Nigger...as defined by Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary:
1
usually offensive; see usage paragraph below : a black person
2
usually offensive; see usage paragraph below : a member of any dark-skinned race
3
: a member of a socially disadvantaged class of persons
Interesting...now, go to Dictionary.com and skim over all of the info on the page given for the word "Nigger".
Wow, right?
Now...in spite of what I showed you, I am NOT here to advocate the eradication of the "N" word. I am ACTUALLY here to defends it's use amongst the Black community. I understand that it is a word that has been associated with the oppression and discrimination of our people. I get that it's used to slur us and demean our humanity...I do get it. I even understand the concept of negating it's negativity by not using it...a sort of "picketing"...a protest. An oral petition, so to speak. I. Get. It. I attended a rare Black Studies class in HS and it turned my thinking around. I went from thinking in a Euro-Centric mindset, to thinking with an Afro-Centric POV, as my teacher put it. To see things from the positive aspect of a Black person living here in America as opposed to eating academically and socially what I was fed and being blind to what was blatantly in front of me. Yes, the word "nigger" was told to be negative and therefore should be used...never.
Yet, I feel that the word is significant enough to warrant a little researching. I believe that if the knowledge was spread amongst the community about the TRUE origin of this supposedly disgraceful word...that we could systematically empower our people to see themselves as the royalty we are.
BULLETIN: It does NOT matter how many of us erase it, it will still be used and referred to. This world is too corrupt for anything to change that. To ignore it is to become deluded into believing that this world will ever erase the lines of racial division long enough to truly respect each other. I had the dream, too...but reality is dictated daily.
My girl, Diva posted several statuses the other day and her purpose was to educate those willing to learn what she was teaching. I respect her immensely for taking the word out of her vocabulary and for reaching out to others to do the same. I overstand her objective, but it inspired me (being my naturally adversarial self) to question WHY we SHOULD remove this word from our vocabularies. It IS in the dictionary...but then so are a lot of words. I've been taught that words, nor things (and in some cases...people) aren't bad or good. It's the way we use them. It's what we do with things...it's how we behave as or treat people. Everything in moderation is a balanced civilization. White is no more a "good" or "perfect" word anymore than black is a bad or hateful word. You can say "white snow" and it infer pureness and then say, "white lie" and infer dishonesty. It is indeed how you use your words. We use "bitch", "ass", "cracker", etc...and it can be a good or bad thing. We KNOW bitch is a female dog, ass is another word for donkey and cracker is a thin baked wafer used to snack on. We also know that bitch is used to degrade women, ass is used to describe someone of ill character and a cracker can be a slur for a White person. Are we removing these words from our vocabulary? Are they being voided completely?
I found a site called Race and History. There the original meaning of the word nigger is broken down to microscopic pieces. Click the link...I encourage you to take time out to read this page and give me some feedback about what you think. I read it and took lots of notes, but check what stood out to me:
The word nigger...is an English word derived from the Kemetic word n-g-r...which translates into "God". It is very clear how the word looks like it sounds. The British heard the Kemetic (Egyptian) people calling one another this and adapted the word phonetically to describe darker people. I'm sure down the line, as battles for land and a people took place...the word became used in a negative way.
So, let me ask you this. If you educated yourself on what the word derives from...and even it's derivative "nigga"...would you not agree that you are addressing people as "God".
::pause::
This is where I come and reconfigure my OWN analysis of this usage. I don't refer to another human as "God"...but, I would and could respect the term being used to acknowledge the God IN us...since we're made in his image and such. This isn't about the reverence of our brothers and sisters and a placement of veneration. It is about turning a negative connotation into a positive affirmation. Empowering (do you see the word "emperor" in that word?). It's about instilling the king and queen back into our culture with understanding and education. Validating our past and it's impact on the now without losing the sense of respect we look to gain amongst one another. People will always disagree on this...hell, Oprah and Jay-Z went head to head about it on her show once. Two different generations...looking for the solution to a people's pain from a single word.
>>play>>
So, if we're really addressing the God in one another...and even the most ignorant of ANY race is acknowledging this as well, even without intending to do so...why again should we erase the word? Would it not be a form of denying our heritage and power?
Tell me...what do you think?
BULLETIN: It does NOT matter how many of us erase it, it will still be used and referred to. This world is too corrupt for anything to change that. To ignore it is to become deluded into believing that this world will ever erase the lines of racial division long enough to truly respect each other. I had the dream, too...but reality is dictated daily.
