Dr. Arthur K. SpearsAfrican-AmericanPerspectives: A View of the ‘N-Word’ from SociolinguisticsDuring his hate crime trial, a White defendant said he used the N-word to “greet” a Black man, and not as a racial slur. He would later beat the man with a bat. Dr. Arthur K. Spears, an expert in sociolinguistics, says some words have complex histories and patterns of use.July 11, 2006Page 1 of 1
