Like so many others I grew up hearing the saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” The point was supposed to be that of all the things that can be inflicted on a person, what someone said about them was of little or no consequence.

As I have grown up, though, I have learned that words do have power. They can be used to motivate or tear down.

It was because of this power that I decided to host a series of forums in April 2006 as part of what was called the Free2Flow Summit. Because it was National Poetry Month, I thought it was a good opportunity to address issues that were pertinent to young people as well as those who were seen as experts in their field. One of the subjects was the “Commercializing of the ‘N’ Word.”

What was the purpose of this topic? What I wanted to see happen was a open discussion as to how the word has evolved and entered the mainstream, thanks in part to its acceptance in the worlds of music, movies and film. The panel consisted of hiphop heavyweight Kamikaze (www.kamikaze601.com), Dub-G of Big House Records (www.thabighouse.com) and Anthony Colom, publisher of New Power Magazine (www.newpowermagazine.com). I served as moderator and led the questions that were a part of the discussion.

What followed was anything but mediocre. Some valid points were made by both sides, and even I found myself impressed by the passion that was shown. One thought on the “N” word was that the way blacks used it was taking power away from those who may have used it in a derogatory manner in the past. Another said that it was a term of affection. As for the counter arguments it was shared that a word should be okay for all to use, so whites have just as much right to say the “N” word because they hear others using it so freely. This was dismissed by the panel by saying that whites don’t have a right to use the word, though a panelist did mention that they knew of whites who were a part of the hiphop culture that used the word and it was deemed okay because they felt they knew how he meant it.

Adding to the conversation, I asked the panel if it was a double standard to allow some to use the “N” word and not others, and if that sent mixed messages if it was just a word. I used the examples of Fat Joe and Jennifer Lopez: Fat Joe used the word repeatedly in his song “Lean Back” and it was accepted, but Jennifer Lopez used it one time in her remix of “I’m Real” with Ja Rule and was heavily criticized. The panel’s response to this was that Fat Joe had more credibility and because of him being a minority, it was just like a black man saying it. In the case of Jennifer Lopez, it was said that she uses her “blackness” when it suits her and to gain credibility in the streets.

I left the discussion that morning feeling as though I had given all sides a fair representation, and it was up to them how they used the information. Little did I know that the “N” word would become a topic of discussion later that same day, this time at a black-tie event.

The setting was the annual fundraiser for Tougaloo College called the Two Rivers Gala held at the Jackson Medical Mall (Jackson, MS). With a $100 admission fee per person, it is seen as a social event not to miss and brings out a range of guests that span all age and racial groups. This might explain why Ms. Dupre, a national radio personality (Tom Joyner Morning Show) was chosen as one of the comedians for the evening.
And it was then, at this elegant fundraiser, attended by blacks and whites, that the “N” word was once again introduced.

Eyewitnesses to her routine related that she “cracked that white serial killers get fancy names such as Son of Sam or Zodiac Killer. But a black serial killer would simply be named (N-word) With a Knife.” There was some laughter. Ms. Dupre then preceded to acknowledge that using the word may make some folks in the audience uncomfortable. She then said that the “N” word would not bother her but “the word knife would get her attention.”

As Ms. Dupre continued with her routine, still using the “N” word, it was reported that “a row consisting of about eight white audience members got up and left.” Jamesetta Walker, the Features Editor of the Southern Style section for the Clarion Ledger Newspaper (the largest newspaper in Mississippi) was in attendance at the event. She relayed in an article that was written after the event that she asked Ms. Dupre if she saw the group leave. Ms. Dupre said that she had but (quoting Walker’s article) “she chose not to say anything about their leaving during her routine for the sake of Tougaloo and race relations in Mississippi.” (quotations taken from Jamesetta Walker's article "Dropping the 'N-bomb' can blow up in your face" in the Clarion Ledger on Sunday, April 16, 2006)

Jamesetta Walker was the first to tell me about the episode at the Two Rivers Gala; however, after talking with others that were in attendance (all black) I had to ask them what were their feelings about it. As in the forum, the responses were mixed. Some felt as though it was comedy and there wasn’t a problem with it. Others said they were a little uneasy with it, seeing that some of those in attendance were made uncomfortable.

