Deconstructing the "N" Word

“Do I have to go to this workshop? I don’t use the ‘N’ word”

This is what one of my students asked me Wednesday morning when they realized that the workshop would last from 9:30 to 12:00. Of course, my answer was simply, “Yes.”

While the workshop was long it was certainly not a monologue but rather a guided conversation that included the entire school. The facilitator, Marco, was engaging and charismatic and his style of presentation created a very comfortable environment to discuss a very uncomfortable topic. The workshop was less about the “N” word and much more about the history of the word and its negative connotations that stem from America’s deep rooted racism. Marco talked about everything from the slave trade to the Black Power movement to the present, including slavery, segregation, lynching, and civil rights. He discussed culture. He discussed the power of words and language. He discussed anthropology. Needless to say it was a very informative presentation and though we only began to scratch the surface it was done so in a thought provoking way that helped foster dialogue throughout the day, which hopefully will continue.

On Wednesday afternoon we broke into small groups and debriefed the morning’s workshop. Each group was then assigned a position regarding the use of the “N” word, whether it should be used, by whom, and in what context. Each group read some articles related to the topic and tried to glean evidence that supported their assigned position. The school then reconvened in the Commons where students were asked to defend their position in a structured debate. After each student defended their position, many very passionately, a jury of students handed down the verdict: the “N” word should not be used by anyone, at any time, in any context.

It was an informative, interesting, and insightful day. The wonderful behavior and participation of all students made for an amazing learning experience.