ETHNIC SLURS ARE SOMETHING THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE TAUGHT ARE WRONG
AND HURTFUL.
STILL, FEW PEOPLE DISCUSS WHY THAT IS.
BUT PROFESSOR ELIZABETH STORDEUR PRYOR DOES DISCUSS THIS
MATERIAL, AS PART OF HER TEACHINGS AT SMITH COLLEGE.
I SAT DOWN WITH PRYOR AND THREE OF HER STUDENTS TO LEARN MORE.
>> WE DIDN'T DISCUSS IT BUT IT WAS USED IN OUR
HOUSEHOLD.
MY DAD WAS RICHARD PRYOR AND FOR A WHILE IT WAS JUST A WORD USED
IN OUR HOUSEHOLD.
THE WAY PEOPLE WOULD DESCRIBE IT IS HE USED THE GA VERSION, THE
SOFTER VERSION THAT AFRICAN-AMERICANS USED WITH EACH
OTHER AND ABOUT EACH OTHER BUT IT WAS USED IN THAT WAY
FREQUENTLY HE AND WE NEVER TALKED ABOUT WHAT IT MEANT,
WHERE IT CAME FROM, WHO GOT TO USE IT BUT IT NEVER FELT
COMFORTABLE COMING FROM MY MOUTH AND I THINK THAT WAS BECAUSE I
WAS BI-RACIAL AND WAS A WORD THAT MADE ME FEEL APART AS
OPPOSED TO A PART OF OR PART FROM.
SO IT SEPARATED YOU?
>> BECAUSE I FEARED THE WAY WHITE PEOPLE WOULD USE IT
TOWARDS ME AND THE WAY THEY HAVE AND ALSO SEPARATING THE
COMMUNITY BUILDING OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS BECAUSE I FELT
APART FROM THAT AS WELL.
>> I SAW YOU NODDING YOUR HEAD A MOMENT AGO WHEN SHE SAID GA.
FOR FOLKS WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT
THAT CONCEPT IS?
>> IT IS A FAMILIAR Y'ALL TERM OF ENDEAR.
I AM ALSO BI-RACIAL WHERE MY MOM IS WHITE, MY DAD IS BLACK, IT
WAS NOT USED IN CONVERSATION BUT HEARD IT IN MUSIC AND USED IT IN
THE STREETS BUT TO ME, IT WAS COMFORTABLE TO USE BECAUSE OF
THE COMMUNITY WE WERE IN.
>> SOMETHING THAT FELT LIKE A KINSHIP OR FAMILIARITY.
>> IT LET YOU KNOW YOU WERE IN, THAT YOU WERE ALLOWED TO SAY IT
IF YOU WERE IN THE GROUP AND COULDN'T SAY IT IF YOU WEREN'T.
>> SO TO THAT POINT THAT THIS LANGUAGE IS CAN A HE WANTABLE IN
CERTAIN COMMUNITIES AND NOT OTHERS, I THINK THAT IS PART
WHAT HAVE MAKES THIS A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE,
RIGHT?
PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO HURT, DON'T WANT TO OFFEND.
WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING AT THIS IN A CLASSROOM SETTING, THEN, WITH
THE IDEA THERE IS GOING TO BE SOME FRAMEWORK AND FOUNDATION
AND YOU TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THIS LANGUAGE BEFORE IT IS
EVEN INTRODUCED IN THE CLASSROOM SETTING.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT GIVES YOU -- MAKES YOU NERVOUS TO KNOW
HE IT WILL BE DISCUSSED OR GIVES YOU RELIVE KNOWING THAT, OKAY,
THERE IS A FRAMEWORK TO THIS AND WE'LL HE USE THIS IN A WAY THAT
IS RESPECTFUL TO EVERYBODY.
WHAT WERE THE DISCUSSIONS YOU HAD IN THE CLASSROOM?
>> TO ME, A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.
IT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU NERVOUS ESPECIALLY
LIKE MYSELF, I DON'T COME FROM A COMMUNITY WHERE IT IS USED
FREQUENTLY.
I WENT TO A MAJORITY WHITE HIGH SCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOL, EVERYTHING
SO I WAS DEFINITELY NERVOUS ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT THE
PROFESSOR'S CLASSROOM IS FAIRLY DIVERSE COMPARED TO OTHER
CLASSES WE TAKE AT SMITH.
BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, I LIKED THAT SHE HAD A FRAMEWORK AND
THAT SHE HAD DONE IT BEFORE AND KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT AND I FELT
COMFORTABLE ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE DID IT LATER ON IN THE CLASS
AND I THINK THAT HELPED.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS AGREE BUT ONCE YOU GET TO KNOW PEOPLE
A LITTLE MORE IN THE CLASS AND DO WORK WITH THEM, YOU ARE A
LITTLE MORE COMFORTABLE OPENING UP BUT IT WILL NEVER BE EASY.
