"It’s an ugly thing and I hope someday they give it up."
--Richard Pryor on the word "Nigger."


I had a disturbing conversation with a young brother the other day. He told me that he was proud of our generation for flipping the word Nigger so that it didn’t mean anything anymore.
He actually believed that.

I was horrified and dismayed nearly to the point of depression to hear him say what I know way too many people actually believe. These are people who either don’t travel at all, or who only move in safe circles, missing the reality of the impact that Nigger still has when used by those who oppose our existence.

I want to see these blind minded people get caught slipping in the deep South, or even parts of Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland or New York and still say that the word Nigger is no longer a racial epithet or that it no longer has any impact. What do they think the cops were thinking and saying when they were having the beating parties of young Black men over the past year?

People who think that they can manipulate the meaning of the word Nigger are historically ignorant. They forget that our people tried to desensitize the word in the sixties and seventies, and that even slaves were calling each other Nigger without any effect on the intrinsic impact of the word.

Modern Coon Comedians claim to be emulating Richard Pryor when they use the word Nigger as a punchline in their self-effacing jokes, but Pryor moved away from the word and it's usage in his comedy while still in his prime.

Pryor was in Africa for weeks when he asked himself: "Do you see any Niggers?" And his own voice answered: "No. And do you know why? Because there aren’t any. It hit me like a shot. I’ve been here three weeks and I haven’t even said it or thought it. I’ve been wrong. I’ve got to regroup.

"I ain’t gonna never call another Black man a Nigger, because we never were Niggers. That was a word used to describe our own wretchedness and we perpetuated it. That word is dead--we’re men and women. We come from the first people on earth."

Pryor went on to say that he also never wanted to hear the word from non-Blacks.

"I don’t want no ‘hip’ white people coming up to me calling me Nigger or telling me Nigger jokes," he said. " I don’t like it when Black people say it to me anymore."

But there are some "hip" white boys employing the word, and they are using it around foolish Negroes who have little racial pride and even less self-awareness.

When I witnessed the emergence of the word in the everyday language of the hip hop generation, I knew that eventually, it would cross over and go places it shouldn't have.

I was waiting and holding my breath. I half hoped it wouldn’t occur.

But it did.

I heard it in the music made by Dr. Dre, with Emimen, his white protege and waited, hoping that no one else would notice.

But they did.

Radio loved it and no one seemed to be upset.

But I was and I still am.

Dr. Dre called his white protege, Eminem, a Nigger on the single "What’s The Difference Between Me And You?" The difference, you House Nigger, is that he is white and will never be viewed as the ignorant Coon that you are.

When I use the word--especially to call Dr. Dre a House Nigger, I mean it with the full nastiness and bite it has always carried. It’s not pretty. Ever.

It’s bad enough that the two Rappers sound like they are in love and as though they are about to love each other down, but Dre felt compelled to call the white Rapper by a name that has carried a tremendous amount of pain and anger to my people for far too long.

Dre represents the modern ignorance in my generation--a generation that has largely turned a deaf eye to history, except when waxing poetically on the most powerful icons and events. Few want to remember the painful events that give our art it’s biting edge and that should give us cause to consider our actions carefully.

And, some people who want acceptance from the new generation badly, embrace the word, knowing full well that there is no real excuse. For example, the formerly respectable Michael Eric Dyson embraces the word in order to look "hip" to the hip hop generation, but he really only winds up looking like an out of touch idiot trying too hard to be relevant.

A professor at the University of Pittsburgh, Dyson has chosen to follow the confused, boneheaded rappers, as opposed to attempting to enlighten them as an elder. But after pressure from his own elders, Dyson half-heartedly disclaimed his use of the word in an interview with playahata.com.

"I have decided to refrain from public use of the "N" word where I cannot explain the context of the word and its association with traditions of racial response to degradation," said Dyson. "When I can explain it, I will feel free to engage in its use, although I realize those opportunities may be rarer than I’d like. I have no problem with its use by hip-hoppers who continue to use it with verve, color, imagination, love and affection."

Whatever. Either you understand the word’s damage or you don’t. And, you will either be responsible or you won’t.

Our internalization of and employment of the word has little effect on the outside view of us. And, trying to make a distinction between the traditional Nigger, and the slang pronunciation, Nigga, makes ignorant self-hating Coons look and sound even sillier.

Remember, some racists pronounce it Nigga, too, stupid. Potato, potahto, Nigger, Nigga—they hate you and still want to kill your Black ass.

Should the brother who was dragged behind a truck in Texas have turned to his murderers and ask if they meant Nigger or Nigga? Should the older brother in New Orleans have asked the cops who were beating the stew out of him if the meant Nigger or Nigga? And, when your boss fires you because he hates your race, should you ask him if he means Nigger or Nigga?

If people are serious about desensitizing the word, simply overusing it amongst the target group is not enough. The only thing that could effect a real degradation of the word would be a program to enlighten the racists who are still very powerful within this nation and this world. We would have to take away their power and claiming that they can’t hurt us with the word anymore won’t do it—the word still hurts.

Blacks can try to flip the word all day long, but as long as there are violent racists who still use it as a battle cry in the streets, corporate racists who still use it as a hiring guideline and public servant racists who use it while making public policy, the word will never truly be desensitized.

From slavery to today, the word still has its nasty meaning, because words are powerful and can sting, pregnant dog. You felt that one, didn’t you?

There can be no revolution without evolution and there is no evolution in trying to change the meaning of a word without concerted efforts connected to trying to change the world.

And there are little or no concerted efforts to eradicate racism, because most of the potential efforts are displaced. Ignorant Negroes who want to change the meaning of the word will spend time hating me for writing this as opposed to really attacking racism.

If we place the word in a world historical perspective, anyone would see that no matter what happens, it still comes back as the same ugly slur that it has always been.

