State Senator Jack Hatch looks on during the seminar
Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones: And Names Can Hurt Me!
Quick Brief
Moderator: Dr. Eric Johnson
Panelists: Jessica Avant, Napoleon Douglas, Leonard Bell, Nancy Bobo, Marlana Schnell and Paulette Wiley
Thoughts, discussion, suggestions
• Conversation comes before solutions
• People need to pass on the history of the word
• There still seems to be confusion among the African American community about the use of word
• The White community is even more confused about use
• Education is key – a lot of young people don’t understand – cause they haven’t grown up with it
• Mentors for youth
• The “N” word is a symptom, not the cause
• We need to educate in the following areas:
o Influence of hate language and how it grants permission for violence
o Psychological impact of the word
o Historical relevance of the word
o Cultural competency
• Defining who African American are with/ without the word
• Power of Burial event
• If the “N” word is going to be bad - it is not OK for some to use, not in music or anywhere else
• This conversation is about hate and the reason we are speaking about this is that the “N” word represents the epidemy of hate “White people cant tell me what’s offensive to me”
• We need to have honest conversations
Suggested Next Steps
• Adults need to speak to young people about the word
• Having honest conversation
• Convening Blacks about the subject Multi-generational – education, political
• Be a Stop Sign – address the word when you here it
• Start a series of classes
• Whites need to teach the whites
• Directed curriculum – teaching about the power of words
• We’re not going to be afraid to be uncomfortable
• Inviting Educators to develop a curriculum outside the school district – how to counter this word – Homer Hill is committing himself
• Stop being the silent majority
• Multi-media campaign (Website, Radio & TV)
• Taking this to other cities in the State Conference – Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Burlington, Lincoln
• Abolish the “N” word contract – created by Rudy Simms
• Targeting a more diverse crowd – most of the room was African American: the reason we are here this event was planed was because a White Senator used the word in a conversation with a Black State Representative
• Next convening is pending
Click here for a contract of commitment from the www.Abolishthenword.com
http://abolishthenword.com/contract.htm
“Some say hate language is the beginning of violence. I suggest that is violence...” Dr. Eric Johnson
