Expect C.C. To Pass Moratorium On 'N'-Word

The City Council is expected to pass a resolution today, the last day of Black History Month, that will call for a moratorium on the use of the n-word in New York City.

The proposal had been introduced by Councilmember Leroy Comrie (D- Jamaica), who is black. Comrie said use of the word has caused many people to seethe quietly when the slur is used. The time has now come, he has said, "to draw a line in the sand" to discourage use of the word.

At a hearing by the council Committee On Civil Rights at City Hall on Monday, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall spoke in support of the resolution.

The resolution, which calls for a "symbolic moratorium" on the use of the word, is for the most part directed at youths, both black and white, who use it very frequently.

At Monday's hearing, Committee Chairman Larry Seabrook (D- The Bronx), who is black, stated, "I grew up in a segregated society, and I thought that was my first name by some people, so I think historically we have to look at this."

Other witnesses said the word is used to "dehumanize a human being".- John Toscano