James Baldwin vs. New Hampshire Police Chief Who Called Obama the N-Word

So, did you hear about 82-year old Robert Copeland, the New Hampshire police commissioner who called President Obama the 'N-word' while dining in a public restaurant? It turns out that a citizen heard him and wrote a complain to City Hall complaining about his blatant racism.

Do you think that the old codger apologized? Not even a little bit.

In an email response to O’Toole’s complaint to town officials, Copeland, admitted to having made the comment, writing,

“I believe I did use the ‘N’ word in reference to the current occupant of the Whitehouse. For this, I do not apologize — he meets and exceeds my criteria for such.”

Copeland is one of three elected police commissioners in Wolfeboro, an overwhelmingly white town with 6,300 residents, about 20 of whom are Black. His boss, Joseph Balboni Jr. says that he doesn’t plan to ask Copeland to resign.

“He’s (Copeland) worked with a lot of Blacks in his life,” Balboni said.

Being white in America often means you can be elected to a public office without ever having to apologize for your racist remarks or behavior. Racism still runs rampant in America. Sometimes there are consequences.  Other times there are not.   The Wolfeboro ctizens hope to use 'shame' to get Copeland to resign.

Author and activist James Baldwin spoke on this matter over 50 years ago:



Copeland is a old and foolish. The fact that he is responsible for law enforcement policy in his town makes him dangerous. But, maybe it's our fault...

Related articles

• NH Police Commissioner Refuses to Resign After Referring to Obama With Vile Racial Slur
• New Hampshire town's white police chief calls Obama N-word
• New Hampshire Town's White Police Official Calls Obama "N-Word"

Spoken Word: 'Niggers Niggas & Niggaz' (Julian Curry)

I noticed that a Miami Dolphins' football player left the team ... and another one lost his career ... at least partially over voice and text messages in which the use of the N-Word was prominent. Here is how poet Julian Curry discussed the N-Word in his Def Poetry opportunity many moons ago:



The prevalence of the ugly word among Blacks in America may be in decline ... but the word's ugliness needs to be continuously examined so that we can eventually eliminate the N-word entirely from the vocabulary.

Racist California Girl Calls President Obama a N-Word ... and Loses Her Job

Some white folks truly have lost their mind because President Obama won re-election as the President of the United States. It is so difficult for some of them to accept the fact that we don't have an old white guy in the Oval Office that they have lost their ability to restrain their racist tendencies. For example, did you see where a 22-year old California woman was willing to lose her job over the re-election of President Obama?



I watched this young lady as she gave her insights in this video interview. I wonder if her parents, grandparents are proud about her 15-minutes of fame?

Hopefully, these folks will slow their roll as they come to grips with another four years with a Blackman in the White House. After we shake our heads in disbelief .... and laugh ... perhaps we should say a prayer for these sad, pathetic and racist folks.

GOP Wingnuts Gone Wild: Rick Santorum Uses N-Word to Describe President Obama

Rick Santorum must be tired. He could no longer keep the mask of civility on when it comes to his deep-down feeling about Barack Obama. Listen to how he described our president and judge for yourself.



I'm not feeling so kindly towards Rick Santorum right about now. How about you?

Is Sherri Shepherd Wrong for Negative N-Word Reaction to Barbara Walters?

I don't watch The View, so my soulclap goes to Your Black News for pointing me to the following video that shows a tense exchange between the women on the subject of the N-word. The ladies were discussing the recent 'Niggerhead' controversy with presidential candidate Rick Perry.

Watch the video and let's talk afterwards.





The most remarkable part of this discussion came from one of the Black panelists -- Sherri Shepherd. She had a negative reaction to hearing Barbara Walters use of the N-word. Shepherd was candid in noting that she didn't have any reaction to Whoopi Goldberg when she used the word at the beginning of the discussion.

The word is the same in either case. The only difference is the skin color of the two women who uttered the word. Whoopi is Black. Barbara is white.

I've heard this commentary from many Black people over the years. However, it became obvious to me that there is no excuse for a distinction. If we think that the N-word should be eliminated ... it should be eliminated by EVERYONE ... not just white folks like Rick Perry or Barbara Walters.

It dawns on me that Sherri Shepherd's position is the same irrational racism that we hate when we hear it from members of the Ku Klux Klan. Shepherd had an emotional response because of the color of Barbara's skin. Period.

That is wrong in my view. The rule should be clear -- don't use the N-word. Period. What say u?

Ain't No 'Niggerhead' Presidential Candidate Worthy of Our Vote; Rick Perry Should Seek to Eliminate the N-Word!

I 'spose that Herman Cain will think that I'm 'brainwashed' for thinking that its not cool for a presidential candidate to bring his family to a vacation lodge known by the locals as 'Niggerhead'. The Washington Post reported the following:

Ranchers who once grazed cattle on the 1,070-acre parcel on the Clear Fork of the Brazos River called it by that name well before Perry and his father, Ray, began hunting there in the early 1980s. There is no definitive account of when the rock first appeared on the property. In an earlier time, the name on the rock was often given to mountains and creeks and rock outcroppings across the country. Over the years, civil rights groups and government agencies have had some success changing those and other racially offensive names that dotted the nation’s maps.

But the name of this particular parcel did not change for years after it became associated with Rick Perry, first as a private citizen, then as a state official and finally as Texas governor. Some locals still call it that. As recently as this summer, the slablike rock — lying flat, the name still faintly visible beneath a coat of white paint — remained by the gated entrance to the camp.

Not cool. I don't want the leader of my nation to be so insensitive to the impact of the N-Word on African Americans. Even Herman Cain realizes that there is absolutely no place in the White House for a man who feels comfortable hunting and relaxing at a place known by that name.

Rick Perry should join us in working to eliminate the 'N-Word'.

Sunday Inspirations: Eliminate the N-Word (VIDEO)

Originally Posted: 8/29/2010


There was a time when the N-word was never used in our music or 
even by those of us who played the 'dozens' on our block. I'm old enough to remember when hearing the N-word out loud on the Roots mini-series was shocking and demeaning.

I've never been a hip-hop music fan. So, I guess I missed the transition to a time when the N-word became cool and fashionable. Heck, it is so cool nowadays that white female doctors feel free to say it loud and proud 11 times in a 5-minute rant on radio.

Personally, I've never thought of the N-word as a term of endearment. In my view, the word is a racial slur no matter who says it. I wouldn't use the word "Nazi" as a term of endearment for a Jewish person ... and my preference is that the other N-word not be used as a term of endearment for a Black person.

I've seen how the N-word can lead to ugly situations in our society. I think of lynchings whenever I hear the word. I don't see it as a friendly term that can be used by white folks or Black folks. In my view, whenever the N-word is used ... we are being disrespectful to our ancestors. My mother and father taught me better. My grandmothers and grandfathers taught them better. I pray that I'm teaching my three children better.

Villagers, it's time that we simply eliminate the N-Word entirely from our lexicon. It's not a word to use as a greeting ... or to complete sentences ... or to start conversations.

An 11-year old child, Johnathan McCoy, says it best in the following video clip:




I challenge all villagers to make a personal commitment to eliminate the N-word from their vocabulary. What say u?