NAACP Seeks Immediate Meeting With Slossberg. Admonishes Democrat Over N-word in Searing Statement.
“Bury the N word,” indeed. This statement prompts the question, once more, what books in a school library contained that terrible word? Was this Slossberg using a campaign to ban “Huckleberry Finn” to do some virtue signaling to what she anticipated was a hostile audience?
The CT NAACP statement:
The Connecticut State Conference of NAACP Branches, the largest and oldest Civil Rights Organization in the State, and the Black & Puerto Rican Caucus of State Legislators are releasing a joint statement concerning the recent racial comments Sen. Gayle Slossberg made while speaking to the UCONN College Democrats.
The UCONN College Democrats student group released an official statement regarding disturbing comments made by State Senator Slossberg during an invited talk to discuss the current state budget. Senator Slossberg began her remarks by describing her early work to remove books with racial epithets from grade school libraries. Senator Slossberg repeatedly used the N-word in describing her work without properly referencing it as a euphemism.
Based on this information the NAACP and the Black & Puerto Rican Caucus are deeply disturbed about State Sen. Slossberg’s poor lack of judgement. In this heightened climate of racial tension it is particularly disturbing that a legislator, elected to represent all residents of her district and indeed the state, would show such blatant disregard for the vile, painful, and ugly history of the “N word” and its contemporary use to provoke fear and intimidation. As a nation we have watched in shock as white supremacists carrying torches shouted chants that included derogatory references to Blacks and Jews in Charlottesville. On college campuses across the US, and indeed here in Connecticut, we have witnessed the need for respectful dialogue about issues of race, ethnicity, religion, and difference that doesn’t promote the wanton use of pejorative terms and stereotypes. Removing books from Libraries with problematic language may be admirable to some. However, we believe it is even more imperative to remove negative, demeaning terms from one’s personal language. For over ten years the NAACP has led a national effort to “bury the N word” based on the belief that a civil society demands a basic level of respect that should be shared by all people.
The Connecticut NAACP and the Black & Puerto Rican Caucus request an immediate meeting with Sen. Slossberg to discuss this very important matter and to prevent this type of insensitive behavior and poor judgement from happening again. Our children and young people look to elected officials and community leaders for guidance. We must lead with the values we seek to promote. Scot X. Esdaile, President CT NAACP State Conference NAACP National Board Member
Scot X. Esdaile, President CT NAACP State Conference NAACP National Board Member