Why is "Nappy-headed Ho" racist?

Do a search on Amazon.com using "Nappy" and you will get a list of books which use Nappy in the Title many written by Female Black authors.

Nappy referring to kinky hair Ala Afro's but would also include perms and waves....

I think what has people taking offense is that you can identity a small(er) group of individuals with "Nappy Headed Ho's"...

Although racially benign on toward itself considering the words used in RAP and literature, the fact that it was directed to a predominantly Black basketball team is what tagged it as racial... Call it a synergistic effect, consider if Imus had left out either Nappy or Ho from his statement and we probably wouldn't be having this discussion. Or If Imus had directed his comment to a wider group (like women in general) which could not be as strongly linked to a specific race...

So the result is one more Politically incorrect word has been generated.

Hey if this trend keeps going then eventually all words will become politically incorrect and not one person will be able to say anything to anyone for fear of offending. Only then will no one be truly offended by someones speech, but at what cost?

I think "nappy" is a slang term for the tightly curled hair of some Americans of certain types of African descent. Certainly not North African, more central to western and southern.

From the context of the conversation, Imus was struck by how rough looking the Rutgers women are as a bunch. I don't think Ho really conveys that, though. Maybe Thugs or some such. I don't think I'd want to piss off any of them, myself. Anyone of them could kick my keester.

I think that if blacks in America just ignored this sort of thing, no one would have noticed. Now, everyone has a new, guaranteed to irk, derogatory slur remark for them.

I don't get where "Nappy-headed Ho" is racist either. It is sexist, but it seems no one is getting upset about that.

I would love to hear a well thought out response how this term is racist. Does "Race" always have to be brought up by the african americans in this country?

If Imus was being racist with his comment, then why in his VERY NEXT SENTENCE does he go on to say "That Candace Parker (african american player for Tennessee) is a striking young woman..."

I don't like Imus, but he was being sexist and making a joke (albeit a bad one) just like Chris Rock, George Lopez, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Howard Stern, etc....

the entire segment was racist because after that he said Rutgers vs. TN was like the jigaboos vs. the wannabees which was a direct relation to spike lees film school daze.To be perfectly honest, thei looks has nothing to do with any of these. In watching a spors event he should be commenting on their athletic ability, or the plays they make, not on their looks, or who he thinks looks good. He is nothing but an old alcoholic cocaine user and nobody wants him anyways, but he has a lot of nerves thinking he can make comments as demeaning this about young women who were innocent and doing nothing but playing their sport. I think he also called the womens US soccer team a bunch of dykes. He is a bad man.