Current Events > Mother defends mixed-race suspended son for saying n-word to mixed race friend

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http://metro.co.uk/2018/01/26/mum-defends-mixed-race-son-suspended-saying-nr-friend-7261849/

A mother has defended her son after he was overheard by another child using the term n***** at school. Irene Sexton insists that because he is mixed-race, son Leo Okenibirhe-Sexton, 11, should be able to use the term because of his black heritage.

However, she said that Studio West School suspended him on the basis that the word may be used for racist abuse. She said: Thats not racism when two mixed-race kids use that language between each other. Theres a big difference when its two best friends saying it, as part of black culture, something they say in the rap songs.

Irene believes that he should be able to use the term because it is part of black culture At the end of the day, Im white, and if I, or another white person, were to say that, its not on, but if two mixed-race kids of the same ethnic group choose to say it, its not racism. It was after school, as he was leaving class had finished, he didnt say it in a lesson.

Irene, 41, who works as a barber, claims Leo was temporarily suspended, and that she was summoned into school to discuss whether the suspension would be made permanent. Although he wasnt permanently excluded, she claims threatening Leo with this measure was inappropriate and says she felt teachers werent listening when she explained why. She said: My son has suffered from racism from students at that same school. Hes experienced racism and prejudice throughout his whole life, and hes just 11 years old, he wouldnt be racist to anyone else. Its upset Leo, its driven down his confidence a bit he says to me, mam, how can I be racist when were the same colour? And now, Irene says she doesnt want to send Leo back to the school, in West Denton, and is hoping to move him to Kenton School, because she no longer trusts teachers there to deal with racial issues appropriately. A spokesperson for Studio West said the school could not comment on the cases of individual students but that standard procedures were in place and the school would proceed as guided.

Is it fair that he was suspended for using a racist word to his friend of the same race in school?

I'd say yes. Doesn't matter who says it, it's still a racist word even if its not intended to be racist. They can say what they want to each other out of school though. I don't care about that. He was still inside the school overheard by other students when he said it, so I'd say the suspension was fair.
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If the school doesn't allow the use of the word, then the school doesn't allow the use of the word.
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Fair, next
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fair, next depends on if they'd treat a black student (or a white student) in the same way based on their rules about language use

In a "professional" setting like a school or a workplace, nobody, black or white, mixed or pure, friends or enemies, should be able to say it. Yes, the connotations of black people saying it is often different from white or mixed people saying it, and it's all about context, but if the school says "Don't say it", then you don't say it.

Now, if the school is aware of blacks saying it to other blacks, then it's straight-up discrimination.

In addition, this is not "racist", but "using a word people may find highly offensive". Aussies drop the C-bomb all the fucking time but in the states they would get a lot of glares for it. Context and setting is everything.

The idea of "N-Word Privileges" is a myth and a toxic idea, I'm sure many a black man has been told off by other black people for saying it, and I'm sure plenty of white guys have said "N- please." to other white guys. I've said to my Arab friends "How's it going you paki bastards?" as a joke many a time and we all laugh at it, but if I said that to literally anyone else I would get my arse handed to me.

Permanent suspension however is completely unacceptable, talk to the kid about context and setting, and to not say it within earshot of the school. How much you betting that pulling that school's discipline records would show people getting less punishment for actual crimes like extortion, vandalism, and theft?
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