Stars React To 'View' Debate Over The 'N-Word'
By Access HollywoodJuly 18, 2008, 1:22 pm PDTLOS ANGELES, Calif. -- On Thursday, a "View" debate between Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Whoopi Goldberg over the Reverend Jesse Jackson's use of the "N-word" in off air comments on Fox, attracted a lot of headlines. But it also caught the attention of several stars, who weighed in to Access Hollywood on the very hot topic.
During "The View" incident, Hasselbeck said the "N-word" should not be spoken by anyone. But "Private Practice" star Taye Diggs questioned Hasselbeck weighing in on the issue, during a discussion that left her not only in tears, but found Barbara Walters telling the former "Survivor" star to "take a breath, let someone else talk."
"She doesn't understand and no offense - I don't think any white person has the right to tell a black person or to even weigh in on subject matter such as that," Diggs told Access Hollywood on Thursday. "They don't know what it's like to be called that word, they don't know what it's like to be black."
[ 'The View's' Racial Debate - Play it Now ]
During "The View" incident, Hasselbeck said Jackson's use of the word wasn't helpful.
"How are we supposed to then move forward if we keep using terms that bring back such pain?" she asked.
"I can tell you how, here's how we do it," Goldberg said. "You listen and say 'Okay, this is how we're using this word and this is why we do it,' and you have to say, 'I understand that, but let's find a new way to move forward."
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Diggs echoed Goldberg's stance.
"They can have an opinion, but don't take a word that you created and called me for many, many years, and then me being in my position, have the strength to change what it means in my own culture," he explained. "Don't try to take it back now. Now it's ours. Leave it alone."
And Diggs wasn't the only star chiming in. "Scrubs" star Donald Faison was also engaged by "The View" debate.
"I don't think Elisabeth Hasselbeck would ever have to worry being called the ' N-word ' For her to be offended by it, it's kind of weird," he said. "African Americans have used it now as a term of endearment, or how to describe a situation. So for her to say something like that, she has no idea what power it has over anyone."
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