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Another perspective on the N-word

Comedian and activist Dick Gregory last week on the N-word at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Atlanta:

"Do you think the Jews want the concentration camps changed to the C-word or swastikas changed to the S-word?"

Gregory's point, I think, was that the word shouldn't be converted to a less offensive euphemism to soften its ugliness.

I probably can agree on that. The News & Record has used the full word when we felt it was pertinent to the story, as in the reprint of a New York Times piece a few years ago on racial attitudes in eastern North Carolina.

I can't agree on the notion that gratuitous usage of the word is acceptable by anybody, black, white, yellow, brown or chartreuse.

Posted by Allen Johnson on August 8, 2005 3:38 AM | Permalink

Comments (24)

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Lilly said:

"I can't agree on the notion that gratuitous usage of the word is acceptable by anybody, black, white, yellow, brown or chartreuse."
Wow Allen, where you been lately? Have you listened to any rap lately? Overheard "general conversation" between two black guys? LOL.
I guess the N word is the one that ends in ER.
The one I hear all throughout society these days ends in A.
Does that make it any better or different? I guess it depends on the circumstances, who says it, and in what context? I dunno, I'm so confused. Its like a double standard or something.
Just represent like your momma raised you with some sense. I don't care what color your skin is.

Posted on August 8, 2005 1:11 PM

Seymour Hardy Floyd said:

Our team took our eighth-grade students to see Triad Stage's "North Star" this past Feburary.

(Our original plan was to tie that in with a trip to the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, which would have been perfect--had it turned out to be an option.)

Before we went, I attended the play with some friends from work so that I could preview the play and know what to prepare the students to see and hear.

I definitely discovered that the N-word would have some prominence in the play.

It wasn't used in the way I think most young people are used to encountering it, in casual exchanges among black students and in some music.

(It's a fun challenge trying to explain to white students that casual use of the n-word by some blacks. I'm not sure if I've ever successfully provided a satisfactory explanation of why some blacks are attracted to the word. And black students don't usually get much further than "It's just different [than when whites use it]".)

"North Star" didn't hold back any: the n-word was delivered repeatedly like hard slaps to the face, with all the cruelty and hatred some whites are capable of putting into the word's delivery.

It was hands-down the best, most important play we've ever taken our middle school students to see. (And some elementary schools took their students on the same day we did.)

You can never vouch for the hearts and minds of others, but my perception was that that play had a powerful effect on just about all of our students (if not all of them). We've taken students to plays before that some students did not hesitate to tell us bored them or did not interest them. That was not the case with "North Star."

Don't know if it changed any students' opinions about hearing or using the word themselves.

But at least there was the chance that the experience may have made them reconsider its casual use--by anyone, under any circumstances.

(I made the decision to spell the word out in this post. Also, it appears in two books that I've used with students, "Letters From A Slave Girl" and "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman." Prior to reading those two texts, we discuss the word's use and its meaning(s).)

Posted on August 9, 2005 1:11 AM

mrproduce said:

As a child growning up in the south in the early 50's I often played with black kids who would often use the "N" word in refering to each other and occassionaly to me. I also remember saying the "N" word and my Dad tanning my backside. When I told him that my friends used the word toward each other all the time he simply said, "but you are not black and you don't use that word" end of discussion. Never understood it, didn't use it, didn't question it. Figured my Daddy knew something I didn't and I knew that he was a whole lot smarter than I was.

In later years I asked one of my childhood playmates why they called each other the "N" word and even refered to me in that manner occassionaly. His answer was " cause we could and cause you were our best friend. I never questioned, still don't understand it completely but I figure, heck he is a lot smarter in these matters than I.

I stood weeping with two of those childhood friends as we buried one of our decreasing number. One remarked, "another good "N" gone. My reply was amen, a good man had surely passed and left this world a little less better off.

