02x11 - The S-Word

[bunniefuu]

[♪♪♪]

It's a derogatory,
racial remark

that has divided people
for many years.

And a J. Edgar Hoover
Elementary teacher

has now been suspended

over calling a student
the N-word.

Stacy Renee investigates
what happened and why.

RENEE:
And what to did he say
specifically to you?

He said, "Sit down,
n*gg*r."

RENEE:
Riley Freeman is
a third-grade student

at J. Edgar Hoover
Elementary School.

He's a basketball player,
an avid reader,

and one day hopes
to spread his philosophy

through rap music.

He was in class
when he had a verbal exchange

with his teacher, Joe Petto.

But Mr. Petto said it was Riley
who used the N-word first.

So I told him to take his seat

and here comes
this barrage of insults.

I mean, some of the words
I've never even heard before.

And I was just stunned,
and I said,

"Well, sit down, n*gga."

I just repeated
the insult back to him,

because that's what
I've been trained to do.

That is not what
he's been trained to do.

School Superintendent
Donald Richards

says all teachers are taught

to use appropriate
hyphenated euphemisms

instead of racial slurs.

We have a very strict policy

against teachers
using the "N-word,"

or any other
racially insensitive words.

The district's policy
is that teachers

should always say "N-word"
instead of the actual N-word.

Or "S-word" instead of saying
the actual S-word.

What is the S-word?

Well, I-- I don't wanna
say it, but--

Spic?

No, no.

Uh, ahem.

Spear-chucker.

"Spear-chucker"?

Yes. See, we would encourage
our teachers to say "S-word"

instead of, ahem,
"spear-chucker."

And how often do you have
a problem with faculty saying

"spear-chucker" to students?

We don't.
That's what I'm saying.

[CLEARS THROAT]

They would say "S-word."

But Riley Freeman denies
he used the N-word first.

He said I used the word
before, but I didn't.

I wouldn't use that word ever.

That word hurts people.

Oh, I remember
those proud days

marching with
Dr. Martin Luther King.

We used to hear that
hateful word all the time.

Robert Jebediah Freeman,
Riley's grandfather,

says the incident
takes him back

to the civil rights movement.

Oh, what sad times these are

when educators can
go around willy-nilly,

calling our kids
the N-word.

Me and my boy have suffered
tremendous unspecified mental

and physical damage
from this.

Mr. Petto claims the version
of "n*gg*r" ending in "ger"

is the racial slur,
but that he was using

a different version
of the word, ending in "ga,"

that means the same as "buddy"
or "best pal."

He insists that
he was using

the friendly version
of the N-word

to better relate to Riley.

I used the word. I admit it.

I thought there was a difference
between "nigg-er" and "nigg-a."

I thought I understood
this whole thing,

but I guess I don't.
I need help.

Whenever I hear the rappers,
they say "n*gga."

It's in all the music.
Look, look, look.

Rap songs that use the word
"n*gga" in a positive way.

There's tons of 'em.
Look: "'Real n*gga Role Call.'

"'n*gg*s Bleed.'
'Jigga my n*gga.'

"'n*gg*s for Life.' 'Real n*gg*s
Don't Die.' 'Shame on a n*gga.'

'Sucka n*gga.'
'Ain't No n*gga.'"

The school is investigating
the incident.

But in the meantime, Mr. Petto
has been put on unpaid leave.

I just couldn't believe it,

because nobody ever
called me a n*gg*r before.

RENEE:
And how did it make you feel?

Like...I was less
than a person.

♪ I am the stone
That the builder refused ♪

♪ I am the visual
The inspiration ♪

♪ That made lady
Sing the blues ♪

♪ I'm the spark
That makes your idea bright ♪

♪ The same spark
That lights the dark ♪

♪ So that you can know
Your left from right ♪

♪ I am the ballot in your box
The b*llet in the g*n ♪

♪ The inner glow
That lets you know ♪

♪ To call your brother sun ♪

♪ The story that just begun ♪

♪ The promise
Of what's to come ♪

♪ And I'm 'a remain a soldier ♪

♪ Till the w*r is won
Won ♪

♪ Chop, chop, chop
Judo flip ♪

♪ Chop, chop, chop
Judo flip ♪

♪ Chop, chop, chop
Judo flip ♪

♪ Chop, chop, chop ♪

HUEY:
Despite news reports
to the contrary,

my family was handling
this particular

racial incident quite well.

