A Dutch newspaper used the N-word in the headline for a review about three recent books on race relations

Bryan LoganAug 14, 2015, 07:58 IST

NRC/Screenshot

The Dutch newspaper, "NRC Handelsblad" recently posted a review of three recent books about race relations in the US with a controversial headline that is now getting well-deserved backlash.

The headline of the review read, "Nigger, are you crazy?"

The review, as noted by The Washington Post, was published July 31.

It's an assessment of books written by several outspoken authors - including noted educator and journalist, Ta-Nehisi Coates, who writes for The Atlantic, and novelist Paul Beatty.

Here's what the spread looked like:

Nearly as bad, the paper's editorial team chose to use "blackface" cartoons to illustrate piece.

Guus Valk, the NRC Handelsblad Washington correspondent who wrote the review, says he wasn't involved with choosing the headline, nor the layout or illustrations. Valk was cited by The Post, saying he's "sorry to learn that people had been offended."The review triggered a dizzying response from many corners of social media, which prompted the newspaper to take the images offline, according to The Post. NRC editor, Michel Krielaars is quoted here, saying the paper did not want to "offend non-Dutch speakers who only read Twitter."In an email to The Post, Krielaars explained why NRC Handelsblad framed the review the way it did. Krielaars says:Krielaars explains that the headline was a fictional quote attributed to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and pulled from one of the books being reviewed, titled "The Sellout."You can read Krielaar's full explanation for the piece that appeared in The Post below:

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A Dutch newspaper used the N-word in the headline for a review about three recent books on race relations

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