Groups Argue Racial Slur Shouldn't Be Removed From Cherry Hill East Performance Of 'Ragtime'

CHERRY HILL, NJ — The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), the Dramatists Guild and the Arts Integrity Initiative at the New School are urging members of the Cherry Hill School District to reverse a decision to remove racial epithets from a Cherry Hill High School East’s upcoming performance of the musical “Ragtime.”

The coalition argues that the language reflects a historical reality and its inclusion will help to educate students about the ugly reality of racism, it said in a statement issued this week.

The school edition of the performance originally included several uses of the “N-word,” but the term has been removed following protests civil rights groups, and a parent who complained. The school district subsequently removed the word from the script.

In response, the coalition sent a letter to the district that it says “underlines the power of a musical to convey social circumstances in powerful and thought provoking ways. Over the course of a production and its performance, actors and audiences get to intimately know the characters, who often exist in completely different worlds to their own. Ragtime is no exception. By engaging with the reality presented in the musical, students are given an accurate and profound understanding of the uglier elements of American history.” Redacting the language, the letter argues, will only whitewash the past.

“Concerns regarding the emotional impact of certain words are completely understandable,” NCAC Director of Programs Svetlana Mintcheva said. “However, to teach students about why words matter, why they can hurt us today, we need an understanding of history. Censorship does not enhance such understanding, it simply represses issues we urgently need to talk about.”

It also argued that unauthorized changes to the script may violate copyright law and licensing agreements. In the absence of explicit permission from copyright holders, any modification of the text can lead to a revocation of Cherry Hill High School East’s right to perform the musical, the coalition argued.

The show is scheduled to run at the school from March 10-19.

“Ragtime” is a Tony Award winning musical set at the turn of the century. It focuses on a black family, an upper-class wife and a Jewish immigrant, integrating themes of racism and tolerance.