>> SO FOR YOU, TAKING PART IN SOME OF THESE DISCUSSIONS, WHAT
CAME TO MIND FOR YOU?
>> I THINK IT WAS AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION TO HAVE.
MY FAMILY COMES FROM SAINT VINCENT SO I AM FIRST GENERATION
AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND IN OUR HOUSEHOLD, WE DON'T REALLY USE
THAT WORD.
I HEARD IT FIRST IN BROOKLYN AND PEOPLE WOULD USE IT FREQUENTLY
AND I HAD NOT REALLY HEARD OF IT.
THEN I WENT TO PRIVATE SCHOOL AND WAS AROUND PREDOMINANTLY
WHITE STUDENTS AND THEY WOULD USE IT OFTEN.
>> THEY WOULD?
>> YES, USE IT OFTEN.
SO WHEN I GOT TO COLLEGE AND TOOK PART IN THIS CLASS, I
THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT CONVERSATION TO HAVE BECAUSE I
WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH MY WHITE PEERS SAYING THIS AND I WASN'T
SURE THE PROFESSOR WOULD AGREE WHY PEOPLE SHOULDN'T BE SAYING
THE WORD.
SO I FELT IT WAS A GOOD CONVERSATION TO HAVE AND FELT
SAFER AFTER HAVING THE CONVERSATION.
>> AND PROFESSOR, I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING YOU TEACH FOR MIDDLE
AND HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATORS, RIGHT?
>> YES.
>> HOW DO YOU HELP TEACHERS UNDERSTAND HOW TO INTRODUCE
PARTS OF THIS CONVERSATION?
IT IS A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE.
>> I AM JUST -- I WANT TO ADMIT I AM JUST STARTING TO DO THIS
WORK AND DEVELOPING THE WORKSHOPS BUT I HAVE HAD TO -- A
LOT OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN MY CLASSROOM HAS BEEN RATHER
ORGANIC BUT IN IMAGINING THE WORKSHOPS, I HAVE HAD TO BREAK
DOWN WHAT MY ACTUAL PROCESS HAS BEEN AND THINKING ABOUT IT
SPECIFICALLY.
ONE OF THE THINGS I DO IS I SET IT APART THE VERY FIRST DAY OF
CLASS AND LET EVERYBODY KNOW THIS IS COMING, WE'RE GOING TO
BE DOING THIS WORK HALFWAY THROUGH THE SEMESTER.
AND I ALSO AT THAT POINT ESTABLISH A POLICY WHICH IS
UNTIL WE HAVE THE CONVERSATION AND WORK THROUGH IT, WE'RE HE
NOT GOING TO EVER SAY THE WORD IN THE CLASS, WE'RE GOING TO SAY
THE USED EUPHEMISTIC PHRASE "TE N WORD".
IT IS STILL DOING REAL WORK IN CULTURE AND LITERATURE, STILL
VIOLENT, STILL SAYING SOME PEOPLE ARE BETTER OR WORTH MORE
THAN OTHERS SO I DON'T THINK WE CAN STEP AWAY FROM IT.
SO I MAKE THAT POLICY CLEAR.
I SET IT APART.
I MAKE PLAIN THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IT HALFWAY THROUGH THE
SEMESTER AND I ALSO THINK IT IS RELEVANT TO THE WORK WE'RE DOING
IN THE CLASS.
SO SOMEBODY WHO IS JUST DOING WHITE WOMEN WRITERS FROM ENGLAND
SHOULD FOCUS ON THE N WORD IN CLASS UNLESS IT COMES UP IN THAT
WORK.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS FOR ME TO
CONVEY IS CREATING THE KIND OF SPACE FOR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO
HAVE THAT KIND OF CONVERSATION.
SO BUILDING THAT, YOU KNOW, TO HONOR THE SPACE, TO RESPECT EACH
OTHER, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE TALKING BUT I THINK IT IS
IMPORTANT, TOO FOR TEACHERS TO GET THE HISTORY AND I WILL DO A
MINI LECTURE FOR WHAT I DO FOR THESE FOLKS IN MY CLASS OF KIND
OF THE ORIGIN OF HOW THE WORD CAME FROM BEING THE WORKER TO
THE VIAL RACIST TERM THAT IT BECAME SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT
THEY ARE DEALING WITH WHEN THEY TEACH IT.
>> SO WHEN WE HEAR THIS WORD IN MUSIC OR LITERATURE, I THINK SO
HUXTON IS THE BOOK THAT STANDS OUT FOR MOST FOLKS THAT USES THE
WORD QUITE OFTEN BUT LIKE IN ART, HOW DO WE SEPARATE ITS
APPEARANCE IN POPULAR CULTURE VERSUS HOW IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE
FOLDED INTO EVERY DAY LANGUAGE?
