The N-Word and Intersectionality

The Unfortunate Case of White Centering

Michael B. Jordan wears a navy blue perfectly tailored suit with a black collar shirt and matcing tie, adorned with a white brooch. Delroy Lindo wears and black perfectly tailored tuxedo complete with white pocket square. Both powerful and accomplished Black men standing on the BAFTAs stage to present an award seemlingly frown in a polite disgust of being called the N-word by John Davidson, a white man with Tourette Syndrome who was in the audience. Image from Getty Images.

If you didn’t know I’m a Black disabled woman who dismantles white supremacy so here are my thoughts about the use of the N-word at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs). The BAFTAs harmed both the Black and disabled communities AND folks don’t understand Tourette syndrome and/or the Black experience. What the BAFTA’s has done in a form of an afterthought and response to outrage apology only adds to the initial harm rooted in privilege and intersectionality.

The N-word causes harm no matter what context. Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were harmed. Not centered. Not checked in on. Not protected. Not prioritized. Not valued. Not given care. Without apology. Harmed. The BAFTAs made a choice to harm them. They did not want to be viewed as ableist and yet were fine with being viewed as racist.

And the pattern of harm continues. Google had to apologize as an alert went out that said “see more about the N***ers. Yes. Google. Did that. About the use of the N-word at the BAFTAS.

The BAFTAs aka the system and structure of the harm, allowed the N-word harm to further perpetuate. To continually harm not just the actors but Black people. They had a CHOICE to remove it from the recorded broadcast but they made the CHOICE to keep it just like they made the CHOICE to remove “free Palestine” from an acceptance speech of Wale Davies and Akinola Davies Jr. (both Black men) who won the BAFTA Film Award for outstanding British debut.

The BAFTAs aka the system and structure of the harm, chose to not take care of, nor initially apologize to Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo. They centered the person who caused harm (John Davidson a white man who lives with Tourette Syndrome and part of a nominated film not the actors) not the Black guests, nor Black viewers who were harmed. See, as Black people we are expected to act as if the N-word does not cut like the knife that cut down our ancestor from a tree.

The floor manager of the BAFTAs introduced John Davidson prior to the show preparing the audience for what they might hear and see. But that’s it. There was no plan for harm caused. There’s a difference between the F-word and the N-word when it comes to vocal tics. Disability does not absolve a person of racism, harm or apology or automatically mean grace and empathy.

It’s been reported that Davidson has since apologized to Jordan and Lindo but I cannot find concrete evidence to support it. But if he did apologize once again it was only after heated debate and discourse on social media. Davidson has also gone on to question the placement of a mic next to him as a homophobic slur was said to Alan Cumming the host that was removed from the recorded broadcast unlike the N-word.

Again a choice of both the BAFTAs and the BBC.

Sure “both can be true” when it comes to intersectionality of Black and disabled communities but remember Black people are not given grace nor understanding of the pain and harm when someone says the N-word in any capacity. Grace is not afforded to us. Care is not afforded to us. Empathy is not afforded to us. Accountability is not afforded to us. Apology is not afforded to us. You don’t give grace when harm is caused. You apologize. Always.