Who has the right to say this word? Can one really empower and revamp its meaning? Is it ever appropriate to use? Are some of the questions that came to mind when I participated in this weeks class discussion on the word Nigger. I felt the mood change compared to a setting that is usually filled with laughter. A WHITE classmate tells a story of when he was assaulted by a group of males who happened to be BLACK and says when speaking about the situation uses the word Nigger (over BLACK) to articulate the level of disgust and hatred that he felt toward those individuals. He was then asked the question, "Are you a racist?" He replied, "No." Although I appreciated his honesty on the subject, I was offended. The use Nigger is a "hate word" and using this word is an act of RACISM. In addition, the word reflects a history of oppression faced by Blacks and the power of White Supremacy in the U.S.
In and out of this seminar, I tried to come up with a word that historically was on the level of such a word or even more offensive, yet nothing came to mind. Take this situation that occured above and switch the races of the characters. Now picture a group of White men assaulting a Black man, has anything really changed? Does using the word Nigger to describe those assaulted him apply? In my opinion the crime is wrong on both ends but a Black man cannot use that word to describe his offenders, and no historical hate word that would be fitting. Especially in a society where White men have lynched and killed Black men, a country that burned crosses on the lawns of people of color. Because in no way has the White man ever been oppressed.
The use of the word "NIGGER" is a constant reminder that I live in a country where being White rains supreme. That racism still exists, and even scarier that its existence is hidden and denied by many. It doesn't matter who says it and it doesn't matter why it was used. Just know that if you use that word, you are internalizing and accepting a history of oppression towards people of color.
Below are two skits creatively constructed by comedian Dave Chappelle, that play on the use of the word Nigger and also White Supremacy.
Chappelle's Show, "The Niggar Family" Skit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7iemlsT6xc&feature=related
Comedy Central, Chappelle's Show, "Clayton Bigsby, Black White Supremacist"
http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?title=clayton-bigsby&videoId=24400
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3 comments:
I totally agree that use of the Nigger is racist. I definitely agree with the mood change because I personally tried to understand my classmates point of view and how he could think to use that word because it was "hatefully charged" and not see it as an act of racism. You stated it well when you said the use of the word is the internalization of a history of oppression.
I totally agree with you. The word should not be used in any content without the history of it coming up. I was not in class so I don't know what the comment was or the intent behind it so I will not comment on that.
how does this relate to the readings for this week?
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