School district considers removing racial slur from musical
CHERRY HILL, N.J. — A New Jersey high school is weighing whether it should allow students to utter racial slurs during performances of the musical “Ragtime.”
Cherry Hill school district officials had planned to remove the N-word from the show that’s due to debut March 10 at High School East, following complaints from a parent and some area civil rights groups. They also said disparaging lines from the play targeting other ethnic groups also would be removed.
But that has been met with resistance by many students and community members of all races who say it would be wrong to “sanitize” the show. They argue it’s an accurate portrayal of the racist attitudes that many people held in the early 20th century, when the Tony Award-winning musical is set. Some Broadway actors and arts groups agree with that argument.
The issue was the focus of a lengthy public meeting Tuesday attended by about 100 people, but no decision has been made on how to proceed.