To All Whites, Dr. Laura Included, Don’t Use It Ever

I am a white college professor who teaches at a historically black, urban community college. A while back, I was discussing an excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X. In the excerpt, Malcolm X discusses what it feels like to be treated as less than human, a “mascot.” He refers to the casual way in which white people call him by the N word. As I discussed this with my class, I actually said the word itself one or two times, in the context of this story.
Later that day, I got an email from one of my African American students in this class. He wanted to meet with me. He did not tell me why. When we met the next day, he mentioned he was surprised. He went on to say that he couldn’t believe that I was using the N word in class. I explained to him that I only used it in the context of the story.
What this experience taught me is that the N word is so powerful, so emotional, so volatile, that when it is used by a white person it can obliterate context. In other words, context does not matter. Dr. Laura Schlessinger, who repeatedly used the N word on her radio show earlier this week, acted surprised that a caller took her comments out of context. What she learned, is that there is no context in which white people should use it, at home, at work, or at play. If it is a concept that needs to be addressed, white people should say “the N word” (not the actual word).
Laura Schlessinger, someone who is highly educated and who has studied the human psyche and human relations, should know this. However, I am not going to do a number on Laura. We all make mistakes when it comes to hot buttons such as the N word. And whether African Americans should use this term is something we can discuss another day. If you are White, don’t use it. No ifs, ands, or buts. End of lesson.