TO ME, THAT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE IN CONFLICT WITH
ONE ANOTHER.
>> I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT IT STRAIGHT ON, IT SEEMS LIKE THEY
ARE MORE CONFLATED THAN THEY ARE BUT IF YOU TAKE THE TIME TO
THINK ABOUT EVERY TIME YOU INTERACT WITH THAT WORD OR ANY
SORT OF LANGUAGE LIKE THAT, THERE IS A DEFINITE CHOICE THAT
YOU HAVE.
I CAN LISTEN TO JAYZ, I CAN LIKE CHRIS ROCK AND NOT SAY IT BACK.
THERE IS NOTHING THAT MEANS JUST HAVING EXPOSURE TO THAT OR
ENJOYING IT FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES WHEN IT IS PART OF A
LARGER WORK, I DON'T THINK THAT NECESSARILY CONFLATES WITH WHAT
I DO OR HOW I RELATE TO PEOPLE.
>> AND WITH YOUR FATHER RICHARD PRYOR WHO USED THE RACIAL SLUR
IN LANGUAGE IN GENERAL AS A WAY TO GET PEOPLE TONE GAUGE -- TO
ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY, HOW DO YOU LOOK AT IT THAT WAY
BECAUSE THEY ARE TWO DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT THINGS.
>> I WROTE AN ARTICLE OF THE EMERGENCE OF THIS WORD IN THE
1930s AND EVEN THOUGH MANY PEOPLE THINK IT BECOMES TWO
WORDS AND SPLITS AFTER HIP-HOP BECOMES TWO WORDS, REALLY THE
EVIDENCE SHOWS IT WAS TWO WORDS SINCE THE BEGINNING, THAT BLACK
PEOPLE USE THE WORDS WITH AND AMONG EACH OTHER IN A PARTICULAR
WAY TO SIGNIFY COMMUNITY.
THAT WAS VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE MOCKING WAYS IN WHICH WHITES
WERE USING IT IN MINSTREL SHOWS TO DISPARAGE THE BLACK RACE.
SO I DON'T THINK IT IS POSSIBLE TO SAY WE ARE GOING TO USE IT
THIS OTHER WAY, I DON'T THINK IT IS POSSIBLE IN A RACIAL CLIMATE
THAT EXISTS WHERE EVERYONE IS AFRAID OF TALKING ABOUT THE
WORD, IS THERE A WAY TO USE IT WITHOUT BEING CONNECTED TO THE
DEEP BITTER PAST WITH WHICH IT IS ASSOCIATED.
>> DID YOU WALK AWAY WITH A DIFFERENT FEELING ABOUT IT AFTER
THE DISCUSSION YOU HAD?
>> I DEFINITELY HE WALKED AWAY% THINKING IT WAS SO MUCH MORE
COMPLICATED THAN I THOUGHT IT WAS.
WHITE PEOPLE CANNOT SAY THE WORD BUT BLACK PEOPLE CAN SAY IT
HOWEVER THEY WANT AND AFTER TAKING THE CLASS AND DISCUSSING
IT WITH EVERYONE IN THE CLASS, THERE IS JUST NO EASY ANSWER.
YOU COME AWAY WITH LIKE MM, I HAVE THESE NEW THOUGHTS BUT I
STILL CAN'T TO GO EITHER SIDE ANYMORE.
IT IS NOT SO BLACK AND WHITE.
>> ABSOLUTELY, ANYBODY ELSE TO WANT ADD ANYTHING?
>> I THINK THAT BEING IN A CLASS AND DISCUSSING THIS WITH A
VARIETY OF PEOPLE WHO COME FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, IT HAS
KIND OF CHANGED THE WAY I VIEW THE CONVERSATION.
I THINK BEFORE IT WAS LIKE OKAY, DON'T SAY IT IF YOU ARE NOT
BLACK AND THAT'S IT.
AND THEN I ALSO THOUGHT ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE BLACK
COMMUNITY SHOULD DEFINITELY HE HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS
BECAUSE A LOT OF THE CONVERSATION HAPPENS WITH PEOPLE
WHO AREN'T BLACK ENGAGING WITH THE WORD AND TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT IF THEY SHOULD SAY IT OR NOT.
AND I NOTICE IN CLASS, BLACK PEOPLE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT MUCH,
WHETHER WE WANT TO KEEP USING OR DON'T WANT TO KEEP USING THE
WORD BUT ALSO REALIZE EVERY TIME I HEAR THE WORD, I AM ENGAGING
WITH IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY AND IT MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS EVERY
TIME PEOPLE SAY IT SO IT IS JUST SOMETHING WHERE PEOPLE NEED TO
START HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS.
>> THANK YOU FOR COMING IN, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.