Open Letter To Chris Rocks and My Fellow Americans

A scandalous Love Affair With the N-word

H. Lewis Smith

On Monday, February 26th, 2007, New York City Councilman Comrie conducted a hearing requesting a Resolution to symbolically ban use of the n-word. The reaction has been fast and furious. Chris Rock’s reaction as reported by the news media was as follows:

"What, is there a fine? Am I going to get a ticket?" Rock mocked when asked about the City Council move. "Do judges say, '10 years, n**ger!"'
"Enough real bad things happen in this city to worry about how I am going to use the word."

This sentiment and attitude offered by Chris Rock is reflective of many other African Americans and non-blacks as well. Which is...the use of the n-word is irrelevant and inconsequential. It is often times said that it is just a word, there are more important things to do why are we wasting all this time on something as trivial as this? On Wednesday, February 27th the New York City Council unanimously passed the Resolution.

Now the sky is suppose to be falling, the First Amendment is being challenged, big brother is taking over. Don’t they (the council) have better things to do with their time? First of all the First Amendment is not being threatened nor challenged this is a SYMBOLIC Resolution and second the NYC council needs to be commended for stepping up and taking a stand. Why is that important?

First and foremost for the past 400 years the desires and wants of African Americans have been insignificant and irrelevant. There is a mind set in this country both black and white that African Americans have a place to stay in and that is the place of being someone’s n***er. And when there is an attempt to leave this place there is an uproar from those whites who are not accustomed to Blacks being independent of thought, and to have the incentive to take control of their fate and destiny and re-define themselves without permission is blasphemous. Then you have those Blacks who are in an uproar over it all because like crabs in a barrel they don’t have the will, intestinal fortitude and desire to re-define themselves, refuse to leave this comfort zone and will come up with all kinds of pseudo-intellectual reasons as to why it’s okay to be defined as a racist definition prevaded in ignorance and degradation.

The n-word is more than just a word...it is an image. You either use your mind power and create your own image or someone else will create an image for you. Almost 400 years ago an image was created for the ascendants of African Americans and was labeled n***er. This is an image that was forced and beaten into the minds of a race people up until as recently as the 1960’s. Blacks have ingenuously since, voluntarily taken over from there. The n-word is the final link in the chain to true mental freedom. It must and will be broken. And this is why, though symbolic in nature , what the New York City council took upon themselves to do is so significant. It’s a step in the right direction to break that final link in the chain. It’s imperative that we distance ourselves from the lingering effects of an unjust system which is what the n-word is connected to.

A People without a voice can not be heard and the fact that the NYC council lent it’s voice to the elimination of the n-word movement has discombobulated a lot of people. The n-word is part of American history, same as the Boston Tea Party, Civil War, etc. and therefore its historical immutable meaning will never disappear, its etched in history. Reality dictates that technically you will never ban or abolish the word itself, but you certainly can refrain from disrespecting one another with it. A word that is a metaphor for all that’s evil. You can not eradicate history and the true meaning of this word will exist forever in infamy.

You may still have questions such as why are our communities in decline -- ravaged by crime, unemployment and despair? How is it that our "spending power" exceeds many nations, but is not directed at solving our problems? How is it that we have failed to realize the visions of Douglass, Garvey, Malcolm, and King?

If so then I have a question for you, are you assuming that the n-word with its psychological and traumatic intent to destroy, maim or cripple the minds of a race of people is in no way connected to any of this? To under-estimate the power of this word (a word that has brought about death and destruction) can prove to be a gross error and it is the fate and destiny of a race of people that’s hanging in the balance. This is a gamble you should not be taking...bury that sucka, stop using that word towards one another.

You must stop ridiculing and laughing at yourselves. You can not and must not allow the opinions of others to dampen your enthusiasm, restrain your joy, and stifle your creativity in the pursuit of re-defining yourself.