Honey Brown Hope Foundation Hosts Summit on the Most Offensive Slur in the English Language

Sept. 6, 2010 - PRLog -- (Houston, TX) The ninth year anniversary of the terrorist attack against our nation that killed and wounded our fellow Americans in the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Delta Flight 1989 over Pennsylvania, will be observed on September 11, 2010.  We must never forget the lesson behind this tragedy is--hate destroys everything that it comes in contact with including the hater/perpetrator.

In observation of 9/11, Tammie Lang Campbell, Founder/Executive Director of the Honey Brown Hope Foundation, invites all concerned individuals to “What’s in a Name? --The Lethal Side Effects of the N-Word” summit.  This free event will be held at Houston Area Urban League’s Palm Center location, 5320 Griggs Road, Room C101 | Houston, TX 77021 from 10:00-11:30 a.m.   Light refreshments will be served from 11:30-12:00 p.m.  

The summit is designed to liberate minds from the n-word slur, encourage healthy self-worth and dignity among blacks, deter racism and promote mutual respect and healing among all.

The distinguish panelists will share their thoughts about the n-word’s incidents listed below,  discuss what everyone can do to stop the spread of racial hate and explore how the n-word’s definition in Merriam Webster, Oxford and Random House dictionaries influence the public’s perception of blacks, especially young schoolchildren.

PANELISTS:
• Hawaii Representative John Mizuno; Judson Robinson, president and CEO of Houston Area Urban League; Dr. Michael Emerson, professor of sociology and co-director of Institute of Urban Research at Rice University; Dr. Holly E. Heard, assistant professor of sociology, Rice University; Alphonso Braggs, president of Honolulu Hawaii NAACP; Aurra Fellows, president of Rice University's Black Student Association; and Raymond Whitley, former Fort Bend ISD's principal and current principal at Good Hope Charter School in Houston

The 2010 incidents below illustrate why the educational system, students, parents and public must work together to denounce the dangerous use of stereotypical, destructive and offensive language.

• August: Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s shocking n-word rant on her radio show
• August: Oscar Thornton, a black man,  allegedly killing 9 co-workers for being called the n-word
•April: A black teacher’s aide at Sterling High School in Houston, Texas, saying “Nigga Please” in response to a student’s comment
• March: Opponents of health care reform reportedly calling Georgia’s Congressman, John Lewis, the n-word and Rep. Barney Frank, D- Mass., an openly gay member of Congress, a "faggot"
•February: Spike Lee saying “Nigga Please” during his presentation at Houston Community College’s Black History Scholarship Banquet
• February: Fifth grade black male student at Quail Valley Elementary School in Fort Bend ISD, Missouri City, Texas reading, “catch a nigger by the toe” in a book he got from the school’s library called, Catch a Tiger by the Toe.  

To stop the destructive course of this racial slur, humanity must join forces.  One person called to action is Hawaii Representative John Mizuno.  To address Dr. Laura’s n-word comments and eradicate the use of this racial slur, he is introducing a symbolic resolution to ban it in Hawaii.

In addition to the National Urban League  issuing a statement denouncing Dr. Laura’s n-word rant,  the president of the Houston Area Urban League, Judson Robinson, said, “The Houston Area Urban Leagues mission is to enable African Americans and other minorities to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power, and civil rights.  Use of the n-word does not promote our agenda or mission.  In fact, it impedes our efforts and reminds us of the lack of respect African Americans have endured for centuries.”

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ABOUT THE HONEY BROWN HOPE FOUNDATION:

At the Honey Brown Hope Foundation, a non-profit writing/literacy organization, Hope for the future is alive; Hope is what we offer and Hope is what we nurture in young people.

Under the leadership of its Founder/Executive Director, Tammie Lang Campbell, the Foundation has worked for nearly two decades with learning institutions and other organizations to offer voter empowerment, drama, writing, character building, environmental awareness and diversity appreciation programs. For additional information, click--> http://www.honeybrownhope.org OR http://www.facebook.com/pages/Honey-Brown-Hope-Foundation....