Understanding that racism, sexism and ageism are sensitive topics, all readers regardless of race, sex, or age are encouraged to contribute to the discussions. Open, honest and flowing dialogue is the only way the conversation can begin to change.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

The Double Standard Part II: The N-Word

Is it ever okay for people of color to use the N-Word?

I hear and see the N-Word daily. Most often from Black millennials, even sometimes those in leadership. Only the "er" has been replaced with an "a." Even sometimes, those using this word are those who are Bi-racially Black (i.e. Black Asians, Black Hispanics, etc.).

While tweeting this morning, I posed several questions regarding the N-word that I often hear when Blacks justify their use of the word to a fellow tweeter.

Here is the response:
 
On Saturday 22nd May 2010, @thescoop1 said:

@BMWLeader If you were living back in the day and people broke into your home, brutally raped you while your husband was being restrained and forced to watch because you were looked upon as being a n**ger therefore justifying such actions, would you be okay with the fact that other members of your family rejoiced and embraced the n-word, using it as a term of endearment? Or lets say you and your husband are tied to a tree, each one of your fingers are being cut off, toes amputated, slivers of skin being gorged out of you, teeth being yanked out and finally a fire is built around you burning you and your husband and all the while this is going on you are hearing jeers of the n-word being hurtled at you, n**ger, n**ger, n**ger. Are you going to be okay with members of your family embracing the n-word? Or lets say your home is broken into and your husband is taken castrated, sodomized with a hot poker then taking outside and placed into a tub of boiling hot water amidst the jeers of n**ger, n**ger, n**ger, are you going to be okay with members of your family embracing the n-word? I seriously doubt it!
Your ancestors went through ALL of that and more, and in the twisted minds of the perpetrators this was justifiable and okay because the victims were nothing more than n**gers. And to add insult to injury were forced to look upon themselves as being nothing more than a n**ger, same as many blacks do today, being [unable] to think for themselves and [BREAK] the habit.

Understand one thing, you are not stripping that word from those who used for it hurt, nor can you change its meaning, the fact that blacks are keeping this word alive is also keeping alive all of the evilness attributed to that word because you can not bring along that word without bringing the history behind it...along with it. Things happened and being in denial...changes nothing. The [original] intent and purpose of the n-word wasn't used for the purpose of emotionally hurting you, but to categorize you as something sub-human justifying any inhumane acts cast upon you.

Today in this modern day age the word has been reduced to nothing more than a racial slur. Don't worry about the word becoming obsolete because that will not happen and insofar as forgetting about our history most of us already have, if in fact we ever did know much about it in the first place. Most Americans black and white alike are totally ignorant of [ALL] the evil and brutal atrocities perpetrated upon the enslaved Africans, and I might add by design. Many of you, black and white alike, clearly do not understand what the [original] intent and purpose of the word was all about.

Any use of that word by blacks is a mockery and insult to the sacred memories of the sacrifices and struggles made by their victimized ancestry and therefore should be looked upon as a [contemptible] and inexcusable act.

Blacks will come up with some of the most ridiculous excuses in the world in a vain attempt to justify their use of that word, being in total denial as to why they [REALLY] and [TRULY] use the word...[mind control]. The word is embedded into the hearts, mind and souls of its users and many of whom simply do not have the intestinal fortitude to disassociate themselves with a 400 year old habit. Think I'm kidding? There are many black users of the word who cannot go 24 hours without saying the word at least one time. This is not by choice but indeed...it is due to being mentally enslaved. These shackles to mentally enslavement needs to be broken but will never be so long as you are in...DENIAL.

The intent is not to try and make that word disappear, it is just simply too much a part of American history and thus cannot disappear. But it can be made, out of reference to our beloved ancestors, be made to disappear from the speech and vocabulary of all Black Americans.

The [self-hatred] as it presently exist in the community and the reluctance to identify with our ancestry is all psychologically linked to that n-word. You never, ever, allow someone else to DEFINE you; [and] with the use of the n-word African Americans are allowing themselves to continually be [defined] by an ugly and atrocious past.
Is it fair to condemn one race (non-Blacks) for using the N-Word while some members of the race that it was intended to hurt (Blacks) embrace it? Is it ever okay to use the N-Word outside of an historical context? Can Bi-racial Blacks use the N-Word?

What are your thoughts?

Related Reading -
  1. Take part in the discussion about the N-Word by visiting http://theunitedvoices.com/
  2. Boondocks Episode

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