NAACP Buries The 'N' Word During Detroit Funeral

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Site Last Updated: 6:35 PM EDT, August 29, 2008	Make BallerStatus Your Homepage

Published: Monday - July 9, 2007
Words by Allen Starbury

NAACP logo (Photo: NAACP)

There was a funeral held in the streets of Detroit Monday morning (July 9), but no one died. A pine casket, pulled through the streets by a horse and carriage, but there was no body inside. It was a symbolic funeral -- for the "N" word.

According to reports from the Detroit Free Press, thousands were gathered at Detroit's Hart Plaza to bare witness to the mock funeral, which they hold will end the use of the derogatory word by everyone.

The funeral, which was held by NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), was a part of a national convention being held in downtown Detroit this week and was attended by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and NAACP Chairman Julian Bond.

"Good riddance to this vestige of slavery and racism, and say hello to a new country that invests in all its people," said Granholm, who also said she was proud the event took place in her state.

During the service, Mayor Kilpatrick urged black men to take a stand and stop disrespecting themselves and black women. "You can't just bury the 'N' word. You have to bury all the nonsense that comes with it," Kilpatrick said, according to the Detroit Free Press. "Good riddance. Die 'N' word. We don't want to see you around here no more."

NAACP's burial of the "N" word comes after public discussion began after "Seinfeld" actor Michael Richards used the word repeatedly out of anger while on stage at Los Angeles' Comedy Store last year, and more recently Don Imus' derogatory use of the words "nappy headed hoes" to describe black members of Rutger's women's basketball team.

The two incidents have sparked public debate within the black community, the America public and among important black figures such as Al Sharpton, Russell Simmons and Jesse Jackson.

NAACP's Chairman Julian Bond repeated the Imus call during the opening address Sunday night (July 8) for the 98th annual convention, saying that if Imus can't call "our women as 'hos,' then we shouldn't either."

The paper reports that hip-hop legend Kurtis Blow, R&B singer Eddie Levert, Daryl Matthews (general president of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity), and Olrick Johnson Jr., a former NFL player, served as honorary pallbearers at the funeral.

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COMMENTS (10)

Ross Calloway Says:
Thursday - July 17, 2008 at 10:36pm

Looks like Rev. Jesse Jackson resurrected the N-word. Looks like he needs some sensitivity training towards Black people.

Pamela A. Hairston Says:
Friday - July 13, 2007 at 1:09pm

While all this fanfare is good and fine, when will one of the oldest and most influential civil rights organizations in the nation take a national stand on the real issues that plague black America, like the staggering numbers of new HIV/AIDS cases, black on black crime, high school dropout rates, babies having babies, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, obesity and diabetes. I'm sure I've left out a few maladies. As for the n-word, if I ever get my check in the mail for slavery reparations, white folks can call me n*****, n*****, n***** alllllll the way to home, for the debt will finally be paid! Thanks for listening and may God bless and protect our children and soldiers everywhere! Washington, DC

Yashaya Says:
Friday - July 13, 2007 at 6:33am

If you use the "N" word, you are still a slave! Plain and Simple! No other race puts themselves down in public! Words are powerful. Words have been the catalysts for revolutions. Only ignorant, backwards, and enslaved people refer to themsleves by using the "N" word. It boils down to lack of self love, lack of self-pride, and dignity. No self-loving black man with pride would refer to himself as a "Nigga." Stop following these "Devils" and develop some pride!!!

Leu Says:
Thursday - July 12, 2007 at 8:45am

I don't know why blacks say "nigga" and "Nigger" are two totally different words. The only thing contrasted from the two is the spelling! Hell if thats the case why don't the board for the Webster's Dictionary make a derivement of all words ending with "er" and "ing". Like "Bigger" and "bigga", I don't see people going around saying that those are two totally different words, If you want to be politically correct. Most blacks go around talking that silent "er" "ing" language all day and the word has the same meaning, because if it didn't other folk would be confused as hell as to what the black person was saying. I don't think this "funeral" will have any effect to the use of the word, but I hope it does. P.s. and no I'm not white.

Abi-Dave Says:
Wednesday - July 11, 2007 at 2:27am

Wow, These NAACP niggas are more ingnorant than the word its self(lol)!.But On a more serious note even if the word is "dead",what person do you know who dies and all of a sudden we forget about.Hell pac passed coming up on 11 years and he is still as alive in music fans hearts as he was when we first heard 2pacalypse Now or saw him in Juice. Go to Memphis, Elvis Presley is just as alive as you and I,This is a disgrace to all the EFFECTIVE and positive things that the NAACP has done recently- exscuse me, what have they done recently? I know first hand that the money they wasted to throw this "funeral" could have been put to good use in lower class majority black parts of MY city (Detroit,MI). This shit is not going to stop me or anyone else with nigga in there vocabulary from using this word. NIGGA,NIGGA,NIGGA!!! sorry just verifying, Yes the word is still alive

