“In every encounter with a White person, I’m worried about the possibility they could say something horrendously offensive.” Wow, so spot on! This is an anxiety most African-Americans feel — and rightfully so. I hate the N-word and never use it. I was in a local Barnes & Noble several weeks ago and heard two employees complaining about the “double standard” of why white people can’t say the N-word, but it’s widely used in rap music. This was a conversation they were having openly near the store entrance. I want to pose this question: WHY do white Americans want to use the N-word so badly? They know the brutal, dehumanizing, racist origin of the word. THAT is the question they should ask themselves. I’m very sorry you had to deal with such ignorance — especially in your mother’s home.