[peel] Rewriting history

[MARK LUETCHFORD]

 https://aaregistry.org/story/nigger-the-word-a-brief-history/  - a good in depth analysis of the word and its uses on a site called African American Registry - dedicated to enhancing the US school curiculum and education of teachers on African American culture and history
and 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papa_Kojak proves he exists!

He is also probably on spotify (other music sharing sites are available!) using that name - are they censoring all songs that use the word on there?
Anyway - Steve if you feel that you have to go over this that would be a massive problem for this community. Is it time to look at moving the site? But that might be problematic - I've no idea how that could be done.
I presume everyone would balk at using self-censorship or using Papa Kojak because that would be unprincipled. Does any audio exist with what John Peel thought. I can't imagine he didn't make a comment on it.
A conundrum. I would favour trying to provide them with a compromise by including a link to a site that explains how the word has been used in history (eg the one above). In that way we would be probably fulfilling the reason why he chose the name in the first place. maybe they should contact him and ask his opinion? I presume he knew exactly what he was doing when he chose the name. I'm guessing but I suspect he wanted to draw attention to the way his race was and is perceived? 
Personally it is a word I would not use but living in a country that was made wealthy by the exploitation of people exported from Africa - who died in their millions so that we could have sugar/cotton/tobacco grown without sharing any of the profits with those who produced it which could then be processed and sold for massive profits which created the society we live in - I should not be allowed to tell their descendants what they can and can't call themselves. 
Mark







    On Tuesday, 18 June 2019, 23:09:41 BST, so_it_goes_2512@... [peel] <peel@yahoogroups.com> wrote:  
 
     


To all the hard-working Wikifiers out there: a Fandom admin has decided that the Peel Wiki page on Nigger Kojak should be deleted. I enclose her comments and my reply. I would be interested to know what others think before I give up contributing to this site for good.




Hi,

I'm sorry, we do not allow that word on Fandom (although there are many existing mentions that need clearing up!)

I have had to remove the page, but you are welcome to restore it with the word censored out - n***** is acceptable.

I'm sorry for the trouble,

Regards,

-- Sannse

Sannse Cushway



Fandom Community Support




Your response is totally inappropriate. That page had existed since 2013 (even though I had to get a previous admin to allow it). It is the name of an artist and your revisioinist censorship robs the Wiki of an artist important to Peel's history and you have eradicated many hours of work by dedicated Wiki members. I will be highlighting this to the group and will continue to fight your decision. What if I had not pointed it out? And why is the word allowed on Wiki (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigger)???? I request that you reverse the decision forthwith.





Steve (TK)