Author and historian Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor wanted to explore the history and significance of the N-word. But it wasn’t until she began her research that she realized how integral her father, the legendary comedian Richard Pryor, was to the cultural evolution of the word. Stordeur Pryor brings together these reflections in her latest book “Something We Said.”
Originally aired on June 29, 2026
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Amanpour and Company features wide-ranging, in-depth conversations with global thought leaders and cultural influencers on the issues and trends impacting the world each day, from politics, business and technology to arts, science and sports. Christiane Amanpour leads the conversation on global and domestic news from London with contributions by prominent journalists Walter Isaacson, Michel Martin, and Hari Sreenivasan from the Tisch WNET Studios at Lincoln Center in New York City.
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I love this interview and love the interviewer and Professor Stordeur Pryor. Her book is enlightening to say the least. I had to read it twice.
I enjoyed this interview. I’m so glad that you were able to meet your father and receive what was/is accessible to and for you personally. Thank you for your service as a student and educator of your lived experience in an environment where some people have a habit of high jacking a conversation they weren’t apart of.
https://youtube.com/shorts/st9t6DHriFM?is=tL2ZIdA6QtwPFI0u
https://youtube.com/shorts/EHcJhUFzXIQ?is=33swBDhZqkPdREtU
https://youtu.be/GVmzRCT9t24?is=oPtAaeaygykgzlEI
To be honest when Richard Pryor became an older man he stopped using the word completely. I think that has done more damage than we can even realize. And I blame a lot of it on the rap culture. Most of these clowns that wrap about stuff they haven't done and lives they don't live. It's only a few of them that actually live those kind of lives. And rap has brought on cop killer and hose and bitches and a gluttony about wealth as well. I truly believe the rap culture has caused more problems in the African American community and in racial terms with white people. White people say that word as much as African Americans do. And it's disgusting. Because if you had said it 200 years ago there's a good chance that that would cost you your life. Because African Americans did not want to be called that and fought and strived and struggled to not be called that.
Her mom called her the n word but she claims her
I know the derogatory ethnic slurs for all ethnic groups. But today I never hear those words. I only hear the N word constantly in rap music and African Americans using the word constantly in public. I never hear Mexican people calling themselves the ethnic slur for Mexican People. I never hear Irish People calling themselves the Ethnic slur for Irish People. The N.I.N.A. No Irish Need apply, the signs in Bar Windows "No Irish Allowed is in the past. I don't hear Jewish People calling themselves the ethnic slur for Jewish People. I don't hear Italian People calling themselves the ethnic slur for Italian People. The fact that African American won't let the N word go away hurts.
She looks just like him. I’m white (born in 1962) but I grew up in a black community and so I was very interested in African American history. The word was used a lot by some of the black kids and I instinctively knew never to use it as a white person.
"Lenny Bruce was an American stand-up comedian and social critic who became infamous in the early 1960s for routines that used racial and ethnic slurs to challenge societal taboos and free speech norms. His most controversial bit, often titled "Are there any niggers here tonight?", involved Bruce turning on the house lights to identify audience members using a litany of epithets such as "kike," "spic," "wop," and "guinea."
The core argument of the routine was that suppression gives words their power, and that by using these terms excessively and casually, they could be stripped of their violent and vicious impact. Bruce argued that if figures of authority, like President Kennedy, openly used these words without malice, they would lose their ability to hurt, thereby exposing the hypocrisy of those who enforced linguistic taboos while maintaining prejudiced attitudes.
While Bruce intended the routine as a satirical critique of racism and segregation, it often elicited tension and discomfort from audiences rather than laughter. Modern analyses and revivals of his work note that while the intent was to disarm prejudice through repetition, the routine remains a jarring reminder of the complex relationship between free speech, offensive language, and social responsibility."
What a thought provoking interview, as a side note my aunt's funeral is today and she looks like the mirror image of the interviewer, so weird that I happened across this, nothing is by accident, for some reason I was meant to hear this. It's been a long time since I've been called the N- word, maybe 50 years or so, but you never forget that moment. This was executed in such an engaging way, I thoroughly enjoyed it thanks for posting.😊
The N word I can’t stand that word especially after I saw Roots but I used to listen to Richard Pryor on cassette in the early 70s when I was a kid my older brother bought the cassette they also used the N word a lot in all the blaxploitation movies in the 70s.
The only daughter I am familiar with by Ricard Pryor is Rain Pryor the actress who starred on Head of the Class in the mid 80s.
The N word? How infantile
Racism are some people against them-self and or are unfairly, dishonestly and or disrespectfully against other persons of which are for wronging cheating or abusing for minor reason/s or for no good nor right reason.
Curse words exist for fair reasons, but, many people are using the Curse words unfairly, dishonestly and or disrespectfully to be sick of poison minded and or illegal based on height of person's wrong doing movements and or communications.
