MOST black people DON'T use the N word
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directacting — 18 years ago(November 13, 2007 10:10 PM)
Not really. Words have different meanings depending on who says them.
I'm guessing you weren't an English major, because that's absolute nonsense.
Same with the n word. Some people are afforded privilege and power while others are not. When those with privilege utter a word that is associated with the past and present racism of people of color they are continuing that marginalization.
Really? How interesting. Seems to me that many successful rappers use the word constantly. Given what I've seen on MTV's "Cribs," it looks like these people are in a position of privilege and power. So where's your outrage that someone who made more money last week than either of us will make in 10 years is tossing around the n-word?
I'd bet it doesn't exist. And here's why: the rappers in question are people of color.
Face facts. The issue of who can use the n-word is about skin color ONLY. It's not about privilege, not about context and not about any of the other excuses. And because it's solely based on skin color, it's racist. -
lexom-returns — 18 years ago(November 13, 2007 11:24 PM)
I'm talking about privilege afforded exclusively because of race. I was raised in a family that was far from poor, economically more well off than many peoplewhite or black. However, that still didn't stop me from being confused with the help on many occasions. Throughout history, no matter what the economi16d0c, social or intellectual status of a black person, we all have experienced that word and the violence and discrimination that is linked with such a hateful mindset. On the other hand, even a white person with the polar opposite of my background (poor, low social status, uneducated) has the privilege of not ever experiencing this discrimination. On a rudimentary level, I guess you could say this so-called double standard is "solely based on skin color." However, when that skin color (black) involves a collection of past and present shared experiences which were forced upon us involuntarily, I don't think "skin color" describes it nearly well enough. This explains why race, although a social construction, is "real" to some extent. It certainly isn't "racist" thinking. Racism, among other things, involves the belief that "traits" are inborn. The "trait" of blacks being offended when whites use the word is not because whites are white and blacks are blackIt's because of the history of this country and its legacy. I thought I was clear the first time.
As for words having different connotations depending on who has the pen or voice, they probably didn't teach that in English 101. Try something a little bit moreummminterdisciplinary.
Finally, for the record, for the very reasons mentioned in my first post, this is all the more reason why black people should not use the word, even with its "a" offshoot. It's not simple though. First you have to erase the various forces that impel people to use it. Ambivalence about the past, self-hatred, racists who remind blacks of the past etc -
directacting — 18 years ago(November 14, 2007 01:21 PM)
I'm talking about privilege afforded exclusively because of race.
In my example about rappers, so was I. This "privilege" excuse worked a lot better years ago when there were relatively few blacks that had any money.
On the other hand, even a white person with the polar opposite of my background (poor, low social status, uneducated) has the privilege of not ever experiencing this discrimination.
I hope you're sitting down for what I'm sure will be bad news: blacks are not the only group in the history of the world to experience hateful, disgusting discrimination. Ask a white Jewish person about an event called "the holocaust." Ask an Arab living in the US today. Ask any of the millions of gay and lesbian people in the world. Sorry, man, but blacks hardly have the market cornered. IMO, the black community in general would be better served by dumping this whole "victim" thing, which sends a message to the young that no matter who they are, they'll always be hated for their skin color. It leads to a paranoid race of people that perceives racial discrimination everywhere, even when none exists.
On a rudimentary level, I guess you could say this so-called double standard is "solely based on skin color."
Actually, it's solely based on skin color on EVERY level. This issue of who can use the n-word has nothing to do with inborn traits. It has to do with the word itself being defined differently depending solely on the skin color of the one who utters it. And my point is that the word really only has ONE definition.
As for words having different connotations depending on who has the pen or voice, they probably didn't teach that in English 101.
In fact they did. What they didn't teach was that it all hinged entirely on the race of the speaker or writer. I suppose I would have needed to be a Black Studies major to be fed that sort of pap.
F2000irst you have to erase the various forces that impel people to use it. Ambivalence about the past, self-hatred, racists who remind blacks of the past etc
Given the black community's apparent need to play the victim, that will probably never happen. So here's a better solution: get rappers to stop making the word "cool" and take it out of popular culture. Personally I think that would go a LONG way toward stopping the word's casual use. -
lexom-returns — 18 years ago(November 20, 2007 09:47 PM)
Sigh. I already explained my argument. The implications are different because of race, yes, but only to the extent that race brings with it PAST and PRESENT realities. Unlike the black America you think you know, I for one do not believe what you've accused me of so save you're "enlightening" for someone else. Anyway, these arguments usually go nowhere. I explained the "double standard." If you don't agree, fine.
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BluNat — 18 years ago(November 11, 2007 01:57 PM)
Certain types of people seem not to use it (professionals, the elderly, etc.) but the vast majority seem to use it so frequently that they probably don't even know they're saying it anymore
I've noticed that only certain types of people use that word. People who use the n-word tend to be less educated (not necessarily unintelligent, but someone that hasn't gone on to higher education). Most of the people I interact with are Black college students that do not use that word and are disgusted when they hear it. -
PurpleNiobe — 18 years ago(November 11, 2007 06:19 PM)
I think I more agree with jiggaman.
