Received with a mix of raised eyebrows and speculative gazes, author Randall Kennedy transfixed his audience Thursday afternoon with conversation about a single word that has conveyed a tone of racial hated for centuries.
Kennedy, currently a professor at Harvard Law School, spoke at the Penn Bookstore in front of a diverse crowd of roughly 50 people, the first stop on a three-month tour to promote his recent book, Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word.
The short yet controversial volume is the result of Kennedy's effort to "put a tracer on nigger," exploring the historical significance of the word and the impact it has exerted on American life, especially in the legal system.
Kennedy addressed the consequences of using "nigger" and situations where, in his opinion, "people have reacted wrongly" to it. He also investigated the different connotations of the word, arguing that it carries different meanings depending on the situation in which it is used.
The word is arguably the most offensive racial insult in all of American history, and Kennedy does not deny the weight it bears.
"This is a very volatile word," he said. "It may very well be a word that may put one in danger."
Nevertheless, Kennedy commended those blacks "using this word self-consciously in an effort to yank the word away from anti-black bigots and make it their own."
He mentioned cases of black comedians and music artists who are determined to use the term as often as possible in an effort to "defang the word."
In an emotional moment, Kennedy further explained his motivation for delving into the history of the word "nigger."
"I do think there's some aspect of beauty in this history -- this history is deep," he said.
The notion that the "n-word," as it is often euphemized, can be used as a term of endearment or empowerment -- as in rap music -- struck a nerve with many in attendance who find it difficult to ignore the sense of inferiority that the word automatically carries.
The audience responded to Kennedy's statements with mixed opinions, dynamically responding to his request for "questions, comments and... objections."
"Being an Afro-American women, it is a very offensive word to me," said Roberta Metelits, a retired employee of Penn's School of Medicine. "He did not convince me otherwise."
Bert Elmore, a local attorney, had similar feelings.
Elmore felt that Kennedy's book tour was "a quest to make the word more acceptable in America which is going to be met by massive resistance by black people."
"I don't think he understands the magnitude of the permanent wounding this word has among blacks," Elmore added.
However, others impressed by Kennedy.
"I think he argued his position well," said College junior Emily Newman.
"It was very interesting," said Penn Legal Studies Professor Ken Shropshire. "It gives you a lot to think about."
Kennedy said he was happy with the discussion his book provoked among the audience.