[BOTH LAUGHING]

Whoo!
I can't believe this.

I always knew you'd
do something right.

And you know
what's crazy?

GRANDDAD: Oh, yes, you did.

RILEY: I didn't even mean to.

What's wrong with you, boy?

Here come Huey McHater again.

Be happy. Your brother was
called a n*gg*r by a white man.

Not just any white man.
A district employee.

[LAUGHING]

Oh, oh. Wow, we're rich!

It's like winning the lotto.

How?

Restitution.
Look at your brother.

♪ Booty dance, booty dance ♪

He's traumatized.

♪ Booty dance, uh, booty dance
Booty dance, booty dance ♪

HUEY:
Granddad, Riley's doing
the celebratory booty dance.

He's traumatized on the inside.

You both say "n*gga"
all the time.

I do not.

Riley thought it was his name

until he was 3.

That's different.

See, it's okay between us
behind closed doors.

We have flipped the word
into a term of endearment.

That's what I call my homeys.
You feel me? My n*gga.

Hey! After a lifetime of
being treated like a n*gg*r,

if I catch a break off
the word, good for me.

All the years
I've been on this Earth,

know how many times
I been called a n*gg*r for free?

Back in the day, when a white
man called you a n*gg*r,

you couldn't
do nothing but go cry.

But now we can fight back.
As a matter of fact...

Mm-hm. Mm-hm. Mm-hm.

[BEEPS]

Hello? Tom. Yeah. Yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever.

Riley's teacher
called him a n*gg*r.

We gonna sue the white man.
Get over here quick.

Hear what happened
to the last black man

who was called
a n*gg*r? Huh?

Last year,
Terrence Kinsley,

a 35-year-old
Wal-Mart employee,

was called a n*gg*r
by a supervisor.

[♪♪♪]

HUEY:
So somebody calls you
a n*gg*r,

you get a mansion, a yacht
and white women?

Yep, it's the law.

No, it's not.

It is too. It happened
to the Wal-Mart guy.

Pfft. You probably
made that up.

I bet you Tom would know.
Where is he?

Don't take that long
to get over here.

Tom, hurry up. I'm trying
to sue the white man.

I need a lawyer, but I don't
wanna pay, so you'll have to do.

What I don't understand is

that if it's
so offensive to them,

then why do they say it
over and over again?

MAN:
So Riley said the N-word
before you did that morning?

He says it every morning.
He calls me "n*gga."

He calls
the other kids "n*gga."

He calls himself "n*gga"
all the time.

"n*gga this, n*gga that.
n*gga, please.

"Bitch-n*gga.

"n*gga, have you lost
your mind?

"n*gga, check that ho.

n*gga, you bullshitting.
Break yourself, n*gga."

He says it so much,
I don't even notice it anymore.

Last week in lunch,
Riley says to a classmate:

"Can a n*gga borrow
a French fry?"

And my first thought wasn't,

"Oh, my God, he said the word."
Uh, "The N-word."

It was, "Now, how is a n*gga
gonna borrow a fry?

n*gga, is you gonna
give it back?"

I'm telling you, my inside voice
didn't talk like that

before he got in my class.

He said I said it first?

Man, I'm telling you,

I seen the hatred
in his eyes

the first time
I walked in the class.

All he saw when he looked at me
was a black n*gg*r.

[♪♪♪]

TOM:
I don't know if you have
much of a case, Robert.

The guy just seems
kind of...dumb.

And he's already apologized.

Damn it, I wanna get paid.

I'm gonna call
a press conference.

About what?

I don't know,

but I'm calling one.
Mm-mm.

You got the wrong man.
That's what you did. Heh.

You messed with
the wrong brother.

What's the number
to a press conference?

No, I don't think
we should use the word,

and I'll tell you why.

Because n*gg*s have gotten
used to it, that's why.

