The Power of the Spoken Word

Allen Huggins The Power of the Spoken Word "Words themselves are innocuous; it is the consensus that gives them true power" (Naylor, 344). The consensus governs our society because of the power it holds. The understanding of the spoken word, especially derogatory terms, shapes our world because of the power these vile words hold in balancing or tilting race relations. The American Heritage College Dictionary defines power as political, social, or economic control (1072). White America has …

…at harmful words can only hurt our country and detract from its potential. Equality would create endless avenues our country could travel, yet without it, our country will only be able to go so far. Bibliography Costello, Robert B. ed. The American Heritage College Dictionary. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1997. 1072. Naylor, Gloria. "Mommy, What Does 'Nigger' Mean?" New Worlds of Literature. Eds. Jerome Beaty and J. Paul Hunter. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1994. 344-47.