By Ivan Pereira
The councilman awarded 26 city middle-schoolers official city citations for winning the second annual Black History Month Essay Contest at City Hall on March 19. The subject for the 250-word essay was “Why the N-word Should Never be Used,” a theme Comrie supports strongly.”These students were able to express their ideas about why the 'N-word' should never be used and it is my hope that they will begin to work with their peers in hopefully putting an end to this cultural phenomena,” he said in a statement.Of the 26 winners, 15 were from Queens schools, including MS 8 in Jamaica, MS 172 in Floral Park, MS 226 in South Ozone Park, IS 147 in Queens Village, MS 147 in Cambria Heights and MS 268 in Jamaica.Last year Comrie introduced a resolution in the City Council that banned the N-word, which passed unanimously. Comrie drafted the resolution after the public outcry stemming from actor Michael Richards's outburst in 2006, when Richards used the racial slur against an audience member during a show.Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