Hell, they like it now.

It's like
when you growing crops

and you strip the soil
of its nutrients,

and then you can't
grow nothing.

You gotta rotate
your racial slur.

Now, I know it's hard

'cause "n*gga"
just rolled off the tongue

the way sweat rolls
off a n*gga's forehead.

But we cannot
let that be a crutch.

Especially when there are
so many other fine substitutes:

spade, porch monkey,
jiggaboo.

I say next time you gonna
call a darky a n*gga,

call that co*n
a jungle bunny instead.

TOM:
So in conclusion,

we don't wanna try
this case in the press. No.

And let's remember that
the victim is a young child.

So let's be respectful.
Thank you.

Okay.
That was very sucky, Tom.

Uh, my name is Robert Freeman,
and I have a lot of things

I would like to say about this.

Number one,
this is the most ridic--

[♪♪♪]

Wait a minute. Wait one minute.

I'd like to add something
if I could.

Hey.

This is
my press conference.

I have a message

for the Woodcrest
School District.

Rollo Goodlove? What's
that two-bit hustler doin'?

You have assaulted
this fine family's dignity,

you have assassinated
their pride,

and you have hurt
their feelings.

Now, somebody gonna pay.

Hm. I could have
said that.

Now, we demand the school offer
an apology to Riley Freeman,

to Robert Freeman, to the ghost
of Martin Luther King,

and an apology to me,
Reverend Rollo Goodlove,

star of the upcoming
BET show, My Dad Rollo. Heh.

Mm-hm.

And, uh, we also demand
that the offending teacher

be terminated immediately

so he can no longer spread
his hateful bigotry.

And finally, we demand
that the Freeman family

be compensated
for their extreme distress

throughout this
difficult period.

Have mercy.

Speak, my brother. Speak.

Whoo! Assalamu alaikum.

Now, I'm telling you, now.

If these demands aren't met?
Ooh, glory. Heh.

They got to pay.

RILEY: Right.

Make them pay.
Make them pay.

What, what?

[ALL SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

Hell, we might not even
have a country

if it wasn't
for the word "n*gga."

White man said,
"n*gga, pick that cotton.

"n*gga, bale that hay.

Hurry up, n*gga.
That's America you building."

And that's exactly
what "n*gga" is.

It's an American original.

Don't listen to him,
Granddad.

He just wants to use us
to get press

for his stupid sitcom
on BET.

Or maybe I'm using
my stupid sitcom

to get you
some press, boy.

But you're not.

Or am I?

No.

Or...yes.

So, what I'm doing
is marshaling

all the resources
I have available to me

to ensure that justice
is served.

And, uh, thumbera,

how much justice
do you think we can get?

I would say...

about a half a million.

Whoa.

A half a million?

[CHEERS, LAUGHS]

Ooh, boy.

Half a--? Heh-heh-heh.

That's ridiculous.

Uh, you'll never get that much
from the school district.

They don't have that
kind of money.

Oh, nah. They got tons
of money. sh**t. Hm.

They keep it
for themselves though.

They buy themselves
private jets

and hookers,
and stuff like that.

Your kid's eating
tater tots

and Skillet Sensations
while they eatin' lobster.

You see, Tom?
They're a bunch of crooks.

So that makes it okay
to extort them?

"Extort"? Extort?

Is that what you call
the freedom struggle, brother?

I suppose you think affirmative
action is extortion too, huh?

Now, what in the Sam Hill
are you--?

Ha. You know what?

You making me nervous.
Very nervous, brother.

Tom, you're fired.

Ah-- What?

I was doing you a favor.

I'm sorry, Tom.

He's not even a lawyer.

Tommy. Let's not make this
harder than it has to be.

Stupid dummy heads.

Rollo's perm's
not even righted.

He gonna cry when he get home.

Okay. So, what do we do first?

We gonna pay a little visit
to the superintendent.

[CHUCKLES]

Now, this deal includes
damages to the Freemans,

plus a very generous donation

to the Reverend Rollo Goodlove
Jambalaya of Justice League.

[LAUGHING]

Have mercy.

