What should be done
with the “R” word?” That
was the question at a public meeting last month, when more than 100
people from Minnesota’s disability community gathered to address
the insulting use of the word retarded in today’s popular culture
and media. The July 25th meeting, organized by Advocating Change Together
(ACT), was part of a coordinated response to the controversial title
of the Minneapolis-based Brave New Workshop’s recent show, “Rise
of the Celebretards.”
About half of those attending were people with developmental disabilities
who have had direct experiences with the derogatory term. Others present
included parents, siblings and representatives of local nonprofit advocacy
groups and service providers. BNW declined to participate.
The forum, held at the
Interact Center in downtown Minneapolis, opened with a slide show
streaming controversial images showing how the word “retard” is
and has been widely used as a slur in popular culture. Interact members
followed with a brief performance highlighting how such images and
language translate into limitations placed on persons with disabilities
by the broader society.
Lauretta Dawolo, news
director of KFAI Radio, moderated the lively discussion that followed.
Most speakers took a strong stand against the slang use of the “R” word, while some participants
spoke about the backlash that can result when heavy-handed attempts
to ban certain speech alienate the larger society. The general consensus
of the group was that the thoughtless use of certain terms and images
do more than offend persons with disabilities, their family members
and friends. These portrayals also lead to justification for limiting
people’s full participation in the life of the community.
Participants called for a broader campaign to combat negative references
in popular culture and ended the forum by proposing some next steps
to take in initiating this campaign, including the possible launch
of a disability anti-defamation league.
Origins of the Controversy
The public meeting was the
result of several months of activity, and one step on a longer
journey. The offensive title struck a chord even before the first
performance in May. Starting in April, disability activists and members
of the community wrote letters, sent e-mails, and made phone calls
to BNW protesting the title of their upcoming show. Though BNW refused
to change the title, the volume of protest was not lost on local
organizers, who began to discuss coordinated action. In May organizers
took their protest to the wider community by contacting the local
media and posting messages on Web forums around North America. At
the 2007 Minnesota Self-Advocacy Conference, a group wrote a song
of protest. These activities resulted in so many messages of protest
that BNW created an online forum to handle discussion (but did not
meet with protestors as they had requested). The outrage further
inspired local newspapers columnists to criticize the show title.
In June, local activists
concerned that the BNW’s
show title reflected an alarming trend in popular culture formed
an ad hoc group of individuals and organizations to develop a coordinated
response. Led by ACT, the ad hoc group organized a set of activities
in July that included seeking the views of the local community, organizing
a public forum, and producing an educational video.
Ask the Audience
Standing outside the
doors of the Brave New Workshop theater on Friday evening, July
20, Peggy Mehen, a member of Interact Theater, and Kelly Lee, an
ACT board member, interviewed people attending the “Rise
of the Celebretards” show. They asked more than fifteen theater-goers
their views about the word “retard.” Jerry Smith of
the Institute on Community Integration (ICI) at the University
of Minnesota filmed the spontaneous interviews, with the assistance
of Nicholas Wilkie of the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living
(MCIL).
People interviewed gave
a variety of responses, some of them contradictory. As Smith recounted, “One couple commented that they do not believe
one should use ‘retarded’ to make fun of people with disabilities.
But in their home, they said they and their children use this term
all the time.” In contrast, two teenagers interviewed said they
found any use of the term “horribly insulting.”
More surprising, not
all those interviewed were aware that others might find the term “retard” insulting. Wilkie noted that
some people changed their minds during the interviews. “I found
it really intriguing that some people initially were excited about
commenting, but then when they heard our plans to make a video, they
either were not sure or they retracted their comments entirely.”
“These interviews suggest that we remain divided
or confused as a society about how and where it is appropriate to
use terms such as the ‘R’ word,” noted Smith.
What
Can Be Done?
With so much energy
in the room to do something more, the July 25th public discussion
concluded with a brainstorm on “What now?” Some
next steps proposed included a greater effort by all within the
disability community to speak out more often against offensive
terms and images. State Representative Shelley Madore (District
37-A) urged self-advocates to bring their concerns to the state
legislature, politely demanding (not just meekly asking or begging)
that the state live up to its obligations to persons with disabilities.
One next step already
underway is the production of an educational video about the “R” word controversy in Minnesota. The
purpose of the video, produced by ACT, will be to document the local
response to BNW title, using it as a way to highlight the debate over
the use of words, like “retard,” that many in the disability
community find demeaning.
“The role of language
in perpetuating oppression of people with disabilities is both
widespread and often subtle. We want this video to be a way to
bring the conversation about dignity and language to a wide audience.
Participants also endorsed
the idea of a Minnesota-based disability anti-defamation league,
modeled along the lines of the renowned Anti-Defamation League,
whose mission is to stop the defamation of the Jewish people. The
Disability ADL would coordinate local and national campaigns designed
to educate the public and the media and combat negative stereotypes
of and degrading language about persons with disabilities. There
was even talk of a funeral to bury the “R” word.
“Nothing about this is new,” said Mary Kay Kennedy, co-director
of ACT. “As we look around to see how other groups claim power,
we find many terrific examples to model after. The NAACP recently had
a ceremony to bury the “N” word and were very creative
in staging this to create awareness. It’s all been done before
and we can learn a lot from other social change movements.”
The video project has received support and major financial backing
from ACT and from the new network, Self-Advocates Minnesota (SAM),
with significant in-kind contributions from ICI. Other contributors
include MCIL, CCP Foundation, Courage Center, Minnesota State Council
on Disabilities and Access Press. Organizations who have also endorsed
the goals of the project include Arc Greater Twin Cities, The Arc of
Minnesota and Midway Training Services.
Filmed and directed
by Smith, the video, titled “Offense Taken,” is
expected to be ready for distribution before the end of 2007. Organizers
plan to distribute the video to a wide array of community groups,
including churches and schools.
So, “What should be done with the R word?” Clearly these
local organizers are answering their own question: “Throw it
out, band together and find effective ways to increase public awareness
of this important issue of dignity for all.” ![]()
