Anonymous wrote:We are not missing the point. You’re just not hearing us. Is it suddenly okay to say this word as a white person because you give a warning first? That’s silly.

I can understand this older teacher maybe thought it was okay. For the work! The rules don’t apply in the classroom somehow when a black author wrote the word, and because the author’s point is that language has power!

Okay, but language has power! You are still an old white guy saying this word in a classroom with kids, and you are the one in that room with power as their teacher. The fact that language has power is exactly the point. You reading that word as a white teacher regardless of the wishes of your students is claiming a power over them whether you fully intend it or not.

When folks were railing against wokeness, I didn’t think the issues would be this basic. This is stuff that I as a white person understood at least 15 years ago. Seriously wtf?

Anonymous wrote:We are not missing the point. You’re just not hearing us. Is it suddenly okay to say this word as a white person because you give a warning first? That’s silly.

I can understand this older teacher maybe thought it was okay. For the work! The rules don’t apply in the classroom somehow when a black author wrote the word, and because the author’s point is that language has power!

Okay, but language has power! You are still an old white guy saying this word in a classroom with kids, and you are the one in that room with power as their teacher. The fact that language has power is exactly the point. You reading that word as a white teacher regardless of the wishes of your students is claiming a power over them whether you fully intend it or not.

When folks were railing against wokeness, I didn’t think the issues would be this basic. This is stuff that I as a white person understood at least 15 years ago. Seriously wtf?

Anonymous wrote:We are not missing the point. You’re just not hearing us. Is it suddenly okay to say this word as a white person because you give a warning first? That’s silly.

I can understand this older teacher maybe thought it was okay. For the work! The rules don’t apply in the classroom somehow when a black author wrote the word, and because the author’s point is that language has power!

Okay, but language has power! You are still an old white guy saying this word in a classroom with kids, and you are the one in that room with power as their teacher. The fact that language has power is exactly the point. You reading that word as a white teacher regardless of the wishes of your students is claiming a power over them whether you fully intend it or not.

When folks were railing against wokeness, I didn’t think the issues would be this basic. This is stuff that I as a white person understood at least 15 years ago. Seriously wtf?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What "data"?

You never hear anyone say, "I'm voting D because the Rs were mean to me!" Only the other way around.

There's no need to sidetrack this but that's just patently untrue.

“I used to be open to immigrants and universal healthcare, but then someone made me call them by a different pronoun so now I’m voting for Trump.”

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am Black, and I don't use the word.

But now we have moms who are upset that their children are being denied the right to say the n-word. Don't be surprised when they start banning books..

None of us here say the n-word, and none of our non-Black kids would use that word in speech (some probably sing it, which I don't think anyone --rappers included -- should).

The issue here is a teacher reading a quote from a novel which uses the word intentionally.

Exactly. The point of this thread is being lost as usual. Bottom line is teacher read verbatim a passage and warned students he would be doing it. He was reported.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am Black, and I don't use the word.

But now we have moms who are upset that their children are being denied the right to say the n-word. Don't be surprised when they start banning books..

None of us here say the n-word, and none of our non-Black kids would use that word in speech (some probably sing it, which I don't think anyone --rappers included -- should).

The issue here is a teacher reading a quote from a novel which uses the word intentionally.

Anonymous wrote:I am Black, and I don't use the word.

But now we have moms who are upset that their children are being denied the right to say the n-word. Don't be surprised when they start banning books..

Anonymous wrote:Who has accused the teacher of a hate crime?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, just say “n-word”. My kid is reading Sing, Unbroken, Sing at SSSAS. The teachers explained to the students that the (Black) author used the word (spoken by both Black and white characters in the book) and that the students themselves should say “n-word” if reading aloud or type “n*****” if quoting the book in a written response.

It’s important to read and discuss books with these themes and topics but it’s also important for teachers and students to understand what language is and isn’t acceptable even in purely academic discussion. There are easy work-arounds that don’t take away from the author’s choices to include certain words, the importance of introducing such words from an academic standpoint, or the importance of the importance of the topic, but still don’t have students or even teachers speaking certain words about loud.

