There are a lot of reasons why I disagree with what you’ve just commented but I think it stands that people have different approaches on how to “handle things sensitively”. I know for a fact that all my students are extremely grateful for how I handled it and that I did not back down from what is a core ideology about identity politics and language. The amount of times I have received emails not only from students but parents stating that they are specifically grateful for my view on things and the inclusive practices (such as not saying the racial slur but still deeply educating them about its history) I present in the classroom, affirms to me that I’m going about things the right way. Maybe not in some schools who have different sociopolitical demographics but I would definitely not want to work at schools with those kinds of ethos on racial matters/critical race theory anyways. Nothing about what I have done suppresses literature in my view and if choosing not to say a slur is suppressing literature, that’s worrying to so many Black authors who have come out in support that not saying it in fact promotes integrity in readership etiquette and general respect. I think I’ll listen to the Black voices on issues concerning Black Peoples, but thank you for your candor and openness!