Eddie Griffin and the N-Word

by Ghost | September 6, 2007 at 12:00 pm

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Griffin had begun to deliver a speech which was laced with the n-word. Mr. Graves stormed the stage and removed Griffin stating "We ... will not allow our culture to go backwards ... We will pay Mr. Griffin all that we owe him but we will not allow him to finish the show if that's the way he's going to talk."[2]

During a 2007 event sponsored by Black Enterprise magazine, Eddie Griffin was ejected by Earl Graves, owner/publisher of Black Enterprise.

Concerning the Ban the N-word campaign in Brazoria Texas where it was going to be made illegal Judge Andrew Napolitano Fox News analyst had this wise statement.

"This is government trying to take the easy way out," said Judge Andrew Napolitano, a FOX News legal analyst. "When people use words that are harmful, they lack civility and they lack education, but they don't lack the right to say it."

This is certainly not a major story, but it is an issue the Media needs to take to heart and consider. Freedom of speech is a constitutional guarantee. To what degree that constitutional right can be forbidden and on what terms it can be forbidden has been a legal and cultural question.

It has already been determined by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1992(R.A.V. vs the City of St. Paul) that singling out "fighting words" based on race and sex constituted viewpoint discrimination and violated the First Amendment.

Black Enterprise has been called the pre-eminent magazine of African Americans. Being such I wonder why they would pull a stunt like this! Eddie Griffin like Richard Pryor before him is well known for using the N-word in his routine. It is absolutely beyond belief to me that the magazine would invite him not knowing his style of comedy. It is nearly as unbelievable they would not discuss what his routine would be or preview a script of it. So it is very possible Eddie got set-up or was from the on-set a willing victim to forward anti-discrimination causes.

Plenty of questions and plenty of issues with this one. Hopefully, journalist will dig to find some answers.