Hollywood figures Mel Gibson, Michael Richards, and Isaiah Washington - along with celebrity talk show host Don Imus - have all recently been under public scrutiny for their use of words in reference to specific minority groups. Were their words truly hateful or are they just part of our culture’s everyday vocabulary? Who’s right and who’s wrong? Why are some words taboo when used by certain groups of people? Join us as we explore this issue with moderator Laura Washington, In These Times editor Joel Bleifuss, and Yasmin Nair from the Windy City Times; with performances by poets Cydney Edwards and Josh Williams from Young Chicago Authors and youth from Umoja.

The Chicago History Museum, in conjunction with The Public Square at the Illinois Humanities Council, is pleased to introduce In The K/Now, a monthly series that explores the issues Chicago residents face living in an urban society.

Recorded Thursday, May 03, 2007 at Chicago History Museum.