*White people may have created the “N” word, but Piers Morgan feels black people should be the ones to put an end to the use of the inflammatory racial slur.
To hear the former CNN host tell it, he would never use the “N” word. Nevertheless, Morgan believes that black folks need to assume their share of responsibility for the “N” word and take it upon themselves to end its existence, despite the word’s usage going mainstream.
“The reason it is so ingrained in pop culture is that many blacks, especially young blacks reared to the soundtrack of N-word splattered rap music, use it in an ironic way,” he explained. “They’re aware of its history; they know from their parents and grandparents that arrogant, dumb, racist whites used it as a wicked, derogatory insult against their black slave forebears. And they enjoy the freedom of being able to say it now in the knowledge that it’s become taboo for whites to do so.”
While he doesn’t condone black people using the “N” word, Morgan does say that he understands why they use it.
“And this is why: it doesn’t work. It has the complete opposite effect to the one that I imagine everyone who does this imagines it will have,” the British journalist stated. “Far from ‘owning’ these words, seizing back control with the use of them, I believe it merely serves to empower those who wish to deploy them abusively – and encourage them to continue doing so.”
Morgan goes on to say that the best thing would be “eradicate” the “N” word from society. However, he mentions that as long as blacks continue using the word it won’t happen.
Upon seeing what Morgan had to say, Dr. Boyce Watkins noted that although his critique appears to be well intended, it’s a little misguided.
“You can’t talk about messages being pushed in mainstream media without talking about who is in charge of mainstream media,” Watkins said. “When record labels and radio stations choose to promote artists who use the n-word, these organizations are run and controlled by white people. Most intelligent black people have no interest in hearing black men and women being disrespected on the radio every day by corporate puppets who are financed by the music industry.”
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