Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor, daughter of the late comedian Richard Pryor, has revealed the emotional impact of her white mother, Maxine Silverman, using the N-word against her when she was 12 years old. The historian recounts the incident in her book, "Something We Said: Richard Pryor, a Notorious Word, and Me," which explores the complex history of race and language in America.
Pryor, who is the third oldest of Richard Pryor's children, described the event as a significant moment that has shaped her life's work. While she stated that her mother mishandled the racial dynamic in their relationship, she also expressed that Silverman loved her.
Examining Family Dynamics and Identity
Stordeur Pryor, a history professor at Smith College, noted that while she has always felt loved by her family, discussions about her biracial identity have not reached the depth she desires. She has expressed a wish to explore these dynamics with curiosity, posing questions to her cousins about their awareness of her Black identity and any directives they might have received regarding behavior around it.
Drawing on W.E.B. Du Bois' theory of double consciousness, Stordeur Pryor suggested that a similar phenomenon exists within her own family. She described maintaining a constant awareness, a caution, when interacting with her family, even while acknowledging their 100% familial connection and shared memories.
She shared that processing the experiences detailed in her book has been more productive with her high school girlfriends, who expressed surprise at her struggles and are now examining their own roles in not recognizing the truth of her experiences. These conversations have been described as difficult but ultimately beautiful.
A Mother's Unapologetic Stance
According to Stordeur Pryor, her mother never offered an apology for using the racial slur. She stated that she brought up the incident multiple times, giving her mother ample opportunities to address it.
Richard Pryor, who died in 2005 at age 65, and Silverman had Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor, who did not meet her father until she was six years old. She has spoken about her father's struggles to be present as a parent and her own feelings of not being creative or Black enough to be his daughter. Later in his career, after a trip to Africa, Pryor reportedly stopped using the N-word in his performances.