As a Black woman, I was deeply offended and hurt by the recent racist video uploaded by Valencia High School students that mimicked London Yellow’s “I hate N-word” song. However, the video brought to light the Santa Clarita Valley NAACP’s failure to lead their community toward a unified stance against hate speech. While the SCV NAACP has condemned the two students, this response is misplaced and fails to address the larger problem of hate speech in our society.
Hate speech is a problem that should be tackled head-on, and it is unacceptable that the local Black leadership in SCV is not doing enough to address it. The (national) NAACP launched the “Stop the Use of the N-Word” campaign in 2004, which called on the music industry to stop using the word and for Black people to stop using it altogether. This campaign was led by the NAACP’s then-president, Kweisi Mfume, who argued that the use of the N-word was harmful and perpetuated negative stereotypes about Black people. The SCV NAACP’s failure to adhere to this national campaign is a clear demonstration of their lack of leadership and commitment to the cause.
The SCV NAACP’s narrow focus on attacking two students rather than the larger issue of hate speech is further exacerbated by their failure to acknowledge the National Black Caucus of State Legislators’ resolution calling for a national campaign to end the use of the N-word. This resolution highlighted the fact that the use of the N-word is not only offensive but also contributes to a culture of violence and disrespect.
It is time for the SCV NAACP to step up and lead their community toward a more positive future. This can only be achieved by tackling the root causes of hate speech and racism in our society, rather than merely targeting individual incidents. The SCV NAACP should be focusing on promoting a culture of respect and understanding, rather than contributing to the division and polarization of their community.
As a Black woman, I am deeply disappointed in the SCV NAACP’s failure to adhere to the national NAACP’s campaign against the use of the N-word in all media, including Black music, and their narrow focus on attacking two students. Their lack of leadership and focus is causing division in the community, and it is time for them to take a stand against hate speech and racism in all forms, and to work toward creating a more positive and unified community.
Carrie Surden
Valencia