The Power of Words

As you consider Maya Angelou's poem "The Calling of Names", think about this incident that happened on April 4, 2007.

Meet Don Imus, radio talk show host:


Meet the Rutgers University Lady's Basketball Team:



During a discussion about the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, Imus characterized the Rutgers University women's basketball team players as "rough girls" commenting on their tattoos.

His executive producer Bernard McGuirk responded by referring to them as "hardcore hos". The discussion continued with Imus describing the girls as "nappy-headed hos" and McGuirk remarking that the two teams looked like the "jigaboos versus the wannabes" mentioned in Spike Lee's film, School Daze; apparently referring to the two teams' differing appearances.

IMUS: That's some rough girls from Rutgers. Man, they got tattoos and—

McGUIRK: Some hard-core hos.

IMUS: That's some nappy-headed hos. I'm gonna tell you that now, man, that's some—whew. And the girls from Tennessee, they all look cute, you know, so, like—kinda like—I don't know.

McGUIRK: A Spike Lee thing.

IMUS: Yeah.

McGUIRK: The Jigaboos vs. the Wannabes—that movie that he had.

After some outrage from the initial repeated reports, Imus dismissed the incident as "some idiot comment meant to be amusing".

Imus immediately issued a statement of apology:
I want to take a moment to apologize for an insensitive and ill-conceived remark we made the other morning regarding the Rutgers women's basketball team, which lost to Tennessee in the NCAA championship game on Tuesday. It was completely inappropriate and we can understand why people were offended. Our characterization was thoughtless and stupid, and we are sorry.

Imus said, "Our agenda is to be funny and sometimes we go too far. And this time we went way too far. Here's what I've learned: that you can't make fun of everybody, because some people don't deserve it."


Should Imus have been fired?
Is there ever an "appropriate" time for name-calling?
What effect can name-calling have on society?

Here is what poet Maya Angelou had to say on the subject; as you listen think about the words of her poem "The Calling of Names" that we have analyzed earlier today:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n9Pq1LNLwM