The Treatment Richard Pryor’s daughter grapples with the complexities of a notorious word
Jul 31, 2026
Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor, historian, professor, and author (and daughter of comedian Richard Pryor), reflects on a classroom moment that sparked her book. She recounts re-listening to her father's comedy, family rifts over a slur, and the limits of academic 'mention exception.' The conversation centers on language, responsibility, and how a notorious word moved through culture.
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Classroom Moment That Sparked The Book
- Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor froze when a student in her Civil War class quoted Blazing Saddles including the N-word and a slur for Chinese people.
- That moment derailed her classroom control and launched the research that became her book Something We Said.
Why The Mention Exception Fails
- Elizabeth critiques the academic 'mention exception' that allows saying the N-word in historical context as harmful in the present.
- She argues the exception pretends the word doesn't do harm now, so scholars must reckon with ongoing effects.
Do Deep Work Before Teaching Charged Language
- Do deep personal work before teaching charged language; Elizabeth's assumption she was 'buttoned up' failed when confronted by the classroom incident.
- Recognize the N-word represents a broader U.S. racial ideology, not merely a lexical term.