The signaled as N-word is just another way to say ignorant or ignorance or stupid of which some males and females of young and older ages behave as in each city state and country and of different signaled as nationalities; of not all, but, waaaaay tooooo many are 🎨 arting the beautiful helpful communications of drawings made-up of lines and curves to make signaled as words to communicate unfairly, dishonestly, confusingly and disrespectfully to cause trouble.
NOTES to this comment section that there are two types of people in each city state and country or of different signaled as nationalities or cultures are some signaled as white as in clean behaved females and males that mind their bodies business right to not cause trouble to also maybe signaled as attractive or beautiful rich behaved; AND, there are the black as in dirty behaved males and females that don't mind their body business is wrong to get themselves wronged cheated or abused and or to get other person/s of their choice wronged cheated or abused by lying cheating and or making unfair, disrespectful, sick or illegal movements for signaled as jail and or mental health hospital assistance.
***It's my understanding that signaled as Richard Pryor were an awwwwe-some beautiful shinning 🌟 star of which appeared in some movies that I sooo loved to see while in my signaled as youngster body form; however, also, it's my understanding that Richard Pryor comedy shows were for entertainment's of Richard Pryor also mimicking about ways some females and males 🎨 arted to communicate, so, it's my understanding that Richard Pryor shouldn't be wronged cheated nor abused by his paying job signaled as entertainment.
⏩↗IT'S ILLEGAL TO SIGNAL BROWNIES AS IN BROWN SKIN AS BLACK IS A NOOOO NO TOWARDS PERSON/S LYING TO ACT AS IF TALKING ABOUT SKIN COLOR WHILE REALLY SIGNALING PERSONS TO BE DIRTY and or SIGNALING PERSON/S TO BE BLACK or WHITE AS AN INVISIBLE TO MISTREAT IS WRONG, UNFAIR OF SICK MINDED or ILLEGAL MINDED TO BE NOT LEVEL HEADED TO SIGNAL BEAUTIFUL BROWN SKIN AS BLACK IS ALSO REALLY A NOOOO NO SEEING TO KNOW PERSON/S SKIN IS BROWN and or KNOWING BY SEEING PERSON/S BEHAVIOR IS WHITE AS IN CLEAN TO BE FAIR AND OR HONEST ABOUT HER OR HIS DO AND OR BEAUTIFUL DOING TO NOT BE A TROUBLE MAKER TO BE SIGNALED AS RICH TASTEFUL BEHAVIORS FAIR, HONEST CLEAN ARTS OF COMMUNICATIONS SIGNALED AS WHITE MAGIC or RICH BEHAVED MAGIC.
⏩⏩↗ALSO NOTES TO THIS COMMENT SECTION THAT PERSON'S CAN SIGNAL THEM-SELF TO BE BLACK or WHITE as an invisible GOD, or as an invisible GHOST or to be saying to be black or white to be signaling to be treated as TO NOT EXIST or TO HAVE Noooo FAIR TO SAY-SO; and or to be 🎨 arting to say BEING TREATED AS A SLAVE; and or person/s can signal themselves to be other such as an ANGEL, a DEVIL, a WIZARD, a GOOD WITCH or a BAD WITCH, a TOY, a MONKEY, a CLOWN,, a COW, a BITCH, a DUCK, a DOG, a TEDDY BEAR or OTHER WORDS PERSON'S CAN FAIRLY OR UNFAIRLY PUT ON THEM-SELF; BUT, PERSON/S AREN'T SUPPOSED TO PUT CERTAIN WORDS OF SIGNALS ON OTHER PERSON/S AS WRONG TO BE SIGNALED AS A CURSE OF Also SIGNALED AS VOODOO THAT'S NOT REAL means DISHONEST of JEALOUS PERSON/S and or INSECURE PERSON/S SIGNAL FOR UNFAIR, DISRESPECTFUL DISHONEST CONTROL and or TO MAKE DISRESPECTFUL MOVEMENTS TO WRONG CHEAT or ABUSE PERSON/S FOR MINOR REASON/S, or FOR NO GOOD, NOR RIGHT REASON TO APPEAR FOR MENTAL HEALTH CARE ASSISTANCE or JAIL-TIME DEPENDING ON HEIGHT OF HER or HIS WRONG DOING.
Shes full of it !!!!!
🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤😊😊
Thank God they can't rewrite my memory of laughter brought by Pryor…
The N-bomb is a foul word greedy, hateful Europeans used to brainwash and reduce African slaves in AmeriKKKa to a subhuman level, and this EVIL psyop straight from Hell was wildly effective, because the descendants of those African slaves continue to call themselves that heinous pejorative to this day. 😔
Her dad had a epiphany while he was in Africa and stops saying the N word, and stop using it in public, and me as a kid in the early 80s watching Mr Pryor in everything he did movies and tv shows, his stand up , I never heard him use the N word after that.. and he was even in Harlem nights , with ( Red Foxx , Eddie Murphy , Arsenio Hall, robin Harris, Charlie Murphy, Reynaldo Rey) all comedians all on occasion have used the N word, in the past , I think 🤔 it might’ve been said once in the movie, but not by Mr Pryor, he never used it in public after his affirmation.
