[adonis1960]

"While I find the sentiment and intent of the article excellent, I don't necessarily agree with the malicious intent of the use of the word. I am quite familiar with the career of Diahann Carroll. (I'm thinking faster than I can type so let me get these thoughts on page now. A female Cliff Huxtable. SUSAN LUCCI, ELTON JOHN "THE BITCH IS BACK, STRANGELY THE TERM BITCH NEVER OFFENDED DIAHANN CARROLL, in fact she rather revelled in it. I saw Johnny Carson introduce her, as just that, and she came out to a standing ovation and never said a word about it."

The intent of people using the term isn't the point. The point is the term's origins in slavery and its inherently racist, misogynist and dehumanizing meaning. I'm not giving anybody a pass here. Diahann Carroll was wrong to use the term for promotional purposes. The New York Blade was wrong to use it as a headline for their interview with her. I notice you don't say Johnny Carson ever called Ms. Carroll as "Black bitch". Did he? If he did, that was wrong, too, and I'm surprised it didn't prompt any public outcry.

"PERHAPS ITS THE TERM "BLACK" BITCH THAT PEOPLE FIND OFFENSIVE."

Well, yeah. And some of us don't think "bitch" is such a nice word, either. No need to shout, BTW.

"SHE WAS ACTIVE DURING A TIME THAT SAW DIVA BECOME A TERM OF ENDEARMENT, WHEN BLACKS RE TO THEMSELVES AS NIGGA'S AS A TERM OF ENDEARMENT (I think the intent was/is if you use the term enough, it takes the sting out of it. The result backfired and to this day splits the black community) AND WOMEN AND GAYS CALLED EACH OTHER BITCHES AS A TERM OF ENDEARMENT. Unfortunately the "N" word was the only one that apparently achieved the intended goal it would seem, to some."

With all due respect, that's garbage. "Bitch", "hoe", "nigger" (the alternate spelling is bogus), "queer", "dyke" and all the other slurs people are throwing around these days are not, have never been and will never be "endearments". That's just a lame argument that rude and ignorant folk use to cover their behinds in case they get called on their derogatory usage. I've heard Black people use the N-word all my life. There is always a "sting" in that usage, even when lips are smiling when it's said. If you don't hear the "sting", then you're not listening closely enough. If you listen long enough, you'll hear Black people use the N-word in anger, and there's absolutely no way it can be mistaken for an "endearment" then! I don't even care to think about how many times "nigger" was probably the last thing a Black man heard before he was capped by a "brother".

"While Ms Carroll is all she is described as in the article, she was never a household name in the Black community that I grew up in. She always seemed aloof and above it all in most of her screen roles and most of her off screen activities. I'm pretty sure she did the necessaries to remain cool with the "brothers and sister," but like Sammy Davis Jr, she might as well have been 'Jewish'!"

Well, I grew up in the Black community, too. I was a child when Diahann Carroll starred in "Julia". She was definitely a household name, a heroine to Black working mothers, and highly respected by most Black people back then. For a while, she was the highest profile Black woman in America.

"Now in her 'GOLDEN YEARS' the term that she was commonly known by, has come back to haunt her it seems. The chickens always come home to roost"

Before and even after her appearance on "Dynasty", I don't recall Ms. Carroll being "commonly known" as a "Black bitch". As for chickens coming home to roost, yes, it can certainly be argued that she brought this insult on herself. But if somebody invites you to attend an orgy, it's your decision whether or not to go, isn't it? Everybody's responsible for their own behavior. The New York Blade can't indulge in racist labeling and expect it to be OK just because the a Black person did it first. That sounds way too "Don Imus" for me.