Posted on August 9, 2005 11:53 AM

govtwriter said:

Truthfully...I don't hear the word much until I come home to N.C. and suddenly it seems as if I am bombarded with it. I even brought it up to my mom that, among my friends, this is not a word we
use and she started paying attention to how often she heard it and began pointing it out to my uncles, aunts etc.

Posted on August 9, 2005 12:21 PM

timothy said:

Is this word still being commonly used by whites in Greensboro these days? I've been here for 25 years and have not once heard it used by a white person (I know that it probably is, but it can't be a significant number of people--otherwise I'm sure I'd hear it from time-to-time). Even folks I've encountered who seem to obviously harbour racist views don't seem to use it (rather, they'll say things like I don't like *blacks* because they...)

In other words, I don't think we need to "teach" anybody that this word is inappropriate, I think that most kids, regardless of race, already know that. Then again, after casually listening to to some middle schoolers lately, perhaps I'm giving them too much credit (i.e. I would have thought that in addition to "the N word" most middle schoolers would realize that F**k, Sh*T, and B*tch were also offensive--yet they were throwing these words out left and right, at the top of their lungs, in public!) Are the middle schools having to teach students about those words--or about *other* offensive racial/ethnic slurs? If so, what is wrong with parents these days?!

Posted on August 9, 2005 1:05 PM

mrproduce said:

What can you say Timothy. This is what kids hear everyday of their lives on MTV etc in the "so-called music" of rap crap where the supposedly "models" for kids, especially African-American kids are taught that calling" yo mamma and sistu" a ho, a b***ch, a slut, and any authority figure a "mofo", a pig and should be "taken down". And if yo "b**ch get a whelp in her belly kick it to death,cause yo crib aint gonna be no playpen.
After this the "N" word is tame even though it too is used by the rap-crap artist.
Before anyone gets on my case for putting down rap I will say that there is some decent stuff out there without all the bs mentioned before included in it. I don't particularly care for it but then I don't guess some folks like classical, or rock or country, or bluegrass either.

Posted on August 9, 2005 5:24 PM

govtwriter said:

Ummmm Mr. Produce, what videos are you watching? Cause while I will admit that there are some disturbing materialistic and mysoginistic images in rap videos, I don't eeeeever remember (and I am a GEN-Xer so I have been watchin' em for a loooooooonnnnnngggg time) seeing a video about killing babies such as the one you described.

Posted on August 9, 2005 5:34 PM

mrproduce said:

Gov, I am not certain it is on video at least not on MTV but I have certainly heard the so called song which made the statement about kicking the "b***th in the stomach, and it was because she was pregnant. I do not listen to much of it and did not allow such gansta rap in my home and still do not allow my grandchildren to bring it to my home. I am not a total authoritarian not to allow some type of rap in my home, even though I do not find it to be much music but then they do not find bluegrass nor classical to be much music to thier ears either. I am sure if of the lyrics concerning this Gov or I would not have made the statement in the post. My memory is not as good as it once was but when I hear something so vile as this, I do not easily forget. I may be wrong in this but I believe that the "artist " who did this was killed not too long after the "song" was released. Did it have anything to do with the song, I don't know and make no claims to know. Thank you for your manner in confronting me on this subject. If I can recall the name of the rapper and the song I will certainly pass it along to you. Thanks again.

Posted on August 9, 2005 7:07 PM

govtwriter said:

Wow. For whatever reason that song missed my ears and based on your description I'm glad...but based on what you've said it could be TuPac (though initially he was pretty socially conscious in his lyrics, towards the end there he got pretty raunchy) or the Notorious BIG (most of his stuff was raunchy) since both were rappers who were killed.

Posted on August 10, 2005 11:05 AM

Lilly said:

govwriter, I don't think it was Tupac. I admit I have not heard EVERYTHING he has put out, but I feel for a 40 something old white woman, I'm pretty well familiar with most of his lyrics. He was a lyrical genius or a poet whichever you want to think, imo.
I'd be willing to bet it was Biggie, but hey I could be wrong.
Mr. p, let us know who it was, cuz I would hate to think I missed pac rhyming bout kicking women in the stomach who were pregnant. I can't think of a song that he did that was referencing physical violence against women.

