ON THE STREET
Reining in the granddaddy of racial slurs

By Randi Cecchine

On the final day of Black History Month, the New York City Council last Wednesday joined a growing movement in this country intent on discouraging use of the n-word, both the version ending with a racist “er” and the one tagged with an “a” and favored by hip-hop culture as an expression of empowerment. Leroy G. Comrie, Jr., a black Queens councilman, became disheartened listening to African-American teenagers using the n-word in casual conversation, seemingly unaware of its racist history. Mirroring the grassroots effort of groups like Abolish the N Word, which links the slur to images of lynching and police brutality to educate young people, Comrie sponsored a resolution placing a symbolic moratorium on New Yorker’s use of the word.

Local governments in Irvington and Paterson, N.J., and Westchester County have adopted similar measures. The mayor of Brazoria, Tx., attempted to impose a $500 fine on those who uttered the word, but the ban was opposed by both black and white residents.

Chelsea Now hit the streets to gauge area residents’ response to the moratorium, and their thoughts on the n-word itself. Visiting Chelsea institutions like the Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theater on 24th Street and Billy Mark West bar on Ninth Avenue and 29th Street, we inspired people to share their thoughts on this complicated and powerful word. Afterward, we trotted down to Gourmet Deli on 25th Street and Ninth Avenue, where a lengthy, impromptu discussion between an ethnically diverse group ensued, exploring the history of the word and questioning the constitutionality of the Council’s attempt to rein in speech.

During the conversation, a mother entered the store with her teenage daughters and questioned the moratorium: “Why not stop cops from beating up kids—stop something important. Instead they are trying to control a word?” As the exchange grew boisterous, a police officer entered the store, asking if there were any problems, apparently unconvinced the group might have congregated to share ideas. When asked for his opinion on the topic, he declined to comment and promptly left the store.