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Too often, as a society, we insult our young people, labeling them as a lost generation. Here's a young man who has taken leadership in to his 11-year-old hands.
Jonathan E. McCoy gave a rousing speech earlier this year to his church in Baltimore about why our community needs to drop the 'N' word. His speech, "A New Petition," called for the discontinuation of that six-letter word, and the slang usage of the word.
"I'm sending a message to everyone who knowingly or ignorantly uses this word to describe our people, whether you're a gangster rapper who uses it to communicate with your boys, or someone who looks down on us who haven't got a college education," said the pint-sized orator. "Whatever the case, it's time to discontinue the use of this word. It is implausible that 40 years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we still use this word that holds no worth in our lives nor our future."
Watch McCoy's speech:
According to his Facebook fan page, Jonathan has always been a gifted child. At an early age, he learned about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and was immediately drawn to Dr. King's commitment to justice for all. Jonathan's early desire to effect change, inspired him to use petitioning as a way to call out injustice.
His first act of petitioning apparently involved hand washing. While in the second grade, says his Facebook profile, Jonathan asked his fellow classmates to sign a petition that would allow students the choice to opt out of the school's enforced hand sanitizer policy and instead wash their hands with soap and water. When his teacher found out about the petition, she settled the request in the children's favor.
Since presenting a "New Petition" to the 1,500 plus congregants at Empowerment Temple in Baltimore, Jonathan has appeared on Black America Web with Tom Joyner, and spoken at numerous events around the country. Through his relationship with Morehouse College, Jonathan has promoted what is called a "Free Zone" initiative which discourages sagging, cursing, and use of the "N" word.
According to his fan page, Jonathan maintains a high GPA and has been the recipient of a plethora of awards, citations, and acknowledgments for his academic achievements. All of this comes at the encouragement of his parents, who support his talents.
Vintage Racist Advertising
Top left LOS ANGELES - DECEMBER 1: Brigitte Nielsen and Flavor Flav present onstage at the VH1 - Big in '04 on December 1, 2004 at the Shrine Auditorium, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Top right: 1899 -- Uncle Tom's Cabin: Topsy Illustration --- Image by © CORBIS; Bottom right: 1930s AC spark plugs ad in The Saturday Evening Post -- Photo by The Authentic History Center; Bottom left: This cartoon image provided by the New York Post appeared in the Post's Page Six Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. The cartoon, which refers to Travis the chimp, who was shot to death by police in Stamford, Conn. on Monday after it mauled a friend of its owner, drew criticism Wednesday on media Web sites and from civil rights activist the Rev. Al Sharpton. (AP Photo/New York Post) ** NO SALES ** Credit: Getty Images / Corbi / Authentic History Center / AP
Getty Images / Corbi / Authentic History Center / AP
Advertisement for an African-American slave sale.
Although the enslavement of mankind in general has been recorded as early as 1200 BC; the first African slaves were reportedly transported to the 'New World' in 1517. This is 76 years after the first black slaves were captured and taken to Portugal.
Bettmann / Corbis
African American Stereotypes: Products and Advertising c.1880s Tin of Nigger Hair Tobacco
For decades this product was sold in stores as chewing tobacco or for smoking. It was advertised as 'pure, unadulterated, fine old burley leaf.'
Photo Source: The Authentic History Center
The Authentic History Center
1888 -- Seal of North Carolina Tobacco - The Darktown Bowling Club Poster -- Image by © Swim Ink 2, LLC/CORBIS Seal of North Carolina Tobacco - The Darktown Bowling Club Poster
Swim Ink 2, LLC / Corbis
ca. 1890 -- Zoulou Powder Poster (French advertisement)
Because offensive advertising was permeated throughout the world for many years, (and still is, as you will see in a few upcoming slides) it should come as no surprise that in more modern times 'racism has become the scourge of European soccer stadiums.'
Swim Ink 2, LLC / Corbis
ca. 1899 --- Uncle Tom's Cabin: Topsy Illustration --- Image by © CORBIS Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Topsy was a stereotypical pickaninny character in the book, 'Uncle Tom's Cabin.' Uncle Tom was a slave in the book. The term 'Uncle Tom' is recognized to be offensive and a derogatory name for a black man who is abjectly servile and deferential to whites.
