On the other hand, when some people hear the N-word they feel a negative aura surrounding that word. It brings forth unwanted memories of the past. According to Coates, “for some the mere mention of “nigger” conjured memories of lynching and bombings. But there’s more here - a deep fear of what our use of the word “nigger” communicated to white people” (Coates, 1-2). In other words, Coates believes that yes some people associate the n-word with trauma from the past. But the importance in this word is that in how it communicates with white people. Essentially, it’s the one thing that they don’t have control over. They’ve lost the battle and no longer have the freedom to use one word in all of the english language. I guess they were never expecting
Throughout history society has created many stereotypes and assumptions based on race and nationality to confine us into categories. The reality is, not every individual fits a specific category because we are unique even within the same ethnic group. In “On Being Told I Don’t Speak Like a Black person” Allison Joseph illustrates some speech stereotypes that come hand in hand with her racial background and how even people from the same racial background and house hold don’t all sound alike. The author portrays that race and linguistic has such a huge impact on our daily life and how society sees her differently to others when they see she does not fit in the stereotype of sounding “like a black person” and feels frustration to being compared
“I don’t give a fuck what a nigga say,” for a word that many different things I think most people would agree that in this since nigga means a person preferably black. Nigga is a derogatory and racist word that refers to Black people. But, we, meaning Black people, still use it. We do not care, nigga flows off the tough. In using nigga we not only show disdain but become a nigga when using it and we’re ok with it. This is why I choose Katt Williams, 2006 comedy skit Pimp Chronicle Part 1. In William’s skit he use nigga some 221 times, in 45 minute, that’s about four times per minute. I could not find a better example of someone using nigga. 221 times, he must have something interesting to say if he can find 221 reason to say the word and you know what he did. I could not help but laugh it was funny, but at the end of the day I knew though it may have been funny it was still morally wrong. In Williams, he uses nigga in ways that support Black stereotypes, which make the audience laugh. There is nothing worng with that a mans
Spears, Arthur K. "Perspectives: A View of the 'N-Word' from Sociolinguistics." Diverse Issues in Education. N.p., 12 July 2006. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
In the episode of the television show Blackish we viewed during class Jack was in a talent show at school singing a rap song which used the word nigger. Jack said nigger while performing the song and the audience showed shock that he said the word nigger. Jack and his parents met with the principal and Jack was suspended from school for a few days. The show then shows everyone giving their meaning or interpretation of the word nigger.
The “N word” as some people call it, is an age old name for people of African American descent. Now where in tarnation did this monstrosity of a word come from? Well of course we look to Latin American Language as the culprit. The word “niger” is Latin meaning “black” and at the time was only used as the name of a color. Eventually, the word “niger” was turned into a noun, a noun being a word for any person, place or thing. The noun formed from the adjective “niger” was “negro”. Which coincidently enough is the word for the color black in Spanish and Portuguese. From these words, the French developed the word “nigre” meaning a black man and “negress” which referred to a black woman. Now I bet you’re wondering how the word “nigger” originated from the word “negro”. Well it is believed that misinterpretation and mispronunciation from white southerners that led to the development of the word “nigger”.
