By Lauryn Longacre, Staff Writer
The use of the “n-word” was the topic for the Let’s Talk lunch discussion on Sept. 24 in the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI).
The lunch was hosted by the dean for the Student Diversity and Inclusion and Title IX coordinator Dena Salerno. The topic was sparked by a student who used the word on a social media platform recently.
“This brings up this conversation and tension about free speech and racist language and the impact that those words have on the community,” Salerno said.
One of the attending students began the discussion with the use of the word in literary pieces and music. Another student chimed in and said that some of their teachers in the past believed the word was fine to say if it was being read from a book, whereas other teachers believed the word should not be said at all.
Sophomore Justin Darden continued the discussion about the word used in music.
“What I normally say is, if I can skip every curse word while singing a song in front of my mother then you can skip over the “n-word” when it’s used in a song,” Darden said.
Darden added that he could understand that he can’t control anyone’s freedom to speak, but that those who use the word can control when they use it as well as the way they use it.
“If you post it on a public platform, it probably won’t go over well. Keep it within your own group and in privacy,” Darden said. “At least have some respect when it comes up in a song.”
Junior Israel Collazo-Luciano said, “Before learning about a lot of social issues, I would sing it. I personally would never say it, but I would sing it.”
Collazo-Luciano offered another view to the word’s use and questioned whether people of color who allow the word to be said by someone who is white is harmful or not.
“Not everyone has the same values as your quote-on-quote ‘black friend’ that allows you to say it,” Darden said.
Another student said that a person of color who allows their white friend to use that word is not really a friend. He added that the person allowing the use of the word is setting their white friend up for failure in other social settings.
“They’re used to having their hand held a little bit in a societal way,” junior Isabella Moles said, “where once they’re told they can’t do something they’re not okay with that.”