Yes, there are a large amount of black people who use the N word, but there are ALSO a large amount of us who DON'T use it. So it's annoying to here people argue that white people should be able to use it becasue "Black people say it all the time!" a lot of us never use it, and a lot of us find it offensive no matter who says it!
When the hurly-burly's done. When the battle's lost and won. -
directacting — 18 years ago(November 11, 2007 09:19 PM)
So it's annoying to here people argue that white people should be able to use it becasue "Black people say it all the time!" a lot of us nev2000er use it, and a lot of us find it offensive no matter who says it!
Look around the board here. If you're black and don't think it's okay for other blacks to use the n-word, you're definitely in the minority. Which tracks with what I see and hear in the real world.
I don't think white people are interested in adopting the term. Quite honestly, I think whites are just getting tired of the black community being in a uproar over the use of the word while large segments of the community throw the word around every day like it's nothing. At some point, the public display of pain starts to seem disingenuous.
The rapper Nas is about to release his new CD. The CD's title is the very same word that Chapman used. So where's all of the outrage about that? -
PurpleNiobe — 18 years ago(November 12, 2007 08:07 AM)
What you see and hear in the real world obviously clashes with what I see and hear. This board and your neighborhood do not make up all of the black American population, so unless someone can give me some legitimate proof that most black people say the N word, I stand by what I said. Perhaps we all need to look at something other than what we see in our own areas.
I dont think white people are interested in adopting the word and I dont automatically fly off the handle and call someone a racist if they happen to use it, but it doesnt make it any less frustrating, especially when comparing a racial term used by someone in anger to a comedians on stage making jokes. These little debates always turn in to arguments that branch out beyond the word. Black people will insist white people are still racists no matter what, and white people insist there has been plenty of change since there is no White History Month or White Entertainment Television. I really see no end to it any time soon.
When the hurly-burly's done. When the battle's lost and won. -
directacting — 18 years ago(November 12, 2007 12:45 PM)
What you see and hear in the real world obviously clashes with what I see and hear. This board and your neighborhood do not make up all of the black American population, so unless someone can give me some legitimate proof that most black people say the N word, I stand by what I said.
As I pointed out, the rapper Nas (who's both popular and fairly mainstream) is about to release a new CD called "N***a" on a major label. Of course, he's spelling out the word where I've used astericks.
I see no real opposition to his title choice from the black community. Sharpton has issued a press release about the CD saying that he doesn't think people should use the word; however, he stopped far short of condemning Nas, threatening boycotts and pickets and all of the other things he's done in the past. Which suggests that it's more an "obligatory lip service" type of press release than anything else.
You suggest that most blacks wouldn't think of using the n-word. If that were true, we'd see some actual outrage about his choice of title. -
PurpleNiobe — 18 years ago(November 12, 2007 01:11 PM)
I honestly dont have much more to say to this post. But as I said earlierif people can give me something other than Well from what I see/where I come from than maybe Ill be more inclined to buy it. If that makes me out of touch with reality, than so be it.
Obviously stereotypes come from somewhere, w5b4hich is part of the reason why many of us want certain black people to STOP using the word and STOP doing things that perpetuate the image.
When the hurly-burly's done. When the battle's lost and won. -
directacting — 18 years ago(November 13, 2007 06:52 AM)
I think this B.S. statement is in the minority. It's a good chance most Blacks don't like anyone to use the word, even on the internet.
I think if you read the responses from blacks on this board, you'll see that's simply not the case. Most are defending the use of the termby blacks exclusively, of courseciting "context," the history of slavery, and God knows what other lame excuses.
They feel deprived if they can't use it in casual conversation just because they witness Black kids doing it.
I'm sorrydidn't you just claim that most blacks don't use the word? Make up your mind.
For the record, I live in a major city with a huge black population. The ONLY people I ever hear use the n-word in any form are blacks. I'm not really buying the notion that white teens use it with any regularity. The white teens who are into rap and hip-hop are especially unlikely to use it, since they'd be the first to follow the black community's implied directive that the casual version of the n-word is never to be uttered by caucasians in any context. I can imagine certain types of white teens using it in a joke-y sort of way to make fun of ebonics, but they certainly wouldn't be using it regularly or peppering casual conversations with it.
And White people can use the n-word. In fact they use it all the time
At a KKK rally perhaps. But I'd say the vast majority of whites wouldn't use it at all. You know, I think most whites are raised to be a little racist to some extent, but certainly not to the point where they'd be hurling racial slurs or even using the term in private conversation to refer to blacks. It's simply not done. -
lexom-returns — 18 years ago(November 13, 2007 09:52 PM)
I don't think white people are interested in adopting the term. Quite honestly, I think whites are just getting tired of the black community being in a uproar over the use of the word while large segments of the community throw the word around every day like it's nothing. At some point, the public display of pain starts to seem disingenuous.
Funny, black slaves called themselves the n word. Blacks during Jim Crow did as well. Maybe whites back then continued to use the word, while doing other things of course, because of that too!