Hey, come here.
Look at this.

This n*gga
must be crazy.

[MEN LAUGHING]

Uh-- Uh, well, uh, okay, then.

Uh-- So I'll just wait
for your response, then.

Okay. Hallelujah.
Mission accomplished.

Time for step two.

Did they give you the money?

Yeah, they thinkin' about it.
They thinkin' about it. Come on.

Now, I think it's wrong
for anybody to use the word

"n*gga" at any time.

[CELL PHONE RINGS]

Huh. Excuse me, hold on.

Hey, Jesse.
What's happening, my n*gga?

The problem with
restraining speech is,

who gets to set the rules?

If it's only okay
in a certain time or place,

who gets to say what time
and what place? Bill Cosby?

Yes. As a matter of fact,
I get to set the rules

about what is
appropriate to say

and what is not
appropriate to say.

For example, the other day,

a youth walked up to me
and said:

"What it do?"

He sounded like
he was auditioning

for a sl*ve epic.

Proper way to say
that sentence is:

"What does it do?"

I personally blame
the mother--

MAN:
Okay, 20 seconds...

Granddad, please
stop this now.

Shush, boy.

Hey. Think they can introduce me
as "Young Reezy"?

Y'all better sit there
and look sad.

I'm gonna do
all the talking.

MAN:
Okay, we're live
in five, four, three...

We are back.

My guests this evening
are Reverend Rollo Goodlove:

activist,
presidential candidate

and star of the upcoming
BET sitcom, My Dad Rollo.

With him are Robert, Huey
and Riley Freeman.

They are the family
at the center

of this controversy.
Let me ask you,

why does that word
still have so much power?

Well, Larry King--

That's a very good question.

Uh, which reminds me
of an upcoming episode

we did on My Dad Rollo.

Which premieres next month on
Black Entertainment Television.

I brought a clip of it,
if you'd like to see it.

Um, sure thing.
If we have it ready,

let's, uh,
go to the clip.

Uh, honey. I'm home.

[AUDIENCE CHEERS]

Hey. Have the kids found jobs
and moved out yet?

[AUDIENCE LAUGHS]

Oh, Daddy.

Hey there, Trudy.

Granddad,
this is childish.

Don't think 'cause
I'm on Larry King Live

I won't whup
your little asses.

That's very funny stuff.

We have a wonderful cast,

and they work so very hard
every day,

and the writers give us
fantastic material.

So now, about this incident.

What incident
you talking about?

Oh, right. Oh, Larry, Larry.

You got to feel me
on this, man.

I can't even tell you what

these brothers have suffered
through this past week.

Oh, yes, brothers.
This is a great victory.

I didn't get a chance to talk.

I had a funny anecdote
and everything.

They feeling the heat right
about now. I'm telling you.

I stayed up all night
practicing that anecdote.

Next time, I talk first.

Oh, n*gga, shush.

LARRY KING:
We're back with my guest,
columnist Ann Coulter.

So, Ann,
what do you make of this

whole N-word controversy
in Woodcrest?

I think it's criminal
they suspended this teacher.

Heh. Why? Ha-ha.
I mean, be--

Because he stood up to
some foul-mouthed g*ng member?

HUEY AND RILEY:
"g*ng member"?

They should be giving him
a medal.

Heh. Give me a break.

It's about time someone
in the classroom had the guts

to not back down to thugs
like that. Heh.

I mean, 'cau-- You know?

Did she just call me a thug?

She sure did.

Yeah.

[CELL PHONE RINGS]

[RUCKUS LAUGHING
OVER PHONE]

Oh, that Ann Coulter sure
pulled your card, didn't she?

Now, that is one sharp,
sexy, white woman.

She look just like
Helen of Troy.

I don't care how big
her Adam apple is,

she's still all woman.

[LAUGHS]

This is terrible.

We're losing the P.R. w*r.

Relax, brother.
It's all part of the plan.

And it's right on time.

I'm joined via satellite
by best-selling author

and columnist Ann Coulter,

author of f*cking
Camel Jockeys

and The Liberals
Who Smell Like Them.

