Imus has been an equal opportunity offender for years. When I heard of his latest emotion, I took it with a grain of salt. Because I had heard him say worse. And from what I’ve learned, worse was said by his co-horts sitting with him. Calling the dignified women of the Rutgers basketball team ‘jigaboos and wannabees’ totally outdid the ‘nappy-headed ho’s’ comment in my opinion.

I am a black woman. I do not identify with the term ‘ho’, even when my black brothers say it. ‘Nappy-headed’? Well, that’s a different matter altogether. I have no problem saying I am nappy-headed when it is time for my next beauty shop appointment. My predominant heritage is African. I have nappy hair. I choose to chemically straighten it, but it’s still nappy to begin with. So what? I have long since ceased to find that to be a negative. What I find interesting is that many of my black sisters do that to be negative. Like it’s a fault or something. Puhleeze… Oh, and I’ve heard the argument that it was bad because a white man said it. Puhleeze… again! Most times even if a black person says it, either offense is taken or the person it is said to runs to make it not be so.

When Imus made that comment, my first thought was that he was somehow mocking black rap musicians who use the terms quite frequently. Why was that my first thought? Because I know my share of white people on a more than casual basis. I don’t know one white man who would call a black woman that. Many white people I know still can’t figure out the meaning of ‘nappy.’ I have a feeling Imus knows now (bless his heart!) but even when he said it, I can’t make myself believe he really knew what he was saying. I do believe he knew it was not the right thing to say. And I believe he knew it was especially wrong when black rap musicians said it and worse. I wouldn’t be surprised if he said it, not only to boost ratings but to challenge those black rap artists at their own game.

I have gotten heat about my opinions from most of the black women and men I know. My question to them has been, ‘where was your outrage when he was offending other groups of people?’ Why does he now deserve to be neutralized? The response I get is that they never heard of the guy until they learned of the comment. I’ve heard it from some whites too. But that makes me even more discouraged. Because while I never listened to Imus’ radio program, I certainly do watch the news. The man has been throwing out newsworthy offenses for a decade or more! When people are uninformed, they are prone to react out of context. I believe black people behaved out of context here, and it made them seem like a selfish people. I don’t like that.

And why should I get heat from black folks anyway?
Ain’t I A Black Woman,too?

Bridgitt