Richard Pryor made a career out of saying things other people wouldn’t dare say. His groundbreaking comedy confronted race, racism and American life with a bluntness that made him one of the most influential performers of his generation.
But one word in particular, deeply embedded in his comedy and in the country’s history, would become the subject of a very different kind of examination by his daughter.
Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor, a historian and professor at Smith College, explores the complicated history of the n-word, its place in her father’s public and private life, and its influence on her own identity in her new book, “Something We Said: Richard Pryor, a Notorious Word, and Me.”
On Thursday, Oct. 22, Pryor heads to the Museum of Worcester for a talk about the book, which blends personal memoir, family history and an examination of one of the most painful and controversial words in the English language.
The event runs 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the museum, 30 Elm St. The discussion is moderated by Deborah Hall and presented in collaboration with the Worcester Black History Project and Worcester Women’s History Project.
For Pryor, the subject is both deeply personal and the focus of years of academic research.
The daughter of the legendary comedian and a white Jewish mother, Pryor grew up navigating questions of race, identity and belonging while also reckoning with the extraordinary public presence of her father.
Her book examines how a racial slur with roots in slavery and centuries of discrimination became part of American popular culture, including through Richard Pryor’s performances, and how its meanings have shifted across generations.
The comedian, who died in 2005, was known for his unflinching treatment of race and for challenging audiences through language that was often provocative, uncomfortable and controversial.
His daughter approaches that legacy from two perspectives: as a historian who has spent years researching the word’s origins and use, and as someone whose own life was shaped by the man who helped bring it into mainstream entertainment.
At Smith College in Northampton, Pryor specializes in 19th-century American history, particularly slavery, race and citizenship. She teaches courses examining those subjects as well as her father’s life and cultural influence.
Her first book, “Colored Travelers: Mobility and the Fight for Citizenship before the Civil War,” published in 2016, explored how Black Americans challenged segregation on public transportation long before the civil rights movement of the 20th century.
Her scholarly article on the origins and use of the n-word in the antebellum North received the Ralph D. Gray Prize for the best article published in the Journal of the Early Republic in 2016.
Pryor has also addressed the difficulty of discussing the word in a TED Talk that has attracted more than 2 million views.
“Something We Said,” published this year by Simon & Schuster, brings those academic interests together with an intimate account of her upbringing and relationship with her father.
The book has drawn national attention, including coverage by The New York Times, CNN, PBS NewsHour and other outlets, as well as an appearance on NPR’s “Fresh Air.”
Reviewers say it’s a captivating combination of historical scholarship and personal reflection. Kirkus Reviews described it as “A moving reflection on family, belonging, and language’s power to wound and heal.”
Eric Butler, executive director of the Museum of Worcester, said the book reflects the kind of historical exploration the museum hopes to encourage.
“We are honored to have Ms. Pryor join us at the Museum of Worcester to discuss her work, Something We Said,” Butler said in an announcement of the event. “Ms. Pryor’s masterful ability to explore, with honesty and vulnerability, this compelling topic through the lenses of history, culture, pop culture, and personal biography is exactly the form of historical storytelling we embrace at the Museum of Worcester.”
The conversation brings a nationally recognized historian and author to Worcester for a discussion that extends beyond one famous family, examining how language can reflect a country’s history and shape individual experiences.
Copies of “Something We Said: Richard Pryor, a Notorious Word, and Me” will be available for purchase through Tidepool Booksellers at the event.
The program begins at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Museum of Worcester, 30 Elm St. Space is limited, and advance registration is required. Registration information is available at worcesterhistory.org.
Worcester City Council meets Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 6:30 p.m. in the Esther Howland Chamber at City Hall. The meeting is also livestreamed on the city’s website.
Have news, tips, or a story worth telling? Reach Editor Charlene Arsenault at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org — because good stories (and great scoops) deserve to be shared.