Instead of trying to change the meaning of one of the ugliest words in the English language, how about we embrace a few words that are naturally ours? Doesn’t it sound and feel better to greet each other as "Brother," "Sister," or "Black Man/Woman?"
Wassup Black?

To quote a Spike Lee joint: "We’re not Niggers."

Darryl James is an award-winning author and the founder of Rap Sheet, the only Black owned rap music publication. James’ latest book, "Bridging The Black Gender Gap," is the basis of his lectures and seminars. Previous installments of the column can now be viewed at www.bridgecolumn.com. James can be reached at djames@theblackgendergap.com.

the quote at the top sums up my thoughts on this article

I've used and heard the word it means nothing to me anymore.

agree with jiff...i read the title and really didnt care to read this guy spew on the topic of the n word...
its a old and boring topic, the word in both terms is not going any where soon so blah...
for fucks sake i seen a porn a couple of months ago with some chic named africa(black american) with the continent of africa tat'ed on her ass...lmao...great way to endear africa, being you havent been anywhere except mr. marcus's studio...lmao...my point is no matter how much you yell, bitch ignorance will always be here with human beings...people need to face that fact...and in no way am i saying i condone ignorance, its just a part of life that everyone has to deal with..

ive walked into rooms where people were talking about black's then it got quiet, really i feel in life that its too fuckin short to dwell on the race issue and what not...if theyre pussy enough to talk shit, then when i walk in the room and they kiss my ass, then to me theyre irrelevant to me in this world

What kills me is that he feels the need to call those that use the word nigger "coons," which is just as a derogatory word to blacks as the word nigger is

exactly^^

In the uk the term nigga, is hardly ever used to greet or acknowledge people of the same race, and I find this term which i do feel is derogatory has more so been adopted in the us.

whats up black? .........has a good ring to it

nigga and nigger is not the same word nor is it used the same so what's the point

Did u know the word "Christian" was created and used by Romans to label and insult the followers of early christianity. It was really insultive but the Chrsitians turned it around and now it is the universal word for the followers of Jesus...

I think the problem with the N word is that AfAmericans get insulted when somebody outside their race calls dem N****, but they dont get insulted whilst using it between each other.

not black but im sure nigga and n'er arnt the same words

exactly

both words been used in reference to blacks and "nigga" has just been more accepted as "slanguage" more than a racial term now to most..personally people outside my race that hold face to face convo using it i don't allow..

you got every race calling themselves this now yeah..but it would be wrong if whites started calling each other "cracker" and everyone outside their race started referring to them as a cracker also in conversation. like they say think before you talk meaning be certain it's cool to use a harmful word around someone.

I be hatin sucka MC's, and the sucka niggas
Posing like they hard when we know they damn card
what you figure, rhyme-wise, I do the figure eight
So concisely, musically we are the herb so sit back
and light me, inhale *inhalation noise*
My style is kinda fat reminescent of a whale
Young girls desire all the females dreams
I be the Abstract Poetic representin from Queens
Socially I'm not a name, black and white got game
If you came to the jam, well I'm glad you came
See, nigga first was used back in the Deep South
Fallin out between the dome of the white man's mouth
It means that we will never grow, you know the word dummy
Other niggas in the community think it's crummy
But I don't, neither does the youth cause we
em-brace adversity it goes right with the race
And being that we use it as a term of endearment
Niggas start to bug to the dome is where the fear went
Now the little shorties say it all of the time
And a whole bunch of niggas throw the word in they rhyme
Yo I start to flinch, as I try not to say it
But my lips is like the oowop as I start to spray it
My lips is like a oowop as I start to spray it
My lips is like a oowop as I start to spray it

HES BRINGIN THE TRIBE IN THE HOUSE

OH SHITTTTTTTTT


SUCKA MCS BETTA WATCH OUT FAMO

Here in South Africa white people used to call us blacks KAFFIRS during
apartheid. It basically means the same thing as NIGGER. Here no one
is allowed to use that word, even us blacks. If a white man were to call us KAFFIR
we'de cut out his tongue. Even if my black brother called me that he'd get a
beat down for real.

I don't believe nigger has lost its meaning just because black people use it
on themselves. I think people shouldn't even be allowed to talk about the
"N" word cause it's the same thing.

Another word that white people used against us was darkie and now balck call
each other that.

it's not nigger the word is nigga

^A simple spelling alteration doesn't deprive the word of it's power.

The way "Nigga" is pronounced nowadays is how it was said in the South. They never accentuated the "er" because of their southern dialect, the "er" was only amplified in northern regions.

You are not niggers. You are coons, though.

Personally I don't think those who are black should even use that word. Because using that word only perpetuates the existence of the word. And African American's have alot of multi-racial relationships and friendships, so for them to utilize it when they are in the midst of a relationship with a Latino, Asian, White, Indian, only helps disseminate the existence of the word. It should be removed from everyone's voabulary permanently, although it's never going to happen.

It's a disgraceful reminder to the horrid history of the African American.

exactly^^

i feel sorry for youre teahers, teaching yall that...

fizzles ask those same teachers on the atlantic slave trade and who took the first part of it, if they have any knowledge they should know to teah yall it was the spainards..

Don't get flattered. The topic caught my eye and I read through the whole thing.

lol@this beef

y the fuck you ALWAYS have to argue in threads?

it's not gone stop until it gets better.....

and i'm not the one who starts these "beefs" anyway i think alot of that shit is just because of my name i never start talkin about a nigga for no reason ever i don't know how the fuck niggas gone clown me due to my name IT'S JUST A FUCKIN NAME I MADE UP IN 2 SECONDS IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING YOU STUPID ASS NIGGAS

i got voted 2nd for e-thug of the year award based on my name the people who voted never even talked to me before