It is THAT word, and there exists no positive connotation for the term in any nook, crack, or cranny of the country.
Is it still spoken? Unfortunately, yes, according to Belmont County NAACP President Jerry Moore II, and that is why Moore is now involved with an investigation pertaining to the alleged use of the ‘Hard R’ by the principal of St. Clairsville High School. The investigation, Moore confirmed, has been ongoing since complaints were first recorded last week.
“People know the word, and they know they should not use it,” Moore said Tuesday. “There is no situation when uttering that word is proper and, by now, every single person in this country should know that. As far as this situation is concerned, I would have to say that if he thought he was on thin ice, it sure appears that he broke through that ice.”
Once a recording of the principal, Justin Sleutz, was posted on social media, media reports circulated throughout the Upper Ohio Valley. According to a statement from the St. Clairsville-Richland City School District, the “principal met with students, and their conversation concerned the use and impact of inappropriate language – specifically, the use of racial slurs in music. During the conversation, the High School Principal repeated the inappropriate word. The District does not condone the use of that word regardless of why it is said. It is inappropriate and offensive.”
Moore 100 percent agrees.
“It is very sad and unfortunate that here we are in 2022 and language like this is being used for any reason. Personally, I don’t like the word at all. I have no use for it, and I wish it would just go away,” Moore said. “The high school kids are the ones who labeled the word the ‘Hard R,’ and before that the word was called something else. No matter what the word is referred to as, when you use that kind of language, you are using terms that the government has deemed hate speech.
“Words like that can incite riots and other protests, so we encourage people not to use any variation of that word at all. The ‘Hard R’ or whatever you want to call it these days, it is never appropriate and should never be spoken by anyone no matter who they are,” he said. “I don’t use it no matter how you want to spell it because it has a lot of hurt and hate behind it. There have been a lot of racial slurs through the years, but this particular one continues to be used by society and it’s the one that just needs to go away forever.”
Never. It Is THAT Simple. Never.
Officials from the school system have not denied the ‘Hard R’ was uttered by the principal.
Today, the superintendent of the St. Clairsville-Richland City School District, Walter Skaggs, said, “We have met with the NAACP and we’re working closely with them on what happened. We do not condone it, and our goal obviously to get some sensitivity training for our staff and students so we can prevent this from happening again.”
In reaction, Moore recalled a life lesson he was taught by his parents.
“Even if someone is trying to explain that the word and speaks it at the same time, well, two wrongs don’t make a right,” Moore insisted. “That’s how my mom and dad raised me and it’s always made sense to me. Plus, anyone in education should know by now the words that should be left unspoken, and the ‘Hard R’ most definitely is one of them.
“Let me put it this way: If I am explaining to people that they should not jaywalk, there is no reason for me to commit the offense in the process,” he continued. “Now, we have received several complaints from Belmont County residents and that is why the investigation continues. Once that is completed, the membership of the Belmont County NAACP will make a statement about the facts of the incident.”
The chapter, in fact, has been very active since Moore and his colleagues resurrected it after a few decades of dormancy.
“We reactived our charter in September 2020 after 30 years of there not being an NAACP in Belmont County, and we did that because of the social climate in the country at the time. Even though Covid was prevalent, we felt the need was there in the county,” Moore said. “We wanted to have that conversation right here in Belmont County.
“Thankfully, we were a part of a lot of necessary conversations, and I do believe progress was made then and it has continued,” he said. “Our motto is Moving Forward, and that means is that we’re not looking to recreate the past but instead looking at the present and at the future here in Belmont County. I believe if we all work together, we can make a better future for everyone here in our valley.”
The chapter has successfully staged multiple events since its resurrection, including a Meet the Candidates Forum in 2020, the inaugural Freedom Fund Dinner and a National Night Out in 2021, and a fundraising steak fry this year. In fact, the second annual Freedom Fund Dinner is set for this Saturday evening at the Belmont Hills Country Club.
“I’m very proud of what our chapter of the NAACP has accomplished in a very brief amount of time, and I’m excited about what we having coming up in the future,” Moore said. “Our Second Annual Freedom Fund Dinner is coming up this weekend and we’re excited to honor Dr. John Mattox and also Abbey Maroon.
“Both of those gentlemen contributed to this area and never wanted any credit for it,” he added. “During the years Belmont County did not have an NAACP chapter, it was John who represented the African Americans in Belmont County, and The Lord didn’t create many people than Mr. Abbey Marron. He’s one of the finest human beings I have ever met.”