I'm also joined by
Reverend Rollo Goodlove,

star of the upcoming
BET sitcom, My Dad Rollo,

and author of the book
Real Spit From Rollo.

And finally, by Robert Freeman
and his grandchildren.

I wanna start with Ann--

GRANDDAD: Excuse me.

I, uh, also have a book.
It's not out yet.

I actually
just started writing it,

but I do have a cover.
So I put it on another book.

So here's what it's
gonna look like:

It's called,
They Called Me n*gg*r:

One Family's Struggle
for Justice and Freedom.

And it's written by me,

and about me, and
it's very inspirational.

So when it comes out, remember
that you saw this and buy it.

I don't know what
I'm gonna charge yet.

I might charge 20, $25.

Anyway, TiVo this,
if you have the TiVo,

and play it back
when the book come out

to remind yourself
to go buy it.

Uh, thank you.

Okay. I wanna start with Ann.

HUEY:
And so Ann Coulter and Rollo
Goodlove argued on TV.

Oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh.
What a surprise.

Here we go again
with affirmative action.

Let's have a different set
of rules for blacks...

[LAUGHING]

...so this little hoodlum
can say the N-word--

Now, wait a minute.

I take offense at
your description of Riley

as a hoodlum, Ann.
I don't appreciate it.

This is a wonderful child.

This teacher,

because he's white,

because of his skin,
he's being persecuted

for saying
the exact same word.

I mean, I think that
is r*cist.

Heh-heh, you know?

[LAUGHING]

HUEY:
Nothing much was resolved,
but they did it again.

Next, they'll be throwing
white kids in jail

for reciting rap lyrics.

I mean-- Uh-- Uh--

Where does it stop?

This is preposterous.

You better read The Secret.

HUEY: And again.

Oh, okay. Here's
a novel idea:

I think if black people don't
wanna be called the N-word,

they shouldn't call
themselves the N-word.

Just like if they don't want
the police to pull them over,

they shouldn't be
driving stolen cars.

How dare you?

How many of
these damn TV shows

are we supposed to do,
Goodlove?

Have they called you
about that money?

Man.

Not since you asked me
about 20 minutes ago, Robert.

Well, don't you think
we should have heard something?

COULTER:
I don't care.

MAN:
Baby, baby, listen.

I don't care.

Is that--?

Ah. Now, there she is.

Don't give me that "Baby,
listen" sh*t, m*therf*cker.

You think I'm stupid?
I know you f*cking that bitch.

Okay? I know you are.
I mean...

[LAUGHING]

I-- I don't play that sh*t.

Ann don't play that sh*t.

Rollo.

Hey, baby.

Hey.

Give me some sugar.

Come here, girl.

ROLLO:
You getting thick
back there.

And how you doing, Abdul?

COULTER: Damn, Abdul,

can you let a bitch work?

sh*t, one of us has to.

It ain't like yo' ass
is going to get a job. Heh.

You know I had to bail

this m*therf*cker
out of jail again, right?

Must be, like, the 10th time.

Anyway, the school board
pay you yet?

No, no. We still waiting.

They ain't broke that
bread yet. But, uh, any day now.

Hey, guys.
So nice to finally meet.

It's been great working
wit' y'all.

Uh. Hello?

Ah. That bitch must have
lost her mind.

I will smack
the black off her.

I will snatch
the weave off...

That's Ann Coulter?

She crazy as hell,
ain't she?

But she good people.
She good people.

So this whole time, you guys
have been working together?

Yeah, silly. I told you
I had it covered.

I'm confused.

Me too.

I thought Ann Coulter
hated...everybody.

Who, Ann? No, man.

She just do that to get
that redneck money.

Let me tell you
something about Ann.

When a n*gga need a nemesis,

she helps me out,
and I help her back.

COULTER: Mm!

She a down-ass bitch.

These crab cakes
are good as a mug.

I fucks with these
crab cakes.

I'm tearing
these bad boys up. Mm.

So are you even
a republican?

Oh. Hell, no. You think
I like going out there

and saying this
ridiculous sh*t? Heh.

So then why do it?

'Cause a bitch got books
to sell. That's why.

