College student delivers presentation to call out professor for using the n-word in class

'I think everyone should acknowledge the fact that not everybody would’ve had the strength or would’ve been brave enough to stand up to their professor like this knowing they’re taking risks'

Maleek Eid, 23, delivered a presentation in his English class at College of the Desert in Palm Springs where he called out his professor for using the n-word twice in class. (screenshot via Maleek Eid)

A college student in California taught his teacher a lesson—quite literally.

Maleek Eid, 23, delivered a presentation in his English class at College of the Desert in Palm Springs where he called out his professor for using the n-word twice in class.

The class was referring to Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail as an example for annotations when the professor slipped the anti-black racial slur.

“She said ‘they used to use words like...’ and she said the n-word,” Mr Eid told BuzzFeed News. “I didn’t say anything, I was actually so shocked.”

Then, about one week later, the teacher said the n-word again in a similar situation.

“So I was like, that’s strike two, and strike one didn’t sit well with me already,” he added.

Mr Eid said other students didn’t seem appalled when the professor said the racial slur, noting that none of his classmates were black.

The Palestinian-American student intended to submit a report to the school, but took a different route when his professor assigned students to deliver opposing arguments on a controversial topic.

Mr Eid took that as an opportunity to create a powerpoint presentation where he argued against all the defences non-black people typically make for saying the n-word. Without hesitation, he called out the professor during his presentation.

“This word was used twice in this class,” the 23-year-old said. “There’s really no excuse, there’s really no justification.”

This was all captured on video and posted on Twitter. It got over 1.2 million views.

In his presentation, Mr Eid said he felt the professor inappropriately used the “n-word” since she wasn’t reading or quoting text. She just said racial slur.

“I called her out, I told her ‘hey, I didn’t say it the first time, I didn’t say it the second time, I’m saying something now,’” he added.

The professor sat silently throughout his remarks, but defended herself to the class afterwards. She defended herself to the class after the presentation, despite it being centred on countering non-black people’s defensive arguments on using the n-word.

Mr Eid uploaded the audio recording of her response on Twitter as well.

“I said the word because I wanted a response, I wanted someone to say, ‘that’s wrong to say that’ or ‘I take offence to that,’” the professor said.

“Sometimes when we’re discussing things and you’re all sitting there going,” the professor added before making snoring sounds, “kind of thing, sometimes somebody’s gotta shake you up.”

Mr Eid was not going to let that slide. “If the solution to getting your class to snap up is using the n-word then you need different strategies,” he responded.

The professor then defended the use of the racial slurs within cultural context, noting that it’s been used in To Kill A Mockingbird or when Native Americans are referred to as “Indian.”

“Things change, society’s reaction to things change and sometimes its acceptable and sometimes its not,” she added.

The professor then tried to shut down the debate by calling for a break, but Mr Eid kept talking to her. He argued that while using the n-word in a literature is understandable, she did not use it such context.

“I get you’re talking about using it in literature, but the two times you used it wasn’t in literature, they would have been totally acceptable times to say ’n-word’,” Mr Eid said, while also calling out his classmates for not caring.

But the professor gave a snappy response. “Or maybe they just don’t have your sensitivity,” she replied.

The college student said he felt his classmates’ lackadaisical attitudes towards the professor’s use of the racial slur left him depressed. He said his classmates were unsupportive with some either disregarding the whole issue or giggling at it.

The College of Desert released a statement to BuzzFeed News addressing the professor’s use of the n-word, insisting its “core values are based on inclusiveness and diversity in all forms, including academic freedom for both students and faculty.”

She added it is the community college’s policy “to recognise the importance of academic freedom in pursuit of academic excellence for both faculty and students,” and that it “embraces diversity and the right to access a safe and respectful learning environment.”

Twitter users seem to have taken Mr Eid’s side of the argument with hundreds of people praising him for speaking up.

“I think everyone should acknowledge the fact that not everybody would’ve had the strength or would’ve been brave enough to stand up to their professor like this knowing they’re taking risks,” one user tweeted, referring the courage it required of Mr Eid to speak up. “A true king.”

But Mr Eid wants the viral fame directed away from him, noting that it is wrong for him—a non-black person of colour—to promote himself when "black people don't profit from their issues."

He said he is is also making donations to black charities.

"This isn’t about me. I don’t want to promote myself with black issues," he tweeted. "I’ll cooperate with media to get the message out there but that’s all this is about: A message."