Awesome interview! ❤ This!👍
While this was a very insightful and poignant interview, for me it's problematic at best. It appears on a channel which carries the name of a woman who during her time on CNN in the U.S. used especially biased language against the Blk community. The same as her fellow "journalist," also from the UK, Piers Morgan.
She's a he and y'all are going to be facing RICO charges for paying Kid Rock to take me out for the Illuminati Epstein Network and you're going to give back what you stole from me too
What does she think about the way that rappers use the N word? And what an incredibly complicated family history! It's sad and shocking that her mother never apologized for calling her the N word!🤔
What an enlightening interview! Good to meet your work Elizabeth; I was a huge fan of your father’s work, and hearing about its thread through you is a micro look at his macro impact on our language and understanding. Look forward to your book and more. Thank you for the emotional work of bringing your story and insights forward.
It's not that deep. People say the word, it's America. It doesn't hurt you unless you somehow feel you're less. Black people have aot of internalized self hatred from the constant Gaslighting of the society. Being a black chilyraised by wt people is trauma in and of itself.
I know the derogatory ethnic slurs for all ethnic groups. But today I never hear those words. I only hear the N word constantly in rap music and African Americans using the word constantly in public. I never hear Mexican people calling themselves the ethnic slur for Mexican People. I never hear Irish People calling themselves the Ethnic slur for Irish People. The N.I.N.A. No Irish Need apply, the signs in Bar Windows "No Irish Allowed is in the past. I don't hear Jewish People calling themselves the ethnic slur for Jewish People. I don't hear Italian People calling themselves the ethnic slur for Italian People. The fact that African American won't let the N word go away hurts.
13:00 The N-word is thought by those who believe that they are racially superior, to be the ultimate insult to a Black person.
"Now, I ain't no man no more. I'm [a n-word]. Now, I've got to argue with that shit… [I] ain't ever gonna call another black man [n-word]." – Richard Pryor
Many, many people who aren't Black Canadians or Black Americans,who also aren't caucasians can attest to that even they were called the N-word.Many I see the black people only believe that the N-word are only them/their kind.
"…and don't let him get none of that powder in his nose. THAT'S like tryna talk to a baboons ass!" -Mama Pryor, speaking about Richard. RIP King
I know the derogatory ethnic slurs for all ethnic groups. But today I never hear those words. I only hear the N word constantly in rap music and African Americans using the word constantly in public. I never hear Mexican people calling themselves the ethnic slur for Mexican People. I never hear Irish People calling themselves the Ethnic slur for Irish People. The N.I.N.A. No Irish Need apply, the signs in Bar Windows "No Irish Allowed is in the past. I don't hear Jewish People calling themselves the ethnic slur for Jewish People. I don't hear Italian People calling themselves the ethnic slur for Italian People. The fact that African American won't let the N word go away hurts.
I hate that evil word and no one has any business saying it – least of all whites.
I loved your father
MR. RICHARD PRYOR, WAS A EDUCATOR, PERIOD!
Thank you, Professor Pryor.
We have become TOO precious. Richar was RAW & REAL.
Thank you so, so much 💐
I'm a little over 4 minutes into.the video. That being said. Pryor wasn't the first to bring that word to the public. Blackploxtation movies during the early 70s is where you first started to hear it. But the use of the word in the Black community goes back to the slavery and Jim Crow years. And that's all connected to the Blackploxtation era.
I've heard my late grandparents use that word during the early 70s. They're from the south. A word that was started by white people that was used to demean Black people. Ended up becoming a term of endearment in the Black community. But initially started out as a word to demean Black people, by Black people within the Black community.
I've heard this same thing about the Italian and Asians (insert nationality) who were called derogatory words by whites. Where the word because a term of endearment. In fact. I've known an Italian that have done this.
It's a slippery slope, because when rappers added the word to their music. It really wasn't nothing new. It was a continuation of the word that was passed down from our peers or elders. I say this because many assume that rappers started it. Which is nonsense.
The slippery slope part is. Like Pryor's use of the word. Rappers use brought it mainstream, where other groups are comfortable using or saying the word. It's hard to get mad because at the end of the day. Rappers goal is to sale to whoever is going to spend their money, regardless of race, color etc. But I also understand that anger part, because Black aren't a monolith. We all don't think, look alike, or live the same. And that's another narrative that non-black people like to use to justify their racism. Example. If a Black person does something wrong. In the eyes of the racist non-black person. He or she represents the entire Black community. That's weak.
That being said. Whites use of the word in most cases has more so to do with them wanting to.use it. But they use it in a different context while scapegoating behind Black people's use of the word.
wow Elizabeth, you are just like your father – amazing
Nope
🤡
I really wish this interviewer didn't do so much of the talking and story-telling, especially at the beginning, it's very frustrating.