Ain't no money in trying
to save the world.

WOMAN:
We need Ann in makeup.

All I know is they better not
stop this w*r in Iraq,

or I might have
to start stripping.

MAN [ON TV]:
And in Woodcrest tonight,

the school board
has finally decided

on the fate of an elementary
school teacher

accused of using the N-word.

Third-grade teacher Joe Petto
was given 10 days unpaid leave

and ordered to take
sensitivity training.

What? Oh, man.
That's some old bullshit.

That's it?
W-what about my money?

So, what about
Rollo Goodlove's demand

for financial restitution
to the Freeman family?

[RICHARDS LAUGHING]

You mean we did
all this for nothing?

Sorry, guys.

We tried our best.
You'll get 'em next time.

Hey, Abdul. I see you over there
talking to that white bitch.

You ain't slick.

Wait, wait, wait. That's it?
We don't get nothing?

That's a damn shame
you can call a n*gga a n*gga

and keep your job.
That's a damn shame.

Come on, boys,
let's get out of here.

We don't need
this sh*t.

Whoa.

Calm down, Robert, now.
We ain't out of this yet.

I can make one phone call,

and we'll have
two dozen protesters

with picket signs
in the street tomorrow.

Really?

Hey, now.

Twenty bucks and a Lunchable

can motivate a whole lot
of activism, brother.

Oh. You think
that'll make 'em pay us?

A fake protest?
Granddad,

you can't go around hustling
controversy for profit.

Why not?

You're messing with forces

you can't control, Granddad.

I'm telling you, Robert,

they are on the ropes, man.

We just gotta apply
a little more pressure.

Granddad,
you're not getting paid.

Just let it go.

Nah. I think
maybe Huey's right.

Yep. I think I'm done.

Come on, boys.
I was wrong

about the mansion
and the white women.

I'll miss
those flat butts.

Well, fine. Fine, then.
Mo' money for me.

Uh, hello?
Hello, Chauncy.

Hey, now, Chauncy,
you got them extras

ready for
the protest, man?

No, them n*gg*s don't
get no dinner. Just Lunch...

ables.

MAN:
This is a Channel 5 News
update.

[CROWD SCREAMING]

God! Bless the lord. Move!

That was the scene
earlier today in front

of the Woodcrest School
District headquarters

during a protest being held
by Rollo Goodlove.

Stacy Renee
is on the scene.

Bob, what Rollo Goodlove
didn't know

was that the Sisters
of the Second Amendment

had scheduled a completely
unrelated protest

right across the street.

We reserved this spot
three months ago,

and that black n*gg*r came
and stole our press

with whatever bullshit
he's protesting over there.

Ho-ho, but we have something
for that ass.

[g*nf*re]

[PANICKED SHOUTING]

Help! Move! Bitch,
get out of my way.

That's the way.

That's it. We don't
wanna have to sh**t you.

Oh, man. That ended badly.

ROLLO: And--

And not only did
they sh**t at us,

they referred to us
as the N-word.

Several times.

And we definitely intend
to make them pay, damn it.

Wait a minute.

I'll bet those old broads
are rolling in money.

He's gonna get rich
for sure.

Damn it. That's the last time
I'm gonna listen to you.

I could have been sh*t at
and called a n*gg*r on TV!

But no. I had to listen to you.
You blockhead!

Well, one thing's for sure.
I've learned my lesson.

I'm never, ever gonna say
any form of "n*gg*r."

I'm cured of that.

No n*gga, no nyukka,

uh, with the "Y-U" sound.

Not even the abbreviated
"my nig." None.

No more n*gg*r.
Nuh-- Uh-uh.

And that's why I'm pushing
for a constitutional amendment

that will protect
the white man's right

to say any incarnation
of the word "n*gga"

at any time,
spelled any way,

whether it be N-I-G-G-U-H,
G-G-A, G-G-A-H,

or a silent "P"
at the beginning of it,

without fear of persecution
or litigation.

I don't think black people
should ever use r*cist words

when describing
other black people.

And if you do, then you're
a sambo and a co*n.

[CHUCKLES]

[♪♪♪]