So President Barack Obama used the N-word publicly during an interview. The same word that has been said about him privately across the country and in other nations since 2008. But now distinguished professor Dr. Cornel West has called Obama the first niggerized president. Besides all the surprise and outrage over both Obama’s use of the word and West’s characterization of him, does it really matter in light of what’s going on in this country currently?
West’s words were inflammatory in his interpretation of speaking truth to power, however he failed in his continued lack of respect for the country’s first Black president. In fact, West played into the hands of an already overtly racist trend in mainstream media to display the most negative portrayal of Blacks in this country. He knew that his words would have the desired effect of turning the nation’s attention away from the killings of nine innocent Blacks in Charleston, South Carolina, and put himself in the national spotlight. After all, West has a history of making radical statements wrapped in the cloak of absolute truths.
West stated, “A niggerized black person is a black person who is afraid and scared and intimidated when it comes to putting a spotlight on White supremacy and fighting against white supremacy.” This description is also true of other races, not just Blacks. But he specifically picked on Blacks who have already been picked on with this foul characterization. We live in ugly times and West used an ugly word to wrap up all of our issues into his intellectual shorthand. West is correct in stating that Obama has been scared to address White supremacy during his eight years in office.
In “post-racial” America the N-word and all of its derivatives should be politically abhorrent. But how long must we protect Obama because of his inaction on issues of race? West was ultimately right in his comments but wrong in his choice of words.
