As one of the many events held to honor Black History Month, Sacramento State’s Black Staff and Faculty Association discussed the history, controversy and politics of the “N” word.

The “N”-Word Forum, held at 6 p.m. on Thursday in the Union Lobby Suite, was facilitated by John Strother, a BSFA member and lecturer for the Division of Social Work.

“We want to enlighten people and get their opinion on the matter,” Strother said.

Experiencing the Civil Rights movement and seeing the term being used by men in white regalia about blacks, showed Strother that the word was not a word to be used in polite conversation. He said the entertainment industry portrays the “N” word as something that is exonerated and “cool” to say.

There were group discussions during the presentation about whether the use of the word was offensive, and whether the word should be used in public settings.

Some participants agreed that due to the word’s history, it should be withheld in public settings. Others thought that it was OK to use the word in friendly banter among peer or family members.

Many attendees saw the usage of the word by other cultures as an imitation of how the word is used in rap and hip-hop music. The cultures are mimicking what they see on American television, they said.

The media does play a role in how blacks are looked at, Strother said. When we use the word, as shown through television, it is making it alright for others to use, he said.

Strother presented the audience with a documentary in which the “n” word was closely looked at and analyzed by the audience.

The video showed a short clip that demonstrated how some Japanese people had a false understanding of the word through the media. The word, to them, meant “brother” or “friend,” Strother said, adding this perspective needs to change.

“We want to make sure people understand the ‘N’ word,” said Cecil Canton, criminal justice professor and BSFA member. If they understand the history of the word, maybe they will understand why some find it offensive, he said.

Strother agreed with Canton.

“To some people, it is very offensive,” Strother said. “It may bring back violent memories about an experience and the negative connotation it has in the world. We need to consider when we use any word.”

For Strother, the “N” word has a negative connotation because of the origins of when it first began, during a time of slavery and oppression.

The word is sometimes used as a term of endearment or class term, Strother said. Some black rappers use it to empower themselves, claiming that using the word gives them back the power of control in their own lives.

Some attendees, like junior health science major Allison Daniel, were taught that the word was derogatory and is offended by how the word is used so freely.

“I don’t use it,” she said. “That is not OK if people use that word.”

If it offends or hurts another person, it shouldn’t be spoken, she said.

One student, senior government major Chris Suber, said the word has not been looked at closely by society.

“I feel interested in it,” Suber said. “It is a topic that gets overlooked, especially by people my age. To them, it is not that big of a concern.”

Suber said because it is used often, it makes it OK for anybody to use it.

When the two-hour forum was over, students discussed their feelings on the event.

“I thought it was good, especially after I had heard the word being used by my professor,” said Monchel Sharp, junior chemistry major. “(The professor) was trying to be sensitive, but the use of the word was wrong. Just because negative words are available, that does not mean we need to use them.”

The forum, first held in 2000, promotes Africa For Reeducation, Innovation, Consciousness and Achievement, a cultural organization at Sac State that offers an atmosphere for people of color to achieve higher education and expansion through leadership, community involvement and academics.

Patrick Marshall, the president of AFRICA, said the forum was a learning experience. He wanted to see how others felt about the “n” word.

“One of the reasons why I came was to see other people’s responses,” Marshall said.

When somebody is using the word in a derogatory manner and you don’t say anything, that is the same as you saying the word with them, he said.

In addition to this forum, other events will take place on campus as part of Black History Month.

Karlos Santos-Koy, program adviser for Student Activities, said he appreciated the hard work that went into the coordination of the events.

“The campus community should take pride that their fellow students have taken time to coordinate and plan these events for education,” Santos-Koy said. “The purpose of Black History Month is to honor the culture; it really is a part of American history, in addition to black history,” he said.

For more information on the events taking place this month, visit www.csus.edu/mcult.

Vanessa Johnson can be reached at [email protected].