(ThyBlackMan.com) I recently went to St. Louis to visit a center for citizens with developmental disabilities. I was surprised that the word “retarded” was in the name of the center, because I learned a few years ago that the use of this word can be offensive to quite a few people. During my visit, I spent a great deal of time with a young man and woman who were members of the center. In spite of their unique physical conditions, I found them to be among the most lovable and caring people I met in the entire St. 
Louis area. It was my interaction with these two young people that made me think back to a set of actions in my past for which I shall be eternally ashamed.
In 2008 (I think), I was on an NPR show in which I made reference to a joke by the comedian Chris Rock. In his joke, Rock said, “Why shouldn’t we have a black president? George W. Bush already gave us a retarded one.”
The host of the show seemed to laugh at the joke, but one of the listeners didn’t think it was so funny. I received an angry and passionate letter from a man who has a disabled brother, and the man was highly offended that I’d used the word “retarded” in such a loose context. I get a lot of email every day, and almost nothing bothers me. But this email bothered me because I knew I was wrong.
I apologized sincerely to the man and thanked him for educating me. I didn’t know that the word “retarded” could be offensive to others. I also didn’t know that the word “deaf” is also offensive to those without the ability to hear (yes, I embarrassed myself in a speech). So, I must confess that being a professor (for me) has only forced me to be willing to be a better student.
The Arc, a group that represents citizens with autism, Down Syndrome, Fragile X and other disabilities, has asked for an apology from LeBron James. James dismissed a reporter’s question as being “retarded” after losing a game to the Boston Celtics on Friday. Peter Berns, Chief Executive of the organization, said that James should apologize to the group immediately for his insensitive remark.
“LeBron James should apologize immediately. No matter the context, this language is very offensive to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, and an athlete admired by kids everywhere should recognize the power of his actions and words.”
I agree with Mr. Berns. LeBron should not only apologize for what he said, he should use this as an opportunity to educate millions of Americans on the issue. Citizens with disabilities have voices that are muted in our society, and it’s important that we respect them as much as we respect ourselves. It’s O.K. for us to make mistakes, but ignorance is only acceptable if you are working to alleviate it. If James chooses to remain ignorant and doesn’t apologize, then I’ll be incredibly disappointed.
Staff Writer; Dr. Boyce Watkins
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. For more information, please visit http://BoyceWatkins.com.
