Thursday, July 17, 2008

Liberal guilt and the "n" word

A recent controversy in the Chicago suburb of Wilmette, IL caught my attention. A planned outdoor production of "Ragtime" has been steeped in controversy over the play's use of the infamous "n" word in reference to African-American characters. While it was eventually decided that the play will run (although indoors and for a more limited engagement), some members of the mostly white, middle and upper class community were upset by the public expression of these words in a public forum.

This article quotes Ty Perry, the African-American director of the play, who explains the context of the use of the "n" word in "Ragtime":
"If you don't want people to use the word," he said, "this is the perfect opportunity to show them why they shouldn't." Setting aside euphemism, he quoted examples of its use in the musical. "There is a song in which Coalhouse Walker [the black protagonist] sings the line, 'I'm not their nigger,'" he says. "And at another point when Willie Conklin [the racist villain] demands a toll, Coalhouse asks, 'Since when?' And Conklin says, 'Since some high falutin' nigger and his whore could drive that car of theirs any place they please. That's since when.'"

Mr. Perry then goes on to give what I think is one of the best comments I've recently read about the use of this word in contemporary American culture.
"I understand it makes white people nervous, but to take that word out of 'Ragtime' would be to invalidate my heritage as an African-American man. I was talking to my partner about this and he said, 'I can't understand what you feel when you hear that word.' And I said, 'I can never understand the guilt you feel when you hear that word.' We both have a common bond with that word. So let's deal with that."

I like the idea of a common bond between African-Americans (who have been victims of this label) and whites (who feel guilty over the way whites have used this word to denigrate African-Americans) through the recognition of our lack of being able to completely understand what it's like to be in the other position. Unfortunately, it's rare to hear an idea that actually could help race relations in the U.S. move forward.

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