Last week, a professor in a poetry class at my college read the n-word aloud. He claimed that he had already told the class he was going to read the literature out loud as it was “meant” to be read. Here is my response to him.
Dear Old White Guy,
I would like to ignore what you did. I would like to give you the message that you’re not worth the time of day. But the fact is, what you did was wrong on so many levels, and we cannot let anti-black microaggressions – if this could even be considered that – slide if we want to end the mistreatment and violence that black people experience every day in this country.
It feels questionable for me to be writing you about an event I myself didn’t witness, but I feel a need to address this, Maybe it has to do with the fact that, supposedly, when confronted, you not only defended your use of the word but you continued to use it for the purpose of “discussing” the poem. And then told a black student that if she didn’t want to hear it, she should drop the class.
Here's an idea: maybe you just shouldn't be teaching that poem? Or teaching at all?
Now, let me take you down a list of acceptable alternatives to this word:
“N-Word”
“No-no”
“N.”
“Expletive”
Pineapple. Horseradish. Elephant. Honestly, anything that isn’t the actual word.
But you, a white guy, decided to completely ignore the needs of your black students and simply say the word, out loud, in its full gruesome glory.
You forced these students, without warning, to hear a word stirring up memories of slavery, violence, murder, rape – the history of violent racism that continues today for black people in this country.
Now, let me make it clear: There is nothing wrong with reading literature that uses offensive language. It’s when these words are said out loud, however, that they become problematic.
Reading the word in a poem is a mere acknowledgment. Using it in your own writing is an act of violence.
And speaking it out loud is performance. It is the intentional act of making that word heard – of stirring up a violent past and present that is not only directly harmful to your students but could be putting their lives in immediate danger. When the word is on the page, it has no owner – you wanted to own that word.
You wanted us to hear that word claimed by your voice – you wanted black students to hear you use that word. You wanted them to feel offended, scared, small. You used that word to give you power over them, if only just for a few seconds.
Reading the word on page is enough to stir up those thoughts by acknowledgment – hearing it allowed brings them directly into the word. There was no need for you to use that word. Do you think we can’t see the paper in front of our eyes? Do you think we need you to remind us that the poet used it? If so, please see the alternatives listed above.
In short, you’re a racist old white guy, and we don’t need you on our campus.
Thanks,
Gabby
PS: I never used the word once in this entire article… but you still know what I’m talking about from suggestion, don’t you?
WOW! What a concept!
**UPDATE**
The racist old white guy has decided to step down as a professor and is taking the rest of the semester off. Good. We don’t need you. Maybe you can come back when you learn how to treat black people like human beings.
