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Hello from Everyone at Urban Thought Collective.com!

     Just stop using the “N” word in public. Stop advocating the word’s use in private. What will it take? Who must weigh in on this subject to end this debate? When will our community unite in the understanding that self denigration isn’t self love? How can we convince Brothers and Sisters “reclaiming” the word is at best a fantasy and at worst revisionist history?

     “The View” became “the hot topic” last week when a discussion of the “N” word caused co-host Elizabeth Hasselbeck to cry. The media promoted the story as a “catfight” and mischaracterized Whoopi as “attacking” Elizabeth. That’s no surprise. That’s what the media does to get ratings and sell magazines.

     I see the real issue being that two of the most prominent women of color on television publicly advocated the use of a racial slur. It breaks my heart.

     I must confess my bias. I love Whoopi Goldberg. She is wildly talented, bright, provocative, and insightful and even as an Academy Award winner, I think her career is horribly underappreciated. Not by me. Her voice and presence on “The View” has really lifted the show. Her opinion carries weight. That’s why I’m going to try and convince Whoopi, Sherri and anyone who will listen, to JUST STOP!

     I’m not the first person, or the most influential, to call for an end to using the word. So let me get in line. Let me pick just a few people whose life and work for civil rights, justice and humanity did not or has not included publicly advocating the use of the “N” word. Dr. Martin Luther King , Medger Evers, Malcolm X, A Phillip Randolph, Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, Shirley Chisholm , Gandhi, Dorothy Height, Dr. Cornell West, Desmond Tutu , Maya Angelou, Sidney Poitier and Nelson Mandela . That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Who else do we need to hear from?

     I believe in the freedom of speech. I believe in the right to privacy. I will defend everyone’s freedom to do and say whatever they feel in private. But the days of using the word “amongst ourselves” are gone... We are promoting the proliferation of the word around the globe! Our music, our films and some of our best and brightest will publicly campaign to call their friends and themselves a racial slur. It’s the greatest Jedi mind trick ever pulled!

     Furthermore, why only that word…

TO FINISH THE THOUGHT, VISIT: http://urbanthoughtcollective.com/2008/07/23/darryl-bell-whoopi-goldberg-the-view/

Urban Thought Collective is a new digital community exploring everything from pop culture to politics from an African-American perspective. 

Darryl Bell is an actor and Chicago native, best known for his roles in classic TV series “A Different World” and Spike Lee’s “School Daze.” His unique television commentary is exclusive to Urban Thought Collective.