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The N-Word: An Interactive project to Explore a Singular Word.

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The N-Word: An Interactive project to Explore a Singular Word.

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Although many white people know not to use the N-word, sometimes their views change when it comes to song. They believe it might be justifiable when using it in this way just because they are simply singing along to lyrics. However, this is not the case, especially when remember what Ta-Nehisi Coates said about this topic. It may be true that this word is unavoidable in today's world as it can be heard and seen almost anywhere, but many times there is context. For example, what's the difference between when this word is spelt with an 'a' versus and 'r'? The N-word spelt with an 'a' can be similarly related to if two white friends called each other 'bro'. Only it is a form of endearment and trust on a higher level for black people. This word can symbolize the hardships their ancestors may have had to endure in the US during when slavery was common in the south. Something a white person cannot understand and therefore should not be able to use this word. Unfortunately ,most White people don't take the origin of this word into consideration and use it anyway. Even though more awareness has been brought to the use of this word, not a lot has changed in regards to it's usage since a certain point in time. This would mean that culture in the US's society is continuing to move sideways.

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n-word; donte stallworth; neal brennan; dave chappelle show; nfl; national football leagues bans nword; nfl bans the nword; nigger; nigga; nigger vs nigga; kkk; ku klux klan; jay z; oprah;

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The n-word: An interactive project exploring a singular word

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After the National Football League made the controversial decision to ban the n-word on the field this year, a team of Washington Post journalists explored the history of the word, its evolution and its place in American vernacular today.

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Many times people will realize new things when rewatching, rereading, or even rethinking something. For Toni Morrison, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain was not the most enjoyable read when she read it before junior high. Even when she read it in junior high, she explained it as "No less uncomfortable". However, after reading it many times she came to the conclusion that it's quite necessary for high school students to read Adventures of Huckleberry Finn without censorship. This is due to the fact that many are unaware of the racism and discrimination that still goes on in America. By exposing students early on to these issues, the world is more likely to move forward in regards to culture instead of continuing in a sideways motion. If you think about it, if children are not educated about racism through out their schooling, the chances of them becoming xenophobic is at a higher risk. With this being the case, America who has been moving sideways with culture may lean more towards going backwards. By allowing schools to educate kids through novels like Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, perhaps America can someday take a few steps forward.

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Online Racial Discrimination: A Growing Problem for Adolescents 

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Online Racial Discrimination: A Growing Problem for Adolescents 

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"Be who you are"
"Be yourself"
"Love yourself"
These are all words of encouragement told to children growing up in order to become proud of who they are. However, what if someone were to tell you that by being themself, they feel as if they need to be sorry? What if by being themself they receive more prejudice against them? The role the internet plays on this path to not being proud of oneself due to one's skin color is alarming. With technology becoming bigger and greater in the lives of many children they are allowed access to things there parents did not have. Sometimes this is helpful, while other times it can sum up to a tragedy. More black parents are having to censor certain things on the internet to protect their children while more white children are being exposed to racism through the internet. This is reminiscent to how Huck lived in a censored world before entering his society and schooling. Once he was introduced to the treatment of slaves and how their lives were impacted his morals were challenged. This resulted in him having to choose between what the majority thought was right and between what he thought was right. In reality this would be a very tough decision as most people would give into the majority decision.

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Ta-Nehisi Coates just explained why white people shouldn't use the n-word in the perfect way.

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Ta-Nehisi Coates just explained why white people shouldn't use the n-word in the perfect way.

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It is not okay for a white person to use the n-word when singing along to a song. Many times words will have context, or a certain relationship exists between two individuals who exchange words like 'Honey". For example, between a husband and wife. Although white people 'invented' this derogatory word, it's still not okay in anyway to use it even when in song. To feel like you can't do something is sometimes new to a white person considering they have many privileges in America that they may not know of. If compared to Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jim was often not included in the Duke, King, and Huck's shenanigans. Instead he was left on the raft to sit and watch because as a runaway slave he had nearly zero rights. For white people who feel restricted because they can't use the n-word in their favorite song, it's only a small look into what it means to be black.