Elias Boudinot’s speech “An Address to the Whites” was first given in the First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, in May 1826. The speech sought white American support of the Cherokees in further assimilation into white society and for aid in this endeavour, as well as making a case for coexistence in an effort to protect the Cherokee Nation. Specifically, the “Address to the Whites” was part of Boudinot’s fundraising campaign for a Cherokee assembly and newspaper. Boudinot himself was Cherokee, though he had been taken from America and educated by missionaries at the Foreign Mission School in Cornwall. This upbringing gave Boudinot a unique perspective on the issue of the Cherokee position
Birk and Genevieve B. Birk discuss how our way with words can put a huge effect on people just by either saying it a certain way or adding emphasis to the word itself. As Birk and Birk points out, words that are extremely charged to one person can be less charged to another person (230). Adding affect to a word when describing someone’s ethnicity, people can easily take it as rude or as a joke. If a Caucasian person calls another Caucasian person the n word, to them it is a friendly gesture, but to an African American it can be harsh. Miscommunication often occurs when using slanted or charged language because nowadays one word can have different meanings (230). Ethnic discrimination plays a huge role in Birk and Birk
One look at this word in today’s society causes a different feeling for every individual. Racism is discriminating against someone for the color of their skin. One of the main reasons this book is targeted as inappropriate is the fact that it uses the word “nigger”. Of course in today’s society this word has many different variations and meanings, depending on who says it. Before the 1950’s, this word had no other meaning than “African-American”. To the people in those days, it was how they talked. Dana Washington is an activist in successfully having the book removed from school reading lists. She recommends the following substitute: “[African-American], I could have you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.”(Lawyer guy). This would be an easy fix for an overprotective parent. Washington’s son did, however, say that his teacher was reading sections out of the book in class using “nigger”. Without proper discussion of the context of the word and how it was used in the time period, this word should not be read aloud to students in schools. When teaching this book, teachers should begin talking to their students about the word, and how it was appropriate for the time period, but not
The word nigger is actually derived from the Latin word niger which means black. Okay, so we’re getting closer to understanding now. So why all the controversy surrounding this word? I even have to wonder if “The Heart of Darkness” was written by a black author would I have been equally or less offended? This word nigger was recently the cause of a controversy between two very prominent directors, Spike Lee (black) and Quentin Tarantino (white), in regards to Tarantino’s new movie “Jackie Brown.” Lee felt Tarantino used the word nigger too many times in his movie and considered it a racist act. I’m not sure, but I believe Lee too has overused the word in his movies and yet he publicly cries foul when Tarantino does the same thing. What makes blacks so offended by whites using the word nigger when they use if themselves?
Mark Twain uses the ‘N’ word to show the power of segregation in the time period in which the story takes place. It was used in everyday conversations, “Niggers would come miles to hear Jim talk about it, and he was more looked up than any nigger in that country” (Twain 6). It was just an everyday word that was normal to use in their culture. The word is used to express and mock how racist people were. “Any work of art
In the classic story, To Kill a Mockingbird, the main character Scout has a hard time being picked on for her father being a “nigger lover”. During the story she doesn’t really understand the phrase, but she knows it to be an insult and doesn’t like it. Some people believe the story could be rewritten to make it seem less offensive, but in this stories concept, it is there...
There are laws that prohibit any type of segregation in the United States of America. We have in office today the very first African American president, President Barack Obama. The culture is now more politically correct on what is acceptable and what isn 't. There is a scene in the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard that includes Guard Dunham ( Stone Cold Steve Austin) and prisoner Megget (Nelly). The "N" word was used towards this prisoner a few times, but this was the only time in the movie it was used. This is obviously not okay, but compared to the 1970 's film, this was a huge change. The use of that hateful word helped the director portray the guards as villains in the film. The 2005 remake did not separate the white and black inmates in the prison like they did in the 1974 original. Although director Peter Segal did use the disrespectful word in modern day, he used it moderately. Segal did not use it so freely like the original film because today 's culture would not tolerate it. It could have jeopardized the quality of the film in the view of modern day
My attempt at breaking the subcultural norm of nigger versus nigga, was one of context. Black people who use the word have an unwritten rule. Don’t say it in the presence of white people. The belief is that when we say the word in mixed company, it gives license to those who would use it in a malicious manner. All the research subjects involved are educated middle class black people and one white male friend at a social gathering. I would first use the word nigger.
One might assume that because I am a black man I should know everything there is to know about the word nigger; however, that would be a racist assumption. I know probably just as much about the word as the next American. Obviously, I know that nigger was used to refer to slaves and then later as a pejorative label for an entire race of people, but the emotional power it has over Black people I have never really experienced. I seek to enlighten not only myself but those who choose to read this paper about nigger, its origins as well as the mystique of its checkered past. Nigger started off referring to Africans who were slaves, widening to Black people, then pejoratively as a racial slur, and now urban Americans are trying to reclaim it. Nigger
All in all one can also put into perspective what positive factors not using the “N-word” could've caused. It can be thought of as, if kids were not taught about it at all would it really be something negative. Yes, it still does making people ignorant on the factor is inevitable. It is used everywhere , for too difficult for that to happen. Along with the same ideal that it is only acceptable if people of that race say it , it is like saying only I can say “faggot” be i'm a homosexual. The real question is who gets to justify what is the correct thing to do. Who gets to justify if those are the correct mentalities. No one does in a way it has to do how one is brought up that allows one to configure if it correct. Yet, even if one is born