11 years ago
Wednesday
I have not been able to get my mind of the heated class session about the "N" word
My thoughts on how we should use the “N” word. I believe that the word nigga, not to be confused with nigger, should become a universally used word for the word friend. If we took the word of its pedestal and stopped letting its usage be exclusively for black people, then the words negative meaning would become extinct and we can come closer together and all become each others “niggas” One day we can maybe even have it in the dictionary as a synonym for friend. Then we can all live in the same world like the “Blondie” from the view said. Dr. Tabor, one of the most brilliant individuals I’ve ever met, made a statement that shed much light upon me. She said, “ since I understand the word, can I say it?” I would answer that question with a yes! I believe if we can understand the word and if its meaning means my friend, then why can we just leave it at that?
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8 comments:
agreeing to that would "unheat" the discussion. It would also open up a discussion about pronunciation and exact meanings of words-in-context.
our culture has been very busy taking words out of context and using them as weapons.
And if this is the case why did so many people get upset when J-Lo used "nigga" in her song? Why don't people get upset when The Dream uses the same word in his song? Right now the meaning of that word is still hurtful and demeaning. In a perfect world no word would have meanings that makes people feel less than or there would be no words that are hurtful. Unfortunately we live in a society that uses words to hurt. Right now we are not ready to use a word that carries so much hate.
what if we all called each other "Holy Spirit?" or "Spiritual being?"
that is what we all "are" - what effect would that nickname have, when applied to each and all.
I find your comment amusing spirit.But just in case you were not joking, a majority of individuals would disagree with calling others holy spirit. I could say that one might have the holy spirit in them, but because of certain beliefs, calling someone holy spirit would be disrespectful to monotheistic religions, for it would be like idolism. And its would be actually taking away the power of God and giving it to humans.
In response to Bella's comment-inquiry: People get offended and upset by JLo using "nigga" in her song because she is not a "nigga" she is not black. Black people feel like they are the group that endured slavery, had the word nigger used to degrade their humanity & worth,the word nigger was used to capitalize on their labor and to excuse the fact that they were exclusively enslaved and therefore they are the ones who transformed the word in it's meaning & context into a different word nigga. Which is why Dream can liberally use Nigga because he is black and a nigga. Again nigga doesn't always mean friend, it's overall an identifying word used the same way girls would say girlfriend, or a black person would say my brotha/sista. This is why black people get upset when people who aren't black use the word nigga because it's origin tells a story of the african american struggle and oppression, not the latina (whatever Jennifer Lopez is she's not black) who feels she is cool because she had a black boyfriend and is therefore in the realm and world of black people. This often occurs when a white person associates with black people for a while and they all do consider themselves friends, they get comfortable and if they slip up and say nigga in the friend context or refer to a black person ie., oh yeah I saw that nigga at the mall..the black people will quickly scold him and let him know hey you might be cool but you're not that cool. With respect to the word Nigger, it is used to refer to someone of dark skin b/c after all the slaves were dark black people, so you can see how the term nigger is applied to other races such as in the Mid East, but recognize that it's used in a degrading manner, you never hear a person say nigger in the context of love or beauty, you never hear a person say 'geez she was a beautiful nigger' to express she was a beautiful dark skinned woman. I do want to note in case people confuse my intent when I speak or comment, I am not speaking with the hope to influence others to take on my views or adopt my perspectives because I'm not an expert or a politician or a motivational speaker. I only speak from my viewpoint, my experience, based on my understanding, with the purpose of demystification, expansion, sharing thoughts, or to lift veil so to speak as it relates to any topic because I don't only have comments about black people or black issues. I feel like all cultures/races live behind a veil that is characteristic to their people.
Well in response to Jacquelinemakiah if that is the case of how the word was used to as a form of degrading and hatred as we all know then again why is it acceptable to still use it as a term of endearment by anyone. It does not make sense to let only black people use it. J-Lo was never a slave and neither was Dream. So shouldnt it be wrong for both of them. In this case they are degrading their own humanity and worth as well as other dark skinned peoples. So that would make them racist too. The point is that either it is or it isnt. You can not change the meaning of such a strong word with an "a" or an "er" and expect it to be okay. The word is still the same ugly word it started off as and everyone knows the meaning so it needs to be abolished completely. There are no exceptions!
Responding to Bella. If we were to use the word the way i suggest. Both J-Lo and The Dream would be wrong for using the word because neither one of them were using the word with "friend" as the meaning behind it. If the word must be used let it at least bring us together and not seperate us. Thats all I am saying! If we can not even agree to do that then I agree with madame X in abolishing the word because all it does is cause conflict!
Actually the word has been changed from an "er" to an "a'. Period. It's already been done so I don't see how you can assert that it can't be done. However,I feel it is in totality your opinion and you are entitled to it. If you think the word nigger can not be transformed into a totally different word with a totally different meaning whether you are black or not, then thats fine with me. Please understand, I am referring to myself and all the other black people out there in the world who have in fact undermined and obivated the word nigger, and use an entirely different word to connote an entirely different realm of meanings and I do use and uphold the word nigga and I don't feel it is unnacceptable because I know what it means when I say nigga or when nigga is said to me. I still feel like people are missing the point that I'm not referring to nigger, and that my response was my offering insight and explanation as to why it is that those black people who had a problem with JLo using the word nigga was. If you feel it is as black and white as "either it is or it isn't" thats fine because every one here in the world is entitled to their understandings and sentiments. But I don't know any other Black people who are going to allow either a black person or someone who isn't black, to tell me them how to or not to use a word so widely used by blacks especially it being a word they transformed. Did you not hear it from the horses's mouth, did you not witness Oprah say this as well that is a word Black people manipulated in a dynamic, positive manner, that basically our people made up. And to me you sound just like the lady who simply didn't hear where we are coming from. Black or Black non-Black, whether you use nigga or not, whether you dislike the word or not there's nothing no one can say to me that convinces me that the word is degrading or offensive because I'm not calling another black person nigger which is degrading and offensive. Simultaneously, I'm not attempting to make anyone espouse my viewpoint on the word nigga either. It just so happens that the majority of Black people don't feeel it's degrading and the majority of Black people don't feel and won't stand for someone else telling them not to use a word they are absolutely comfortabe with. The people who founded the word are warrantingly going to use it. And thats as black and white as it's going to get. It's really quite simple, if you don't assent to what the word means or reprsents then you and I can go tit for tat for days, or me and whomever does not agree with what I am saying it means and what other black people say it means. So your saying it's unnacceptable is in a sense unacceptable: unacceptable by me and any other person who says nigga and means nothing degrading by it. So let's just agree to disagree, especially if you aren't black please spare me trying to put forth what is unacceptable for us to use to say to us. Especially because the bigger picture here, and why we all in terms of races will always be at odds with respect to the words nigger and nigga, is that the power behind a word is only so strong as you (meaning people) make it. So for people who think me saying "wat up my nigga!" to brother in living in Atlanta when I'm excited to talk to him is degrading or offensive or inherently perpetuating some racist stigma, it only doing so to you the person who thinks that. So us black people who use the word are going to continue to use it and those people, irrespective of their race who don't use it or don't like are going to continue to dislike it. That's the nature of us people all coming from different places, having different ideals, being attracted to different things, holding differing opinions.
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