Two weeks after the event the issue was raised once again by an opinion piece written by one of the panelist, Kamikaze, in the Jackson Free Press (April 20-26, 2006 issue) about the Free2Flow Summit. This began a blogging frenzy where emotions were high and personal feelings were brought to the fore. Some felt as though a forum to discuss the word was a waste of time since it wasn’t going to change anything. One blogger felt that if the whites left that it was because they had problems within themselves. Still another blogger said that Tougaloo College and Ms. Dupre were within their rights to use the “N” word in any context, because whites have used it for so long as something negative and blacks were “taking it back.” Others felt as though the word should not be used at all, whether people are offended by it or not. The Two Rivers Gala was then brought up, and some who had attended it remarked that Ms. Dupre’s appearance was not a good fit for the event.

And where did I fit into all of this?

Personally I don't like using the word, however, I will say that I realize as long as the word has been accepted in entertainment such as movies, television shows, music and videos that it is not going anyway.

I do find myself feeling as though there is a hypocritical slant to the Two Rivers Gala incident. Remember: the event was Saturday, April 8th. Up until April 24th nothing had been said by the college as to how they felt about the incident. I had real problems with the school not saying anything publicly about it. The way I felt about it was if the Two Rivers Gala had been for Belhaven College (Christian school in Jackson, MS) and Jeff Foxworthy had been there and said that black men were drug-dealing hustlers who treated their women like recreational sports rather than companions, we would have had Jesse Jackson, the NAACP and everyone else investigating and wanting someone’s head to roll for such blatant stereotypes.

In the summit that I hosted, Kamikaze said that we give too much power to the word by making it available only for some people, however, he also felt as though he didn't want people who weren't "like us" to take "our" word. My whole point is that it was never "our word." It is a slang form of a derogatory word.

If we are going to be moving forward as a society, let alone as a people, we have to stop making something okay for some and not for others.

Because I wanted to give Tougaloo College a fair shake in the whole matter, I contacted them for a statement concerning this year’s Two Rivers Gala. On April 25th, I received the following from Danny Lee Jones (Tougaloo College’s Director of External Relations):
“Ms. Dupre did not speak for Tougaloo College at the Two Rivers Gala. She was a paid performer. However, this episode shows that we must investigate the content of our comedic performers' acts prior to booking them.

“The founders of the Two Rivers Gala, who are Tougaloo alumni, envisioned a premier black-tie scholarship fundraiser, which would draw persons from all races and ethnicities to come together, enjoy great music and good food, and just have a good time. We make every effort to carry out their vision and you may be assured that offending any of our guests is just not on our agenda.

“Since its founding in 1869, Tougaloo College has embraced diversity and worked assiduously to promote a just and humane society. This institution was built on the fundamental principles of equality, freedom, justice and America’s promise. Tougaloo College has always fulfilled its commitment to the ideals of education and the accompanying measure of social responsibility. We do not take this responsibility lightly.

“We sincerely regret that this situation occurred and are optimistic that it will not change the perception of Tougaloo College in the greater community.”

That being said, I don't blame Ms. Dupre for her routine. As the college stated she was a paid performer who is known for what she does: comedy. I solely fault the planners of the Two Rivers Gala for what happened on Saturday, April 8th.

Tougaloo College was founded in 1869 by the American Missionary Association to provide teacher education and industrial training for African Americans in Mississippi. From its start Tougaloo College served all races; a white student was among its first graduating class. Tougaloo students and white students at the nearby Millsaps College, a white Methodist school, formed academic and social bonds, setting, for the time, a rare example of racial cooperation.

When you have an organization that is supported by donations and private funds, how can you do something at a fundraiser that could offend those who are coming to support YOU financially?

At the end of the day there are no white dollars or black dollars. Just green dollars.
The events of Saturday, April 8th definitely show that words do have power, whether we personally want them to or not. And I can’t help but think that those who walked out of the Two Rivers Gala will not think about how they spend their green dollars when the event comes around next year.

Artist/author C. A. Webb is a radio and television show host out of Mississippi.
He is the editor of the arts and entertainment zine called CONVERSATIONS. www.cawebb.com/ cawebb.cawebb.com