I go to Central High school in Bridgeport, Ct. The first thing you hear when you enter the building, is, “What up my nigga?” Nigga. When did we ever get the right to make “nigga” as a greeting? Did we forget that not to long ago, white and Spanish people were calling us niggers? Oh because we switched up the spelling, and the meaning of the word, it doesn’t serve the same purpose? That’s bull. Nigga, Nigger, Nig, Niglet, its all the same thing. And we have grown adapt to using it as everyday slang.
During lunch in the cafeteria, I conducted a table conversation: Why do we use the word “nigga”? Automatically, all the guys and some girls at that table said, because we use it as a greeting. It’s just a formal thing to say what up. I asked them, then why don’t you say what up and leave the nigga part out of it? A Jamaican girl said it just made the sentence complete. I turn to her and asked, well why I don’t calling you coconut? What up coconut? When did you get off the boat? Hey coconut, come here. She didn’t like that. I asked them do you even know what that means? Some of them tried to front. They didn’t know what it means. I told them what it meant. “You are calling yourselves ignorant”.
I know slaves and activist are turning in their graves right now. Before us, it was they. They were the ones being called a nigger by their owners. A word that they hated and was raped from is now being used as everyday slang? It is now a greeting? It is now a gesture? Oh but when a white person says it, we black people want to get all defensive. We are just encouraging them to laugh at us and say it in our face. And we allow that. I’m not going to lie. I am no angel, and use nigga ever so often. I haven’t even tried to stop using the derogatory word, because it’s part of my speech. It is no excuse though.
I wanted to bring this topic up because so little is discussed about this word. I want my black people to see what we are doing and what we are saying to motivate these white people to laugh at us even more. I want them to pay attention to what’s being said, and the situations that might follow it.
We may be ignorant, but we are not “niggas”. We are intelligent black people, and we got to show that. People will always look at us and see a nigger. That’s why we got to show them, who the real nigga is.
Hey guys thanks for commenting on this issue. I'm so happy I'm not alone. I just recently heard that this guy has copywritten this word because he doesn't like it. Now evry magazine, book, movie, ect. uses the "n word" they would be charges I think with at least $0.25 throughout the world. Imagine how much money he's making!
I hope you guys really like this. It was hard to write, because I wanted to say so much, but it had to be at least 100 words. Feel free to comment if you still want to keep the discussion going.
So many people just say things because other people say things. No one stops to think about why or how or what they're saying means.
I've heard arguments from the black community that they're using the word in a friendly manner now so that the meaning is reversed. For centuries, that word meant something derrogetory. I'm sorry, but you can't just change and erase what a word meant.
I can't just up and decide that from now on, the word "bitch" is going to refer to a woman that is super sweet and well tempered.
That word was a word that was fought violently against. That word stands for something that people died trying to overcome. Why would you want to even use it, period?
Great post!
p.s. - I love what Oprah has to say about the use of this word in the black community. She did an interview w/ P.Diddy or whatever he calls himself now, y'all should check it out!
I like that you don't like to just throw words around. :) Words have meaning. :) Thank you for writing this!
"I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people."
-Van Gogh
Yeah--you're so right,and great post.
I hate hearing this word used, and it is very present in my schools here too, all the away across the country from where you are.
My issue is that I almost always hear this word being used by black people, and never by white people. I hate it because I see this self-segregating cycle, and I know that each and every single African American person should never stoop so far down to the level of the "n" word. It's unacceptable, and I see the most brilliant, amazing African American people selling themselves out to this word.
We have enough discrimination in our history; let's not keep perpetuating it in our slang.
Allison
"Be the change you want to see in the world" ~Mahatma Gandhi
I feel you. I feel like I've been fighting against other black people all my life to get them to stop sasying "nigger." The sad thing is that so many claim to be taking the word back when it was never our word.
Denken. Nicht lesen.
I am not so sure that a word can be separated from its historical context. To those who would try to take it back I'd say they are in a losing battle. I am not one to tell other people what to say, but as the author of this post said, "words have meaning." Language has meaning and although those meanings change from time to time, this I feel will not be a term that changes it meaning.
- Challenge yourself everyday, if you don't then it is a wasted day.
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I seriously thought I was like the only one in the world who felt this way. Everything you said is exactly how i feel about it. However, I must admit there has been an abundance of the word nigga coming out of my mouth and just the other day i was like when did i start saying this. I need to stop! What made me stop and think about it is the fact that my boyfriend called me a nigger and saw no problem with it. I could not believe it. Then, I was just like this needs to stop.
Danielle ~"Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think." -MLK, Jr.~
I have to echo the sentiments about not using that word, regardless of what it is being used for. A word that was intended to demean in that way, I don't really think there is a way to actually "take back the meaning", was there ever a positive meaning? As _Meke said, I don't think there is. Hurtful words are hurtful words no matter who is saying them or for what reason. I don't like to hear women refer to one another as b****es, it's disrespectful regardless of the context. Great posting.
Nate
"Being natural is such a difficult pose to keep up." -- Oscar Wilde
"It is forbidden to kill, therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets." -- Voltaire
I couldn't agree with you more on this, as a matter of fact I believe I was just ranting today about the use of the word "fag" among homosexuals, and ofcourse the use of the word "nigga."
For 8 years I grew up in a town where in our school, there 2 black people in the class of 2002 for YEARS to come. I believe at one point there were no more than 5 black people.. of course, with the lack of diversity in our school, there was really no discrimination to experiance.. I never saw a difference in them, I never even thought of it.
From there I moved to El Cajon, California, where if you were white, YOU were the "minority." Again, race was never an issue with me or anyone I knew.
I then moved to North Carolina and was just saddened by the amount of racism I saw. It was disgusting and horrible. My fiance's mother is actually a big user of the word, and I have managed to completely lose my temper in her presence.
I suppose I was pretty innocent as a teenager, I was very naive as well. I had never really heard the word "nigga" used in friendly terms and the first I heard it used like that, I nearly fell over. I didn't know what was going on and I thought someone was going to hit someone else, but the two were friends..
..I think I thought the same as you; OMG. Martin Luther King Jr is just ROLLING in his grave. He would have SLAPPED him. All the fighting, all the tears.. and the conditions under which that term was despised.. the reason it was so hated, and here we are just tossing it around as if it's another word for "wassup my friend."
It's just not cool. It's not funny. It's stupid and ignorant.
I must also say though that I really didn't understand the phrase "what we are saying to motivate 'these white people' to laugh at us even more"..
I am not sure, but I felt like that was sort of generalization. Maybe you didn't mean it that way, but I live in a place now where I have been discriminated against for the simple fact that I am white and I happen to have blonde hair (most of the time). I have been called all sorts of things; racist bitch, white ho, rich white bitch.. racial slurs. I don't understand it because I've never been like that, and I call people out on their hatefulness. I am a equal rights activist for EVERYONE. That phrase sounded like all white people laugh at you and that really isn't so.
Just wondering though.
First of all, I have used nigga in the past...and I still do sometimes, to close ones, in a joking manner. Now we can say the history behind the word is degrating, but i'm 24 and was not alive 1900-1980 which was a fierce time period for civil rights and racism and rascist crimes. Most people who see this word as a term of endearment are within the age rang of 10-35, anyone beyond would see it as a disgrace to use. Am i worst off for using it than someone who doesn't? NO!!!
Same difference with "FAGGOT"! anyone remember when that was used to dictate a cigarette?
"You just do you, imma do me"