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Home • News

ESSENCE Poll: Do You Agree With Oprah's Thoughts on the N-Word?

"You cannot be my friend and use that word around me," said Oprah.
ESSENCE Poll: Do You Agree With Oprah's Thoughts on the N-Word?
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By Charlene Cooper · Updated October 27, 2020
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Oprah recently shared that she’s not only against the use of the N-word, but that she also refuses to be friends with anyone who uses the racial slur.

The media mogul told Parade how strongly she feels about the controversial word.

“You cannot be my friend and use that word around me,” said Oprah. “It shows my age, but I feel strongly about it… I always think of the millions of people who heard that as their last word as they were hanging from a tree.”

Lee Daniels, director of The Butler, admits that he used to say the word all the time until Oprah influenced him to no longer do so.

“It’s a word I used quite a bit, until Oprah sat me down and talked to me about its power.”

Where do you stand? Do you agree with Oprah and her refusal to befriend those who use the N-word?[poll id=352886]