by Adai Goldberg

Created on: July 22, 2009   Last Updated: July 23, 2009

How do we confront the language of racism in everyday conversation without abridging the freedom of speech of others? Last year, A rapper named Nas and his girlfriend Kellis, arrived at a the Grammy awards ceremony, with tee shirts that had the word Nigger, written across the back. Now imagine, if Justine Timberlake would have yelled, Hey Nigger! to one of them. What do you think would have happened to him? I am sure he would have been mauled by onlookers and later lynched by the media. Why, for SNW, saying nigger while white.

In all actuality, if Justin Timberlake were more than a hypothetical character, his use of the word would not have been illegal. Kellis or Nas, also have their right to wear it due to our fundemental rights of free speech as Americans. The first Amendment in the Bill of rights states, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press, or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. We all have the right to say whatever we wish. However, when it comes to certain racist terms, there is a double standard; especially with the word nigger. When black people say the term, it is cultural but when whites use it, it is hate speech. It's very confusing for not only white people but also the black people who hate the term. In fact, I find it very offensive that anyone would not be held responsible for using a word that has historically been linked to slavery and hatred; especially when used by people who seem to still hold resentment about a shameful period in our history as Americans. It is rather difficult for me to hear someone rant about slavery, only to sanction the use of a word in hip hop; a word that was used to demean my great, great grandmother who was a slave.

I remember a couple of years ago, while speaking to a black coworker from Detroit about a medical procedure. He assumed, I would not take offense to his saying, nigger please to express his disagreement about a situation with a lunch schedule. I can only guess that because I had brown skin, he though it was ok. I, on the other hand, was taken aback, when he used it. I corrected him and told him how I felt about the term, only to hear him respond with, what's wrong with you. It was both disturbing and irritating because I had had the unfortunate experience of seeing that word, written across

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