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Ta-Nehisi Coates just explained why white people shouldn't use the n-word in the perfect way

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Award-winning news and culture, features breaking news, in-depth reporting and criticism on politics, business, entertainment and technology.

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Racism And New England Let's Be Frank About This

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Racism And New England Let's Be Frank About This

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Many New Englanders pride themselves on having an ultimately accepting community without racism. Ever since the Civil War where the Southern and Northern states fought for whether or not slavery should be allowed, some New Englanders have gone as far as to say that Barely any racism exists there because they mostly consist of Northern States. However, this is just the result of someone turning a blind eye. If you look into our biggest city, Boston, this is where you will find the most racism. Many complaints have come from players at Fenway for being called some racist slurs from spectators in the crowd. This may be because Boston in a highly concentrated area with people of all cultures inside. In Adventure of Huckleberry Finn, Huck grew up outside of society. This can possibly be compared to how if you grow up in Maine, you won't see a lot of diversity. This may affect how you view the world and other people. Due to the fact that Huck developed without societies assumptions, he was able to develop his own and evenly befriend Jim.

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I have been following the stories of racism shown at Fenway Park about racist fans and how it appears Boston sports fans are probably the worst.

Yet Boston is just a small city geographically and population may be highest in New England but I believe on the low end of cities with population.

I have been pondering what about the rest of us? New England racists may not set fire to crosses on folks lawns or lynch. Yet it does not mean racist beliefs and thinking does not persist it does.

Growing up and still living in a very white area. I recall and still know about racism. Really its hard not to hear a racist comment or racist behavior at a flea market some dealers really despise selling to Hispanics. Why? Belief that Hispanics try to get the items for next to nothing (all customers do btw).

Yet growing up in the 1970s there was a great influx in North Central Mass. of Cambodians fleeing Pol Pot. People not living in those communities were mad and thought it would mean high crime, rampant welfare and drugs.

In the wake of racist comments at Fenway Park, Boston is asking itself whether it has a problem...
Read more Read

Since late 90s racism about Hispanics and constant drumbeat I hear that Hispanics brought drugs and crime that New England would be drug free and tiny crime rate if they did not come. Sigh so idiotic and racist thinking.

Now I have no idea how it ranks with rest of nation. I think we New Englanders are kidding ourselves to say we are not racist.

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Racism And New England Let's Be Frank About This

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I have been following the stories of racism shown at Fenway Park about racist fans and how it appears Boston sports fans are probably the worst. Yet Boston is just a small city geographically and population may be highest in New England but I believe on the low end of cities with population.

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Hollywood is one of the main influencers in society and especially within the United States. Some authors will incorporate characters of color or of different ethnicities to represent culture and to make more people relate to their story. However, sometimes these authors can fall into the area of assumptions and stereotypes when doing so. This makes it even worse for those similar to that character because now those racist stereotypes will be passed on to what people think of them. This, in a way, is similar to how today people dress up for Halloween as Cleopatra, an Indian, or as a different ethnicity  without knowing anything about that culture. Your costume may be impeccable but what you must consider is that the beautiful head dress on your head has sacred meaning and should not be worn for fun. This is still an issue and costumes like these seem to show up every year despite the raised awareness. Without improvement, this means that the US is still stuck going sideways in regards to Culture.

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Rachel Rostad - "To JK Rowling, from Cho Chang" (CUPSI 2013 Finals)

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Buy this poem and more work from Rachel and other viral poets in VIRAL, an eBook anthology by Button Poetry: http://buttonpoetry.com/product/viral-pre-order/ Like the poem? "Like" Rachel on facebook! https://www.facebook.com/rachelrostad Rachel Rostad of Macalester College, performing on finals stage at the 2013 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational.

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Too Many Americans Think Patriotism Means Racism and Xenophobia.

