I knew that around the world, in every country, in every society and in every group, two things have always been certain.  They are, those that demand respect are always on the top and those that allow disrespect are always on the bottom.  At its worse, the n-word is the ultimate insult of disrespect against Blacks.  Therefore, allowing such disrespect could only lead to Black America going downward.

When I hear the n- word, I see a beautiful Black child that grew old and died in slavery and was called the n-word life long.  I see a child being beaten and raped, while being called the n-word all of the time.  I see an aging lady giving birth to the master's child and mother and baby being called n-words.  I see a Black father losing his life for trying to protect his children and loved ones and being called the n-word all the time.  I see slaves dying and being buried in n-word cemeteries.  I see segregation and racism.  I see a belief that some feel that they mean more to God than others.  I see a people that gave their lives and suffered great pains to earn respect and a better life for Black generations to come.  I now see a generation giving away respect so easily, that they never had to earn.  Do they acknowledge any debt owed to our ancestors?  If it doesn't reach the heart, it really doesn't matter.

In 1994, my niece was confronted with the n-word in a bad way.  She went to her new dictionary for meaning.  What this innocent Black child saw was not a definition, but a description of profanity that pointed right back at her.  Other dictionaries had similar definitions that amounted to defamation.  Regardless of low down ways between adults, such a description could never apply to our innocent Black babies and children.  As printed, defamation appeared to exist.  After being given notice, intent would be clear.  This could lead to highly publicized lawsuits and requests that people not buy any dictionaries with the "n" word in them.  It could have a huge domino affect in sales and worldwide controversy within school systems and libraries.

That same year, I made argument to Funk & Wagnall's; as well as, other major dictionary companies.  I gave a certain deadline to avoid legal actions.  Before the deadline, I received notice that the n-word would not remain in Funk & Wagnall's Dictionary and would be deleted in all forthcoming publications.  Some dictionaries made changes, but never responded in writing.  Funk & Wagnall's expressed heart in their writing and made it clear that they cared.  I then became the first and only person to succeed at having the n-word deleted from a major dictionary.  What would this accomplishment mean?

This amounted to a precedence of historical magnitude and acknowledgement, by an expert of words, that such n-word definition was unacceptable as a description of a race.  A zero tolerance in disrespecting a race was being established.  Much of Black America is unaware of what amounts to a precedence.  It has now been twelve years.  By many media entities ignoring the accomplishment, certain companies with interest were being given time to sanitize the word.  The signing of Black musical artists that scream out the n-word, without knowledge of the damage, have contributed significantly to the attempted sanitizing of the n-word.  This has made it possible for the ultimate insult of disrespect against Blacks to remain in the books.  Court cases involving racism needed a precedence.  The sad part is that in doing this, many Blacks willingly accept the disrespect from anyone.  What has always been guaranteed is still guaranteed.  Those that demand respect will always be on the top and those that allow disrespect will always be on the bottom.

Historical meanings of the n-word are insignificant, when they do not match the pictures that ordinary people see in their minds when hearing the word.  Pre-Slavery definitions do not connect to why some of us relate to our grand parents and our ancestors of slavery, shedding tears when they heard the n-word.  They envisioned the pain and some of us envision the pain, the lynching, the torture, the rapes and the disrespect, while all the time being referred to with the n-word.  For example: A picture showed a slave lady being raped and beaten to death.  The slave lady was being called the Mona Lisa by her torturers throughout the beating.  The slave lady died.  When her loved ones hear the name Mona Lisa, they are not thinking about the historical meaning of the portrait.  They are thinking about the slave that was raped and beaten to death.  The picture of the slave lady is not one of endearment and can never give pleasure to those with heart.  Such is the n-word.  The n-word is simply profanity.  Whether being used in a friendly way or a hateful way, profanity is still profanity.  Despite different spellings or different pronunciations, we recognize profanity.  The n-word can never be a term of endearment.  Dictionaries that give description that also points to our innocent Black babies and children as n-words are committing defamation at its worse.

For additional information contact:  Attorney Roy Miller, 1401 Peachtree Street, Suite 500, Atlanta, Georgia 30309.  (478) 745-2402.  E-Mail: SelfRespect1@bellsouth.net.