Words Can Hurt PRIVATE MINDS PUBLIC FUNDS JOHN

Words Can Hurt PRIVATE MINDS, PUBLIC FUNDS JOHN PHILLIP BURNS - MAIS GRADUATE UWT

Background My study is grounded in the discourse community of race relations that has been examined for its political application by the University of Washington’s Christopher Parker, in his Change They Can’t Believe In, and by Ian Haney-López in his Dog Whistle Politics.

Racially Coded Language & the so what? Evolution of its Application Political Popular Nixon’s Era ~ States’ Rights Reagan Era ~ Welfare Queen Obama Era ~ Thug Even today’s more casual use has policy implications in the application of social justice.

The Data Collection

The Data Collection Negative reference – derogatory use Positive reference – acknowledgement of derogatory use Private person - no access to a public forum Adult – has reached majority person Parent – refers to parental role Junior – has not reached majority Child – refers to familial relationship Public– access to a public forum

The Evidence – what does it look like? St. Louis County Municipal Police Academy flier: “Feeding the Animals” and “Meet the 900 pound Gorilla” advertises topics that will include The excerpt is coded: negative reference, public person, local, non-black

The Evidence – what does it look like? A protestor yells at officers in riot gear. "You aren't giving us justice, " he said. "We're animals - that's what you think! But we're Americans, just like you!“ The excerpt is coded: positive reference, private person, local, black

The Evidence – what does it look like. . . What does it mean? Police Officer Darren Wilson: “And when I grabbed him, the only way I can describe it is I felt like a five-year-old holding onto Hulk Hogan. . . That's just how big he felt and how small I felt just from grasping his arm. “ Brown "had the most intense aggressive face. . . it looks like a demon, that’s how angry he looked. “ Darren Wilson’s Grand Jury testimony can be coded: negative reference, private person , local, nonblack, police officer

The analysis – The Hulk Hogan Demon Darren Wilson’s Testimony Decoding Demon Frequency – rare Speaker’s voice – as the defendant in a criminal investigation Directed Audience – the 12 local Ferguson residents who make up an impartial grand jury

Content Analysis The message is clear. There is no other desired outcome than that this ultimate evil be vanquished. Wilson is hoping to telegraph to those who want believe him that justice could in no other way be served.

Language Reclamation & Code-Switching Taking language back, “bitch”, “nigger”, “queer” Switching meaning the code so to assign new

Language Reclamation ~ Thug Professor John Mc. Whortor: Well, the truth is that thug today is a nominally polite way of using the N-word. Richard Sherman, NFL Seattle Seahawk "The only reason it (the word thug) bothers me is that it seems like it’s the accepted way of calling people the nword nowadays. … Tupac Shakur

Hands Up? – Code-Switching and Language Reclamation To most people this simple phase means, simply: I give up To Fox News and its audience it means something entirely different. . . especially when it is spoken in reference to Ferguson. 9

Hands Up? – Code-Switching and Language Reclamation From Megyn Kelly Show dated March 4, 2015, in an interview with democratic strategist Mark Hannah ~ Hannah: The report finds. . . a broad pattern of racist policing. . . Kelly: “So that justifies this, Mark? What we saw, all these folks with their “hands up, don’t shoot, ’ which did not happen!”

Hands Up? – Code-Switching and Language Reclamation Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee: “found it just incredibly dangerous that you have members of Congress holding up their hands in the ‘hands up, don’t shoot’ position as if to say that somehow that is going to get you shot. ”

Hands Up? – Code-Switching and Language Reclamation Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee: “This is not only foolish and dangerous but it is really on the verge of anarchy. . . Its a horrible thing that he was killed but he could’ve avoided that if he had behaved as something other than a thug. ”

Conclusion - Findings My study outlines evolution of racially coded language. It tracks its use from campaign trail to the streets. Political Popular Modern day civil rights movement: Sanford, Florida Ferguson, Missouri ] Staten Island, New York North Charleston, North Carolina Baltimore, Maryland

Conclusion – so what Consequences Ferguson incident has resulted in continued debate about the militarization of local police. May 18, 2015, President Obama issued a statement limiting military-style equipment for police forces.

Conclusion - Solutions The consequence of this coded language has applications that affect the social justice of this country. It is my hope that my study will contribute to the study of racially coded language’s cultural applications through which we may find that. . .

Words Can Help JOHN PHILLIP BURNS – UWT 2015

Time’s Up! About you: Name: John Phillip Burns Department: Contact Interdisciplinary Studies Information: jpburns@uw. edu Twitter/URL: B. A @jpburns 1 University of Washington, English/Humanities 2008 Thanks!