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Too Many Americans Think Patriotism Means Racism and Xenophobia.

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Sometimes fear can play a huge role in explanation as to why people can be so racist. Although inexcusable, after 9-11 many people used "patriotism" as an excuse to shun different religions and ethnicities. After a Muslim was harassed by a white American, the American exclaimed, "You call it terrorism; I call it patriotism!", to which the President of the United States never responded to. This gave the assumption that racism was in fact Patriotic, when obviously it was the exact opposite. The lesson to be learned from these events should be that true patriotism is when diverse communities come together to represent the country that they can all live in together in peace. This concept is not that easy for everyone to grasp and frankly not everyone may be ready for it. Trust is a hard thing to gain, but sometimes people make it too difficult from the very beginning. This is something that the US struggles with, leading to a bit of a stand still when it comes to cultural acceptance in the United States.

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After the attacks of September 11, 2001, patriotism took on many masks and many faces. For some it meant planting flags in their front yards and cherishing the rights we enjoy in this country. For others it took on a flawed and dangerous form. Violence against South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, and Arab Americans skyrocketed in the weeks and months after 9/11. New government policies painted our communities with suspicion and guilt. The notion that patriotism and racism are synonymous was used against us after 9/11, and the horror has lasted 16 years, flowing and ebbing under Presidents Bush and Obama. That notion has only increased in fury under the Trump administration.

I was in New York on 9/11, working downtown not too far from the attacks. In the days that followed I feared for my safety for the first time in my life: not from planes nose-diving from the sky, but from assaults on the subway or on the street. These fears were not misplaced. The first shots fired after the attacks were on September 15 in Mesa, Arizona, when Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh gas station owner, was killed by Frank Silva Roque, a racist gunman who wanted to "go out and shoot some towel-heads." During his arrest Roque screamed, "I am a patriot! I stand for America all the way!" This is how he pledged allegiance to our flag.

Our communities experienced many ensuing acts of hate. In the first week after 9/11, 645 bias incidents nationwide were reported by media organizations. In the months that followed, our houses of worship were surveilled by the NYPD and other law-enforcement agencies, our rights were violated and our dignity stripped at airports, and our children were bullied in school and harassed on the Internet. Government policies such as the Patriot Act and the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System were implemented, the latter of which opened cases against 83,000 Muslims entering or living in the United States. The result of this vast ethnic profiling? Zero terrorism-related convictions.

Meanwhile, the body count in our communities has mounted. In 2012, a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, was attacked by a gunman who killed six people and wounded four others before taking his own life. In 2015, three young Arab students in North Carolina were murdered in their homes by their white-supremacist neighbor. In 2016, a Lebanese-American man was shot and killed on his own porch by a racist neighbor who had a documented history of anti-Arab hate. Related Article

In 2017, our communities are facing hate violence at levels that rival the aftermath of 9/11. The Trump administration-which is now implementing policies that mirror his bigoted rhetoric on the campaign trail-continues to roll out anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant policies that embolden hate groups to attack our communities. President Trump has test-fired several versions of the "Muslim ban," rescinded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and strongly supported the RAISE Act that seeks to slash immigration by 50 percent in a decade, as well as implementing other destructive policies. Since the presidential election, South Asian Americans Leading Together has documented over 150 incidents of violence against those who identify or are perceived as Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, South Asian, Middle Eastern, or Arab American, already surpassing totals from the year leading up to the 2016 election. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, anti-Muslim hate groups grew by 197 percent in 2016, and, according to the FBI, anti-Muslim hate crimes increased by 67 percent in 2015.

In February two Indian-Americans were shot by a gunman screaming, "Get out of my country." Days later a Sikh man was shot on his driveway in Washington State by an assailant screaming, "Go back to your country." In August a Minnesota mosque was firebombed in what the governor rightly declared an "act of terrorism." In May, Jeremy Joseph Christian, a known white supremacist, harassed a Muslim passenger on a commuter train in Portland. When three men tried to intervene, Christian stabbed two of them to death. Reminiscent of Roque's racism in 2001, Christian proclaimed at his arraignment, "You call it terrorism; I call it patriotism!"

