Following Michael Richards' appearance on Rev. Jesse Jackson's "Keep Hope Alive" radio show, comedian Paul Mooney and others are calling for the ban of the "N word."

This past Sunday (November 26), the former "Seinfeld" star stopped by Jackson's show to apologize for his racist outburst at West Hollywood's Laugh Factory. Mooney was present during the broadcast. The comedian has long used the word in his writing, as a stand-up comedian and more recently as a recurring guest on "Chappelle's Show." Now, the comedy vet wants to leave the word behind and is hoping that others will follow suit.
"We're gonna stop using the 'N word,'" Mooney declared during a recent broadcast on CNN. "I'm gonna stop using it. I'm not gonna use it again and I'm not gonna use the 'B word.' And we're gonna put an end to the 'N word.' Just say no to the 'N word.' We want all human beings throughout the world to stop using the 'N word.'

"We gotta take our power back," he added. "It's not an equal opportunity word and it's not a very nice word."

When asked how he plans on convincing rappers and the average African-American to cease using the word, Mooney replied, "Anybody's frame of mind can change. I can't change the past. I can change the present and the future. It's for me. If my fans love me, they'll follow me. I'm not gonna say the word."

Mooney went as far as crediting Richards' racist tirade for giving him a new outlook on the word.

"Michael cured me of the word," Mooney revealed. "I'm not easily shocked. The tape shocked me. I finally got the gist of the word. It's too powerful and it's too much hatred and I don't wanna use it anymore.

"I was having an affair with that word," Mooney continued. "I was married to that word. Now I'm having a divorce. I'm divorcing the word."

During Mooney's long, influential career in the entertainment industry he has written for such shows as "Sanford & Son," "Saturday Night Live," "Good Times" and "In Living Color," and has worked closely with Richard Pryor, Dave Chappelle, and Spike Lee.