equivalent of the Pulitzer and then went on to be chosen a 
     few years ago as the best novel in the Commonwealth of 
     nations in Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, Australia, Canada and 
     New Zealand, objects to the use of the term.
       ``It is a degrading word meant to be just that, degrading 
     and no one, including Blacks should find it acceptable,'' he 
     said sometime ago in Brooklyn. ``I vigorously object to its 
     use.''
       Irving Burgie, the composer of some of the world's best 
     known music, such as ``Day-O,'' ``Island in the Sun,'' 
     ``Jamaica farewell'' and ``Mary's Boy Child,'' agrees with 
     Comrie, Clarke and other advocates of its ban.
       ``The history of its use has always been degrading and 
     there is nothing redeeming about it,'' he said from his home 
     in Hollis Queens. ``We shouldn't try to fool ourselves about 
     that.
       ``Burgie was referring to the rappers who have embodied 
     ``nigga'' in their lyrics and contend it's a term of 
     endearment when used by Blacks to describe other Blacks.
       For example, Mos Def, a rapper, said in 1999 that they had 
     taken ``a word that has been historically used by whites to 
     degrade and oppress us, a word that has so many negative 
     connotations, and turning it into something beautiful, 
     something we can call our own.''
       Linguists and others trace the origin of its use in the 
     U.S. to 1619 when John Rolfe, a colonist in Jamestown wrote 
     in his diary that a Dutch ship had arrived there with 20 
     `negars,'' meaning African captives.
       While some scholars argued that Rolfe's use of the word 
     wasn't meant as a slur but was simply another way of 
     describing ``Negroes'' others contend that it was always 
     designed as a pejorative expression. Nineteenth century 
     American literature was laced with it, reflecting the 
     attitudes of White racists and slave owners who believed that 
     ``niggers'' were sub-human species.
       But Black rappers and a few Black comedians began 
     incorporating it in their using it more than 25 years ago, 
     giving it some measure of acceptance among young Blacks who 
     object to its use by whites.
       Comrie and the resolution's supporters contend the use of 
     the N-word by Blacks is

[[Page E554]]

     misguided because the young people don't ``realize how their 
     self-image is debilitated when they use this awful word in 
     public.''
                                  ____


         The N-Word and Black History--Why It Should Be Banned

                             (By Tony Best)

       Julius Caesar, Gnaeus Pompey and Marcus Crassus used it 
     liberally in Rome, Britain Gaul, the Balkans and Greece.
       Whether as a writer, military general or orator, Caesar 
     used the Latin word ``Niger'' liberally in his historical 
     accounts of the Gallic Wars, conquests of Britain or in 
     reports on the Senate in Rome. And when he spoke or wrote it 
     around 50 BC he was describing a color, as in a piece of 
     armor, house, chariot or a horse.
       But somehow ``Niger'' that meant Black in English became 
     ``Negars'' in Jamestown in the United States in 1619 to 
     describe with contempt a shipload of African captives who 
     were put into a state of bondage in the U.S.
       Although scholars are divided over why John Rolfe, a 
     Jamestown colonist, recorded ``Negars'' in his diary to 
     describe the Blacks, whether he wanted to be verbally abusive 
     or was simply describing Black people, what has happened 
     since then is that the pejorative term which eventually 
     became ``Niggers'' has taken on a long-lasting life of its 
     own. This highly offensive word or some form of it has found 
     its way into literature--Amos Zu Bolton II's ``Niggered 
     Amen'' and Carl Van Vechten's ``Nigger Heaven'' are 
     two examples--in comedy routines by Blacks and in the 
     lyrics of rap music in the late 20th and early 21st 
     century.
       At the urging of New York City Council member Leroy Comrie 
     of Queens, the legislative body at City Hall is this week 
     considering a resolution that calls for a moratorium on the 
     use of the N-word in our City. While opinion is split over 
     what action the Council should take, it's clear that the use 
     of the word is offensive to most right-thinking Blacks and 
     should be expunged from our vocabulary.
       Yes, some Blacks, especially rappers, may wish to defend 
     the use of ``Niggas'' or ``Niggaz'' on First Amendment 
     grounds of free speech or as a term of endearment among 
     Blacks to describe each other; what's not in dispute is that 
     the term is meant to be degrading.
       Andrea C. McElroy, a Black member of the Irvington Council 
     in New Jersey, which placed a symbolic ban on the word's use 
     there, put it well when she said that Black adults and 
     society as a whole should give the youth a history lesson. We 
     may be at the end of Black History Month in 2006, but 
     learning is a continuous process.
       ``There is a swelling population of Black youth that use 
     this word as if it is a term of endearment,'' she said. ``And 
     I think it is basically incumbent upon us to remind them of 
     what that word meant to so many of our ancestors. This is 
     something we probably should have done years ago.''
       Yes, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which 
     guarantees free speech prevents the legalized banning of the 
     word but there can be nothing wrong with sending a message to 
     young people and others, whether comedians, reporters, 
     novelists or historians, that the N-word was meant to degrade 
     Black people, not to praise them.
       Austin ``Tom'' Clarke, one of Canada's most celebrated 
     novelists, whose latest work, ``The Polished Hoe,'' captured 
     the Giller Prize, Canada's equivalent of the Pulitzer, had an 
     important reminder for the lawmakers at City Hall.
       ``It doesn't matter if it is used in Black circles and 
     societies as a term of endearment,'' said the West Indian. 
     ``Historically its usage has been offensive. One may attempt 
     to argue that when it is used by Blacks to define or address 
     themselves, the bad meaning of the word is softened. But the 
     fact is that its usage is either seen or heard by white 
     people who might themselves feel that what is good for the 
     goose is good for the ganger. That was exemplified with very 
     negative effect recently by a white comedian in America 
     (Michael Richards, who played Kramer on Seinfeld) and who 
     thought he was being heckled by an aspect of his audience, 
     used the word to ridicule his audience. His demonstration and 
     use of the word in a public place might very well be 
     reflective of his thoughts and feelings.'' Interestingly 
     Richards declined to attend the Council meeting when invited 
     to do so. Although he later apologized, the vehemence of his 
     original mouthing told a story about vindictiveness which his 
     anger brought into the open.
       Richards isn't alone. Time and again, whites in particular 
     resort to the N-word whether in literature, on the stage or 
     the screen to suggest superiority over Blacks and to hint at 
     violence to force them into submission.
       The historical connection with violence and the N-word 
     isn't simply 400 years old. Lynchings were commonplace in the 
     20th century and the N-word was often the rallying cry of 
     racists to justify their lethal actions.
       While it's true that Richards didn't commit violence as he 
     uttered the two syllables, it's not difficult to see him 
     being driven by rage and contempt for Blacks in the audience 
     by turning to violence.
       On Long Island, that's what a white middle class mother of 
     three children apparently did when her children's West Indian 
     nanny didn't feed the family dog on time in 2005. She 
     subsequently pleaded guilty to assaulting the Black woman by 
     pushing her down some steps, injuring her leg and then 
     throwing her clothes on the lawn, all while calling her a N 
     ...
       Apparently, she had waited three years to call her that. 
     Thankfully, that incident is now the subject of a federal 
     civil rights civil case seeking damages.
       Contrary to what some misguided Blacks and whites would 
     wish us to believe, the N-word can't be transformed into 
     anything beautiful.

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