Corbis
ca. 1899 --- George Thatcher's Greatest Minstrels Poster --- Image by © CORBIS George Thatcher's Greatest Minstrels Poster
Early definition of minstrel: a medieval poet and musician who sang or recited while accompanying himself on a stringed instrument, either as a member of a noble household or as an itinerant troubadour.
The black-face minstrel act was a very popular form of entertainment in 19th-century America. White audiences were receptive to the portrayals of Blacks as singing, dancing, grinning fools. T.D. 'Daddy' Rice, the original Jim Crow, became rich and famous because of his skills as a minstrel. Interestingly though, when he died in New York on September 19, 1860, he was broke.
Corbis
African American Stereotypes: Products and Advertising 1899 Durkee's Salad Dressing advertisement, Harpers Magazine
Notice the broken English purportedly spoken by black Americans, 'We're gwine ter live high ter-night ...'
Photo Source: The Authentic History Centerr
The Authentic History Center
Advertisement for Clarence Brooks and Co.'s Fine Coach Varnishes uses racist stereotypes to depict a group of African-American adults and children as they cheer and watch two shirtless boxers, one of whom appears unconscious, accompanied by the text "the Championship Fight, Sullivan Wins," late 1800s. The Sullivan in the text is a reference to boxer John L. Sullivan, who fought bare-knuckled in several famous bouts.
Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images
Advertisement for the St. Louis Beef Canning Company features an illustration of a stereotyped African-American character sitting on a can of beef, accompanied by phonetically rendered, stereotypical dialect-style text that reads: 'No Sah! dont jine no Exodus so as dis Beef lasts,' late 1800s.
Showing blacks to massacre the English language, further perpetuated the false idea that African Americans were somehow unable to be educated.
Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images
Comments: (2230)
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By: Van on 9/30/2009 4:36PM
Native Americans don't cry out because their problems with racism are not as public as it is for the black community. I grew up with a grandparent that disowned his own daughter for marrying a black man. This is not only a black vs. white issue. Hispanics are VERY racist towards blacks! It is so sad.
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By: me on 9/30/2009 6:49AM
Right on, young man ... I hope you go far in this world, farther than some of the ignoramuses that post on this board.
Peace to you throughout your life.
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By: sarahann on 9/30/2009 8:55AM
EXACTLY !!
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By: wendy on 9/30/2009 6:49AM
awesome speaker in a little package. i wish we could all be proud of young people who speak with such passion. i read some previous comments by some very ignorant people. what have all of you become? there is so much condemnation. i believe all of you antagonistic people are buttering your own ignorant bread by thinking your uneducated comments and oppressive behaviors are yours by birth because you have white skin. racism is about making yourself feel better than a whole group of people. with some of these comments, you can tell your nothing important, yet you can call yourself better than a whole race by making hateful comments. as a white person i think it's time to stop this craziness. you all seem so bitter for no reason. do you know how stupid you seem?
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By: ajphill1980 on 9/30/2009 9:13AM
BRAVO!!!
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By: Mckain on 9/30/2009 6:49AM
What is this going to prove. The F word and S word and a ton of other words have been "Eliminated" Everyone still uses them. And the N word does not necessarily mean your black. There are white N's and black N's. This term should be used for pieces of crap that don't deserve to breath. Like all them kids in Chicago that beat that kid to death. They are a bunch of N's and should be labeled as such.
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By: Elaine on 9/30/2009 8:37AM
If you want to consider that the 'N' word should be left into play; I disagree. Noone should be labeled for any reason. If you can't address anyone by name, best not to say anything at all. It's not anyone place to judge!
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By: Meredith on 9/30/2009 6:52AM
Here is something interesting... I don't hear white people using that word, I hear the blacks using it,.. so,.. preach to them little boy,.. not us.
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By: cjcrews on 9/30/2009 9:16AM
Using words like them and us demonstrates your ignorance and rasism. Those words are used to keep people separate. Remember there is only one race , its called the human race.
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By: Metris on 9/30/2009 3:23PM
Oh I beg to differ, White people use it all of the time right here, whenever, theirs a report of something wrong being done by a black people, then all of the white racist come out, and the comments are disgraceful, extremely racist, evil and ugly, and you people throw that word around like you're giving away candy, right here on aol. You know it and I know and you sound like one of them who do it.
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