Essay 1265

From The Associated Press…

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Funeral held for hateful words

BELOIT, Wis. — More than 200 people attended a symbolic funeral to lay to rest the offensive term for blacks: the N-word.

“I didn’t know it was possible to be happy to go to a funeral,” said Milele Chikasa Anana, publisher of Umoja magazine in Madison. “Hallelujah! I am delighted that we are having a funeral!”

The Oct. 21 funeral was part of an event organized by the Black Star Project of Beloit, which was recently formed to pursue educational and job opportunities for blacks in Beloit and strengthen spiritual growth for families.

Before the funeral at New Zion Baptist Church, there was a ceremony at Bethel AME Church and a rally at Merrill Elementary School.

The N-word’s coffin was buried at East Lawn Cemetery, along with other hateful words that attendees wished to bury.

Wanda Sloan, a member of the Black Star Project and one of the funeral’s organizers, said she is bothered that some in what she called the hip-hop generation use the word as a term of endearment.

“It’s disturbing because it shows that the educational system is still being negligent at teaching African-American children and majority children about the true history,” Sloan said.