E_StRiNg Says:
Wednesday - July 11, 2007 at 2:23am

We of this generation have made the ultimate mistake of NOT searching our history, understanding it and making the hard commitment to change ourselves for the better. I sat with my father watching and listening to Martin Luther King when he spoke and taught. We both believed him and followed his guidance. Dad and I both became successful in our lives. We also faced discrimination as all of us did and we overcame it without a chip on our shoulders. I'm saying this to make the point that no words, no racial attitudes or ideas need stop Black Americans from overcoming our victim status in America. Our problem isn't the "N" word, it's our lack of teaching one another that the only force against us is US. All of the rappers that wear out the "N" word were little kids once. Who taught them to call each other "N" word anyway? The same people who taught them taught them their first words. Mom and (or) Dad. The same people who taught us that it’s OK to shoot each other down in cold blood. And when our community leaders get on T.V. and fuss about it, who are they talking to? We're the only people who can stop this in our communities. “I have seen the enemy and the enemy is us” as spoken by Pogo. I know. You don’t agree with me and you hate me for saying these things. It’s OK. I’m used to it. I’m just acting on facts and not emotions. This has never failed me.

William Says:
Tuesday - July 10, 2007 at 12:51am

It does seem to be a waste of resources and won't make a bit of difference. I lived in Colombia for a time, and it surprised me to see men of African descent walking hand-in-hand with their blonde or mestiza wives, or men of European descent married to women whose skin was as dark as it gets. It surprised me, because I was raised in the U.S., where the media (and individuals) plays up the race card every chance it gets. When Rodney King asked, "Can't we all just get along?", I was there, watching L.A. burn. Watching neighborhoods that I knew and loved disintegrate while news crews kept talking about "the, uh, Korean youth looting a, uh, Black-owned liquor store", pushing the racism, creating the damned racism right there on the nightly news. We are all being played by corporate puppetmasters who make money off of controversy. They don't really want racism to end. They damn well love it. What are we going to read about in the paper when we recognize that we all come from the same family - that we are all brothers? In Colombia, people lived, they loved, they enjoyed each other for being people. I quickly learned to forget about racism lurking in the collective consciousness. I think in the U.S., we need to do the same and remember that we are all part of the same race - the human race, and children of the same God.

BISHOP Says:
Tuesday - July 10, 2007 at 11:53am

Good comments from Cuttaz and dude. The problem is not with the "N" word in itself. You can take the word away and there are still going to be racist people who feel a certain way towards blacks. That word is just a means to express whats going on in their hearts. Taking the word away would only pacify those who are bothered by hearing it. It reminds me of my three year old son covering his ears because he does'nt want to hear whats being said. Lets not forget, there are MILLIONS of Non-Blacks who are racist but never use the word. The "N" word is just a leaf on a tree with roots that run deeper than any words could ever express. Can you kill a tree by picking off one leaf? Nevertheless I do applaud the concern and the action being taken to make some kind of change but the younger generation detonated that bomb years ago when we stripped the word of its power by molding it into a term of endearment. Use the efforts and resources on something bigger like the reperations issue. CHECKMATE

dude Says:
Tuesday - July 10, 2007 at 10:00am

I'm from Detroit, and I didn't attend this so called "funeral". This was absolute bullshit to me. The money spent on a horse and carriage ride, the travel arrangements made by the various people to make it my city, those folks who took off from work, could've been spent in the community. There are so many words that my generation has transformed into a different meaning. Such has bad means good now. I know that nigga is used more than wetback or white trash. But you don't see those races of people trying to bury a word. I'm black and I feel that black folks are going overboard with this. As far as the mayor kwame kilpatrick goes........that nigga is a fraud. He cheats on his wife, he had strippers inside of the manoogian mansion. That's the house all mayors of detroit live in. He didn't even make it to my brothers funeral. My brother was a cop and got killed, so you know that he was supposed to be there. Everything I stated is all facts, so I'm definetly not hating.

Cuttaz Says:
Tuesday - July 10, 2007 at 7:52am

The older generation needs to realize reality is reality, whether you think it's socially acceptable or not. There is a big difference between "Nigg-er" and "Nigg-a", they have completey different meanings. No one really uses the word "Nigg-er" anymore so burrying that word I can accept but people need understand that the urban youth or more or less the 80's and 90's generation uses the word Nigga when refering to pretty much anyone not just black people. I stay out in miami and I promise you that more hispanics use this term among themselves than black people. "Nigga" nowadays is just like using the words dude, bro, son, playa, cheif, pimpin, so I don't understand if it's not being used to degrade, devalue, insult or anger someone what is the problem. I think, which is kinda sad but true, that todays generation doesn't care but the history of the word. Black people really do care too much about what white people think of them and it's really sad. I think that this whole N-word campaign is refueling impact that this word once had. It's now obvious to white people that this word can still be used to create hate and anger amongst black people. Look at what ONE white person named Imus has done to the black community. It's so sad. Imagine what Three of Four white people can do if they decide to speak there true feelings?????