Students and faculty gathered at the University Union Lobby Suite today to discuss one of the most charged words in the English language.

The N-Word Forum, presented by the Black Staff and Faculty Association, was organized to celebrate Black History Month. John Strother, a BSFA member and part of the Division of Social Work, facilitated the event.

“I have been involved the last two years and am always delighted to come back to talk about this controversial topic,” Strother said.

The forum was designed for all ages and was targeted specifically to Sac State students in order to get them to think about the n-word and why people today use it.

“We are talking about the n-word because we want to let people know about its history, who’s using it today and why they use it,” professor of criminal justice and BSFA member Cecil Canton said.

“Its purpose was to ensure that students, faculty and staff fully understand the effects of the word,” Canton said.

The chairs that the audience sat in were in the shape of a “U” to promote discussion on the topic.

Strother used presentation topics such as the history and politics of the n-word and examined the way it is used in today’s pop culture, such as music and the media.

Some of the students who attended the forum expressed their disapproval of the word.

“I don’t use it,” said Allison Daniels, junior health science major. “It’s not OK for people to use that word.”

Other students attended the event because the topic fascinated them.

“It is a topic that gets overlooked, especially by people my age. It isn’t that big of a deal,” senior government major Chris Suber said.

More events celebrating Black History Month will be taking place throughout February. For more information, click here to visit the Multi-Cultural Center web site.

Vanessa Johnson can be reached at [email protected]