My girl, Diva posted several statuses the other day and her purpose was to educate those willing to learn what she was teaching. I respect her immensely for taking the word out of her vocabulary and for reaching out to others to do the same. I overstand her objective, but it inspired me (being my naturally adversarial self) to question WHY we SHOULD remove this word from our vocabularies. It IS in the dictionary...but then so are a lot of words. I've been taught that words, nor things (and in some cases...people) aren't bad or good. It's the way we use them. It's what we do with things...it's how we behave as or treat people. Everything in moderation is a balanced civilization. White is no more a "good" or "perfect" word anymore than black is a bad or hateful word. You can say "white snow" and it infer pureness and then say, "white lie" and infer dishonesty. It is indeed how you use your words. We use "bitch", "ass", "cracker", etc...and it can be a good or bad thing. We KNOW bitch is a female dog, ass is another word for donkey and cracker is a thin baked wafer used to snack on. We also know that bitch is used to degrade women, ass is used to describe someone of ill character and a cracker can be a slur for a White person. Are we removing these words from our vocabulary? Are they being voided completely?
I found a site called Race and History. There the original meaning of the word nigger is broken down to microscopic pieces. Click the link...I encourage you to take time out to read this page and give me some feedback about what you think. I read it and took lots of notes, but check what stood out to me:
The word nigger...is an English word derived from the Kemetic word n-g-r...which translates into "God". It is very clear how the word looks like it sounds. The British heard the Kemetic (Egyptian) people calling one another this and adapted the word phonetically to describe darker people. I'm sure down the line, as battles for land and a people took place...the word became used in a negative way.
So, let me ask you this. If you educated yourself on what the word derives from...and even it's derivative "nigga"...would you not agree that you are addressing people as "God".
::pause::
This is where I come and reconfigure my OWN analysis of this usage. I don't refer to another human as "God"...but, I would and could respect the term being used to acknowledge the God IN us...since we're made in his image and such. This isn't about the reverence of our brothers and sisters and a placement of veneration. It is about turning a negative connotation into a positive affirmation. Empowering (do you see the word "emperor" in that word?). It's about instilling the king and queen back into our culture with understanding and education. Validating our past and it's impact on the now without losing the sense of respect we look to gain amongst one another. People will always disagree on this...hell, Oprah and Jay-Z went head to head about it on her show once. Two different generations...looking for the solution to a people's pain from a single word.
>>play>>
So, if we're really addressing the God in one another...and even the most ignorant of ANY race is acknowledging this as well, even without intending to do so...why again should we erase the word? Would it not be a form of denying our heritage and power?
Tell me...what do you think?
5 scopers scoping:
i really dont use the word cause my granny gave us the run down when we used to talk to her about the South and how things were for her growing up of mixed heritage her mother got pregnant by her owner or master and thats hoe she was concieved. We have along way to go in dismissing the word nigger out our vocab hell it took alot for me to type it.
Budda, honestly...I get it. LOL. I am a person who likes to play both sides. I like to antagonize and patronize ideas. Most of us were taught not to say that word. I have some family that believe the word to be a trigger for bad memories. I have other family members that may say it out of habit and ignorance rather than a form of endearment. Some...actually do know it's considered ugly, yet uses it on their own terms.
Either way, this is more about education rather than persuasion. Because I DON'T believe the word is going anywhere, I feel that folks should at least understand it. It's like knowing your kid is gonna have sex. Do you arm them with information and condoms...or do you forbid them, knowing they may go out into the world, go against all warning and incur the repercussions anyway? #IJS
Wow, I'm going to check out Race and History. I really like to know the true story behind words we use, you've broken it down and got me interested.
@CG~ I hope you do, it's a really good piece. I'm sure there are plenty of similar sites and even some CONFLICTING info out there, but either way...it's time to take the power out of the offender and put it back in the hands of the target of this hate.
To me like any other word there is a time n place 2 use it. i guess u just hav 2 know ur company and know who will be offended. It's not going 2 b taken out of pplz vocabulary..but how its used determines whether or not u get ur ass beat....ppl who grew up n a diff era will feel totally dif )and I completely understand why)...but Like u said its' about education. Black ppl tend to use in reverse...some ppl still use it in a negative light...Life is way harder that...at the end of the day how u say it and who says it determines whether or not they get the ass beat. Thanks 4 sharing I will link.
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