Posted on 10/21/2003 11:55:44 PM PDT by JohnHuang2
A white literacy coach is under fire for reading a black man's essay on the N-word at a Brooklyn seminar and using African-American diction and mannerisms in her performance.
According to a report in Newsday, Jill Bloomberg read "The 'N' Word: It Just Slips Out" at a local high school, hoping to stimulate discussion among several high-school literacy coaches in attendance at the Oct. 10 event.
Instead, her performance caused several black attendees to walk out.
"It was like watching Al Jolson do 'Mammy,'" Cathie Wright Lewis, a 21-year teacher and literacy coach, told the paper. "It was like getting stabbed in the heart repeatedly.
"I couldn't believe she was sitting there using the N-word with no regard for anyone's culture," continued Lewis.
The essay was written in 1997 by an 18-year-old black man, Allen Francis. According to the report, Francis hoped to analyze his own use of the N-word, as well as discuss its broader use in society.
Newsday reports Bloomberg leads the literacy session each Friday for her region. Though Lewis called for Bloomberg's dismissal, New York City Department of Education spokeswoman Margie Feinberg says that won't happen.
Regional superintendent Carmen Farina has been visiting groups to discuss the incident, the paper said.
"This was an unfortunate isolated situation that resulted from one person's poor judgment," she said in a statement. "It will not happen again."
Lewis says she and several others confronted Bloomberg after the session about her action, quoting the offending coach as saying she didn't mean to insult anyone and that she was "looking for shock value."
The report included an excerpt from Francis' essay: ""There's still the question of why black people use [the N-word] to begin with. Maybe we have decided to take control of this otherwise bad word to use for our own purposes. Maybe we want to give it a new meaning. Or maybe we cling to the word so as to never forget what the black race went through. Maybe it makes us feel good to have become the users of the word and not the victims of it."
And before anyone flames me and reminds me that words can be powerful and cause "hurt feelings", I would remind you that the constitution allows free speech (even stupid speech), but there is nothing in the constitution that guarantees a person the right not to be offended.
Just a teensy bit overly dramatic I think !
I find this a little contradictory, but then I'm one of those linear thinkers.
Why does she call herself a "literacy coach", you ask. Because she doesn't want to call herself a teacher or an instructor. That would be hierarchical, you see. She's a facilitator of learning, not a director. A guide on the side, not a sage on the stage. Let's group hug and sing Kumbaya ...
Indicates that the topic under discussion is inherently racist.
It is sarcasm..
i.e.;
"Oh, c'mon, "N", you can't do that!" (followed by knowing laughter)
I personally refuse to use "that word" under any circumstances.
Not so much that it is "hurtfull", or racist. (depends on context)
It's just that I can find plenty of things to dislike about people without concerning myself with the color of their skin, or culture.
I prefer to refer to such annoying people as "A$$-holes".
It is not referential to any category of race, religion or gender, social status, political preference, etc..
But if one cares to single out any one category of human for any reason, I can guarantee there will be a certain percentage of A$$-holes in said group.
Don't even try to understand it..
It's a Statistical "Thing"...
Only black people can say certain things in America.
I especially like it when they tell blonde jokes.
Some day, we white males will get free speech again.
The teacher was FEMALE....
Not male.
I found it amusing that all the postings seem to assume the "teacher" was a white male.
Are you waiting for someone's permission to speak freely?
If you want to work in a university, you will learn to bite your tongue... unless you are a left winger.
The same goes for students. When you speak, have one eye on the speech codes white boy.
You have probably noticed by now, that liberals go around loudly spouting their opinions, and this does not seem to affect their careers. Let a conservative do the same...
So many aspects of the "African-American experience" have gone to the extreme, so as to become corollaries to spending one's milk money on the lotto.
These people need to get over their obsessions to get on with making a better life for themselves. Quit posing for the facade of media attention already!
HF
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