You missed an important point, which is that Toni Morrison, a poet and novelist, deliberately chose to use the n-word in her own writing. Toni Morrison was a staunch supporter of free speech (she even wrote an intro to a recent edition of Huck Finn!), and she chose to use the n-word instead of something less noticeable because it has meaning. If she wanted people to read "n-word," she would have chosen a different word.
In the context of a GDS class taught by a veteran teacher, it's clear that the teacher using the n-word had provided appropriate guidance to the students. GDS admin went too far in admonishing the teacher and letting the student run roughshod over the pedagogical process. From now on, teachers are going to think twice about introducing any literature that could be controversial, much to the detriment of GDS students. It's truly sad to see a paragon of intellectual free thinking devolve into a caricature of knee-jerk liberal politics.

Hey, maybe you haven’t noticed, but Toni Morrison is black.

Black music artists also choose to use the n word in their songs. White people still can’t sing that word.

Where have you been if you are not aware of this modern reality? This is a small toll on your freedom and really is NOT that big a deal. Get over yourself. Maybe ask yourself why it’s so important to you that white people should be saying that word when there are black people in the classroom that do not want to be subjected to that. Why does your white opinion matter more than theirs?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, just say “n-word”. My kid is reading Sing, Unbroken, Sing at SSSAS. The teachers explained to the students that the (Black) author used the word (spoken by both Black and white characters in the book) and that the students themselves should say “n-word” if reading aloud or type “n*****” if quoting the book in a written response.

It’s important to read and discuss books with these themes and topics but it’s also important for teachers and students to understand what language is and isn’t acceptable even in purely academic discussion. There are easy work-arounds that don’t take away from the author’s choices to include certain words, the importance of introducing such words from an academic standpoint, or the importance of the importance of the topic, but still don’t have students or even teachers speaking certain words about loud.

You missed an important point, which is that Toni Morrison, a poet and novelist, deliberately chose to use the n-word in her own writing. Toni Morrison was a staunch supporter of free speech (she even wrote an intro to a recent edition of Huck Finn!), and she chose to use the n-word instead of something less noticeable because it has meaning. If she wanted people to read "n-word," she would have chosen a different word.
In the context of a GDS class taught by a veteran teacher, it's clear that the teacher using the n-word had provided appropriate guidance to the students. GDS admin went too far in admonishing the teacher and letting the student run roughshod over the pedagogical process. From now on, teachers are going to think twice about introducing any literature that could be controversial, much to the detriment of GDS students. It's truly sad to see a paragon of intellectual free thinking devolve into a caricature of knee-jerk liberal politics.

Hey, maybe you haven’t noticed, but Toni Morrison is black.

Black music artists also choose to use the n word in their songs. White people still can’t sing that word.

Where have you been if you are not aware of this modern reality? This is a small toll on your freedom and really is NOT that big a deal. Get over yourself. Maybe ask yourself why it’s so important to you that white people should be saying that word when there are black people in the classroom that do not want to be subjected to that. Why does your white opinion matter more than theirs?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, just say “n-word”. My kid is reading Sing, Unbroken, Sing at SSSAS. The teachers explained to the students that the (Black) author used the word (spoken by both Black and white characters in the book) and that the students themselves should say “n-word” if reading aloud or type “n*****” if quoting the book in a written response.

It’s important to read and discuss books with these themes and topics but it’s also important for teachers and students to understand what language is and isn’t acceptable even in purely academic discussion. There are easy work-arounds that don’t take away from the author’s choices to include certain words, the importance of introducing such words from an academic standpoint, or the importance of the importance of the topic, but still don’t have students or even teachers speaking certain words about loud.

You missed an important point, which is that Toni Morrison, a poet and novelist, deliberately chose to use the n-word in her own writing. Toni Morrison was a staunch supporter of free speech (she even wrote an intro to a recent edition of Huck Finn!), and she chose to use the n-word instead of something less noticeable because it has meaning. If she wanted people to read "n-word," she would have chosen a different word.
In the context of a GDS class taught by a veteran teacher, it's clear that the teacher using the n-word had provided appropriate guidance to the students. GDS admin went too far in admonishing the teacher and letting the student run roughshod over the pedagogical process. From now on, teachers are going to think twice about introducing any literature that could be controversial, much to the detriment of GDS students. It's truly sad to see a paragon of intellectual free thinking devolve into a caricature of knee-jerk liberal politics.

Hey, maybe you haven’t noticed, but Toni Morrison is black.

Black music artists also choose to use the n word in their songs. White people still can’t sing that word.

Where have you been if you are not aware of this modern reality? This is a small toll on your freedom and really is NOT that big a deal. Get over yourself. Maybe ask yourself why it’s so important to you that white people should be saying that word when there are black people in the classroom that do not want to be subjected to that. Why does your white opinion matter more than theirs?