White students can’t say slurs in 2021

For many people, slurs are just words—something you hear in passing conversations or music—and these words mean nothing. 

This is for two reasons. The first is that they never learned what they mean or how they affect others. The second is familial bias. 

If a white kid grows up hearing B****r and N****r, they will think it is OK to say them. They never learned the real effects of it so they never learned why you can’t say them. 

But BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) do know the real effects. They deal with the real effects daily. They deal with the pain and distress that come with being called/hearing these words when they leave the house. 

But it isn’t their job to teach us as white people to watch our mouths and our privilege. It’s ours. 

As we are all aware, the most “popular” slur in our community is the N-word as shown by both past and recent events. The devastating nature of this slur is one that our history classes have so eloquently passed over. 

It was 1619 when the first of many ships arrived in a port in Virginia carrying around 20 African people who were chained up to be sold into the budding slave trade. It was the first documented arrival of slaves in the United States, and the Africans were only referred to with the Spanish word for black. The word is “Negro” (pronounced Neigh-grow); however, as racism ensued, it became a slur and the base of a slur in our culture. 

The use of this word is a way to desensitize Americans to the fact that these are our fellow human beings. The N-word and all variations were used to blind white Americans until all they saw was a color. It is dehumanizing and hateful. It is not a funny word; it is a slur, a hateful, arrogant, and racist slur. 

If you still think it’s a fun word and you can ignore everything in its past remember. people are not always thinking the same as you. Things that you think are funny are deeply hurtful to others; things that you get the privilege to ignore, others don’t. 

If you go through life making excuses for that word you are defending a culture of racism and abuse. Instead, as you go through this life use your voice to stand for them. If you hear it speak against it, If you see it report it. Utilize the see something say something link on the school’s website and help remove the word from our community.

As a country, America needs to do better, and as a school, Cedar Falls needs to do better. Go to a BSU meeting, do the research, just be better. 

Slavery may seem like it’s over, but it isn’t. Segregation may seem like it’s over, but economic segregation isn’t, social segregation isn’t, casual racism isn’t. And even if they were, it doesn’t give anyone the right to be horrible to others or to do horrible things to them. And racial slurs aren’t the only ones that these apply to. Don’t say any slur, don’t say f*g or t****y or anything like that. You aren’t cool because you hurt people. You may have your opinions on these communities but you can very well keep it to your damn self.

No one deserves to be attacked by their “friends.” No one deserves to face hate when they just want to learn calculus, and no one deserves to spend their lives in fear. 

Do everything you can to be a better person, a better friend, and a better ally. Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia are not a good look,  try kindness and acceptance. you look less like a soaked rat and more like a fluffy mouse when you are good to those holding the umbrella.

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