After these attacks, the president remains silent. His silence is a clear signal to the Roques and the Christians of the world that white supremacy and Islamophobia are not only admirable, they are patriotic.

Our communities know that the highest form of patriotism is dissent: We have lived it for 16 years. We've spoken out when we've seen injustice, and we've crowded airports to protest an unlawful "Muslim ban." We've stood united with those from all faiths, colors, and backgrounds, against racism and division in Charlottesville, Boston, Berkeley, and beyond. We've stared down ACT for America-the nation's largest anti-Muslim hate group-and forced them to cancel nationwide Islamophobic rallies originally scheduled for September 9.

The toxic patriotism that hate groups have practiced for 16 years has brought our diverse communities together, anchored in a patriotism of love, not fear. This September 11, I will remember that this is the true patriotism-working with our communities to protect each other, and in doing so, to form a more perfect union.

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Too Many Americans Think Patriotism Means Racism and Xenophobia

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After the attacks of September 11, 2001, patriotism took on many masks and many faces. For some it meant planting flags in their front yards and cherishing the rights we enjoy in this country. For others it took on a flawed and dangerous form.

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Slam Poetry is a great way to get points across especially since it has such a huge emotional impact on those listening. Stereotypes tend to cloud peoples vision and can be very harmful to the person on the other end. By comparing someone to someone else or calling them by racist slurs is already known as wrong, but it unfortunately still happens. To compare a person to another can slowly take away their individuality, and can cause people to see them differently. Also, a lot of people use racial slurs as an insult without knowing the real meaning behind them. This is similar to Ta-Nehisi Coates argument about white people using the N-word in song. Without context, words can mean something incredibly inappropriate which explains why people can share words between each other that others can't

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Alex Dang - "What Kind of Asian Are You?" (NPS 2013)

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Subscribe to Button! New video daily: http://bit.ly/buttonpoetry If you loved this poem, check out Sam Cook: http://bit.ly/1qP8vvM Alex Dang, performing for Portland, OR at the 2013 National Poetry Slam. Follow Button on Facebook: http://bit.ly/SG5Xm0 About Button: Button Poetry is committed to developing a coherent and effective system of production, distribution, promotion and fundraising for spoken word and performance poetry.

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In this powerful poem, Javon Johnson addresses the fact that "Black Boys" must learn how to hide before they learn how to read. Unlike most white people in the United States who have the privilege of trusting law enforcement, many people of color have to live with the danger of always being viewed as the threat. This assumption of black people is untrue, but due to the fact that the majority of society views them in this certain way they must teach their children what it means to live as a black person. Unfortunately what being black means, according to what Ta-Nehisi Coates said, is to walk through life watching people do things that you can't join in on and do. In this sense it's clear that culture in the United States has gone forward to a certain point and then stopped. Although black people have gained the same rights as a white person (for the most part), some still struggle with being viewed as humans and not a problem. It is truly great for all races to be equal to one another. The only problem with laws of equality is that even if it's written down and documented, words on paper don't always change how someone may look at you, and without America being able to change their outlook, sideways seems like the direction of travel.

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According to Jesmyn Ward, Society is in fact going sideways. Most of the time it takes many voices to change the ways of something, which is exactly what this broadcast was trying to accomplish. The goal of America should be to have everyone walk on a ground where they feel they belong. All races, all cultures, all religions, etc should be able to look at one another and call themselves friends. The only successful way to do this is to stop prejudice, stereotypes, and fear within everyone. Connecting to the article "Too many Americans Think Patriotism Means Racism and Xenophobia", a huge reason as to why races are treated less than human beings is because some white people are actually scared of them. This fear is most likely caused by the media which has developed incorrect stereotypes. America will never be perfect, but if everyone was able too forget about stereotypes, it would be much easier for all people to become equal.

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