I grew up in a segregated America, and even though we were called many things at the time, the use of derogatory terms were forbidden by our parents. To this day, I don’t use the term n——- to refer to myself or any other Black American. I also don’t use derogatory terms to refer to whites, Hispanic persons, Muslims, Asians, etc. I owe a debt to my parents for explaining to me at a young age that there is never a reason to refer to anyone, even ourselves, in a disparaging way. This rule has allowed me to have an open mind and to make friends without relying on old stereotypes and negative words. If anyone in this country should have reason to use derogatory terms to refer to others, my name should be first on the list. Having parents that took the time to actually parent and raise their kids with the sure feeling that the world would be different as their kids got older was a gift that has benefited me in many ways. I only wish more parents would teach their kids to view the world in the same way that my parents did.