Activist Responsible for 2007 N-Word Burial on CNN Urges Support for Revised "Huckleberry Finn"

Feb. 9, 2011 - PRLog -- Austin, Texas--In conjunction with the Texas Black Caucus of State Legislators' Day and Black History Month, Tammie Lang Campbell, activist who was featured on CNN (view story) for 2007 N-Word burial, will hold a press conference in support of  NewSouth Books' revised edition of "Mark Twain's Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn."  This event will be held on Monday, February 28, 2011 at 11:30 a.m. on the South Steps of the Texas State Capitol (1500 North Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas  78701).

The Honey Brown Hope Foundation, Texas Legislative Black Caucus and Texas State Rep. Dr. Alma Allen are joining Campbell in this effort.  In association with the Honey Brown Hope Foundation, Campbell has purchased the first 100 copies of the revised edition of "Mark Twain's Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn."  These new books will be donated to schools in exchange for the old versions, which will be recycled.  She is calling upon all decent/concerned individuals and organizations to take part in this national movement to promote good race relations by purchasing the revised edition of "Mark Twain's Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn."

Campbell proclaims, "The n-word is not in my DNA.  It doesn't have any educational value.  In fact, removing the hate (n-word) out of this story and substituting it with "slave" preserves its historical value without using a racial slur.  The educational system does not need to inflict racial hate on our future to teach them about the past."

Texas State Rep. Dr. Alma Allen stated, "We, the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, firmly stand in support of NewSouth Books' revised edition of "Mark Twain's Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn" because it is an excellent way to share America's past through a classic story."

We at the Honey Brown Hope Foundation believe that embracing NewSouth Books' revised edition of "Mark Twain's Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn" is a testament to America's progress in race relations.

ABOUT ACTIVIST TAMMIE LANG CAMPBELL:
Believing that liberty is God's gift to humanity and that everyone should be equally valued, Campbell petitioned Merriam Webster and Random House dictionaries to remove or redefine the n-word in 1991.  In 2007, Campbell held a symbolic n-word burial that was featured nationally on CNN (view story--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQSyDD3L4es), in Manhattan City Council News and all local/state media outlets including the Houston Chronicle's front page.  To advance this effort, she created an anti-n-word campaign and wrote an op. ed. in the Houston Chronicle on 10/ 31/10 called, "N-word Remains far too Pervasive."  Her anti-n-word initiative has gained national support from New York City Councilman Leroy Cormier and Hawaii State Rep. John Mizuno.

ABOUT NEWSOUTH PUBLISHER'S REVISION:
Suzanne La Rosa, publisher of NewSouth Books, says the idea for this project originated with Dr. Alan Gribben. "Gribben wanted to give readers an opportunity to experience the literature he so loved and had spent a lifetime championing.  He pitched the idea for an edition of Twain's boy books with the hurtful epithets swapped out.  An educator and Twain scholar, Gribben perceived that teachers were increasingly avoiding the texts because it was difficult to hold discussion about the novels for reasons of the N-word."

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Under the leadership of its founder/executive director, Tammie Lang Campbell, the Foundation has worked for two decades to advance their causes: diversity appreciation, environmental stewardship, literacy, multicultural arts & civil rights.