March 15, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E553 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT PRAISING THE WORK OF TONY hands of her former employer are at the AMENDMENTS OF 2007 BEST, WHO JOINS MEMBERS OF heart of a federal civil rights case in which THE COUNCIL IN Carter is seeking substantial damages from SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THE N- the Sheridan family for abusing her civil SPEECH OF rights. Fred Brewington, one of New York WORD State’s top civil rights attorneys, is handling HON. TOM DAVIS Carter’s case. HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL ‘‘It’s a degrading term and should never be OF OF NEW YORK used to describe anyone,’’ said the West In- dian. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The slur, its abusive use and why it should Thursday, March 15, 2007 Wednesday, March 14, 2007 be banned are the subject of a resolution, Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today which is to be debated by the New York City Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, Council this week in Manhattan. Introduced to enter into the RECORD an op-ed article by City Councilmember, Leroy Comrie of for 40 years, the Freedom of Information Act drafted by Tony Best and printed the Carib , the measures describes the word as (FOIA) has ensured the public’s access to News. The article, ‘‘A Racial Slur That Causes ‘‘an ignorant and derogatory’’ insult. Government records. The 1966 act replaced Black Nanny To Cringe: Why New York City Because of constitutional issues, such as the old ‘‘need to know’’ standard with today’s Council May Ban Use of N-Word,’’ published the First Amendment right of free speech, ‘‘right to know’’ practice, placing the burden on March 6, 2007, highlights the power of the the resolution which calls for a moratorium the government to justify any need for se- word and the need for more thoughtful con- on the use of the word in New York City wouldn’t have the force of law but its ap- crecy. However, the FOIA process has re- versation about its implications and usage. As stated in the article, the N-word is ‘‘a de- proval would be symbolic while drawing at- cently struggled to keep up with the public’s tention to the importance of not using it. demand for documents. Since 2002, FOIA re- grading term and should never be used to de- Austin ‘‘Tom’’ Clarke, one of Canada’s top quests have increased 71 percent. This addi- scribe anyone.’’ These words are particularly novelist whose book, ‘‘The Polished Hoe,’’ tional volume has delayed the processing of salient for Cindy Carter, a West Indian nanny won the Giller Prize, Canada’s equivalent of some requests. who was physically and verbally disrespected the Pulitzer and then went on to be chosen a by her employer, who insisted in calling her a few years ago as the best novel in the Com- Not long ago, President Bush signed an Ex- ‘‘stupid N-’’ among other equally offensive ex- monwealth of nations in Africa, the Carib- ecutive Order to make FOIA operations more pressions. bean, Asia, Australia, Canada and New Zea- citizen-centric and results-oriented by requiring land, objects to the use of the term. Since its inception the word has been used ‘‘It is a degrading word meant to be just every agency to name a Chief FOIA Officer, to pierce the minds and hearts of black people establish a FOIA Requester Service Center, that, degrading and no one, including Blacks throughout the Diaspora. Despite being ‘‘re- should find it acceptable,’’ he said sometime identify underperforming areas, and formulate claimed’’ by generations who prefer to use the ago in . ‘‘I vigorously object to its a plan to implement improvements. term as a familiar greeting for one another— use.’’ Legislation designed to streamline and im- an attempt to take a word that has been his- Irving Burgie, the composer of some of the prove the FOIA process was introduced last torically used by whites to degrade and op- world’s best known music, such as ‘‘Day-O,’’ press black people, a word that has so many ‘‘Island in the Sun,’’ ‘‘’’ and Congress by the gentleman from Texas, Mr. ‘‘Mary’s Boy Child,’’ agrees with Comrie, SMITH. His bill had moved through sub- negative connotations, and turn it into some- Clarke and other advocates of its ban. committee to the full committee, with the as- thing beautiful—the slur is abusive, ignorant ‘‘The history of its use has always been de- sistance of the gentleman from Pennsylvania, and derogatory. grading and there is nothing redeeming Mr. PLATTS. The Executive Order adopted I applaud the work of Mr. Best and New about it,’’ he said from his home in Hollis many of the process improvements contained York City Council persons, led by member Queens. ‘‘We shouldn’t try to fool ourselves about that. in that bill. Leroy Comrie of Queens to call for a morato- rium on the use of the N-word in our city. ‘‘Burgie was referring to the rappers who The Majority took this bill and made addi- have embodied ‘‘nigga’’ in their lyrics and A RACIAL SLUR THAT CAUSES BLACK NANNY tional changes, moving beyond process re- contend it’s a term of endearment when used TO CRINGE, WHY NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL forms. by Blacks to describe other Blacks. MAY BAN USE OF N-WORD For example, Mos Def, a rapper, said in First, the attorney’s fee provision appears to (By Tony Best) 1999 that they had taken ‘‘a word that has lower the bar attorney’s fees eligibility. The Every time Cindy Carter, a West Indian been historically used by whites to degrade Supreme Court has ruled on this matter, and who lives and works as a nanny on Long Is- and oppress us, a word that has so many neg- it appears some want to codify old, more lu- land, hears the racial slur, it brings back ative connotations, and turning it into some- thing beautiful, something we can call our crative, law. We should take a close look at nightmares. ‘‘It’s an awful word,’’ said the young own.’’ this provision. There is a great deal of talk woman referring to the infamous and deroga- Linguists and others trace the origin of its about freedom of information, and open Gov- tory N-word. use in the U.S. to 1619 when John Rolfe, a ernment, and the public right to know. But I Her nightmares go back to 2005 when an colonist in Jamestown wrote in his diary hope when we scratch the surface of this bill, employer, Fontaine Sheridan, allegedly that a Dutch ship had arrived there with 20 it is not about money. pushed her down some steps at the white ‘negars,’’ meaning African captives. woman’s Massapequa Park home in Nassau While some scholars argued that Rolfe’s Second, the Majority has listened to vocal County, scattered her clothes on the lawn, use of the word wasn’t meant as a slur but special interest complaints about the so-called screamed vulgar expressions, called her a was simply another way of describing ‘‘Ne- Ashcroft memo, and is attempting to codify the ‘‘stupid nigger’’ and ordered her to get ‘‘off groes’’ others contend that it was always de- policies of former Attorney General Reno. I my (obscenity) property.’’ signed as a pejorative expression. Nineteenth hope we can come to real bipartisan agree- The housewife didn’t stop there. She re- century American literature was laced with portedly told the Black woman who had been it, reflecting the attitudes of White racists ment on this provision as we move forward. looking after her children, ‘‘I have been and slave owners who believed that ‘‘nig- Improving the procedural aspects of FOIA waiting for three years to call you a nigger.’’ gers’’ were sub-human species. should be our goal here today. It is something Almost a year later, Sheridan pleaded But Black rappers and a few Black come- we all agree on. Although the debate on the guilty to simple assault in a Nassau County dians began incorporating it in their using it court and was placed on probation, ordered more than 25 years ago, giving it some meas- appropriate balance between open access and to do community service and to attend anger ure of acceptance among young Blacks who protected records will continue, I trust we will management classes. object to its use by whites. find a way to balance National Security with The N-word and the circumstances sur- Comrie and the resolution’s supporters the vital principles of open Government. rounding Carter’s injury, allegedly at the contend the use of the N-word by Blacks is

∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor.

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