Posted on August 10, 2005 2:47 PM

mrproduce said:

Gov and Lilly, I haven't been able to find the words or the name of the "song" but my wife remembered seeing Dr. Phil doing a rare interview with the writer of the piece, (at least she thinks it was Dr. Phil it could have been another of the talk shows). I remember hearing only a part of the total song and was absolutely taken aback that anyone would include anything as this in a "song". I also remember some backlash from a few newspapers and a mag or two to the depth of brutality that "gansta rap"( I guess this is what they were calling it or do call it) has sunk to. Hopefully I will be able to catch an old DJ friend of mine in Atlanta shortly and he will be able to tell me.
My whole point was that kids have little no or no supervision as to what the see or hear these days and I know that the language as the other poster was refering to comes from that and from what a lot of kids hear at home on the street and in school. I recently was on a campus and if I or any of my classmates had used language as I heard we would have been in the office bent over a stool and the might arm of Tyson Jones would have been swinging his board with holes in it to connect with our butt. OWWWWWW. Never experienced it but sure heard the sound emiting through the office door and saw the miserable look on the receipients face. No such thing as even a harsh worded disipline today in school for fear of getting shot, stabbed, hit or sued.

Posted on August 11, 2005 11:39 PM

Lilly said:

Ok, if this rapper was on Dr. Phil it wasnt Tupac or Biggie..
Thanks for replying and please let us know which rapping moron is rhyming about kicking pregnant women in the stomach.
I agree, kids are NOT hearing the most positive lyrics these days. It's a shame, but that is the reality.

Posted on August 12, 2005 12:19 PM

biscuit said:

I had two recent experiences with the word nigger that I'd like to mention.

First, I was at a vacation bible school in the country. We were sitting around a round table eating the supper they provided. One of the guys at the table said something about niggers. I couldn't believe my ears. "NOT in CHURCH!" was my first thought. How could anyone believe that is an acceptable way to speak in the house of God. I said something along the lines of "what are you going to do when you get to heaven and see blacks and whites worshipping God in unison?" Of course, his reply was the standard "I know white niggers too".

My second experience took place at City Lake Park in High Point. A black man with an obvious foreigh accent attacked an American black woman who was operating one of the rides. He repeatedly called her a nigger in a very hateful tone in front of dozens of children. Apparently, the word is used by black people in both a friendly and unfriendly way.

IMHO, the word creates hurt and anger in many people and should not be used at all. I believe it is a curse word and should not be used in public at the very least.

Posted on August 12, 2005 1:41 PM

biscuit said:

As far as the Dick Gregory's comments go, I think he's being ridiculous. The reason people use the term 'n-word' is because the word they are describing is too offensive and ugly to say out loud. People use that term in an effort to be sensitive to other people's feelings. I see nothing to condem about that.

Posted on August 12, 2005 1:43 PM

Allen Johnson said:

I see your point. But I see his, too. There is a difference in not repeating the actual word to avoid offending an audience versus euphemizing it beyond recognition (which, frankly, we do in too many instances these days; people "pass" instead of dying and are "let go" instead of being fired -- the airline industry even refers to plane crashes as "involuntary conversions.") It depends on the context and situation as to which use is most appropriate (as I mentioned in the original post.
As objectionable as the word is, we shouldn't forget how mean and ugly it sounds.

Posted on August 13, 2005 12:59 PM

mrproduce said:

Lilly , the daughter says Montel took the rapper to task on the words. OWWWWW this is getting more confusing each moment.
My DJ buddy says he has heard the "song" but that it was banned from play as far as he knows but he doesn't remember who made it either but is still trying to find out.

Posted on August 13, 2005 9:55 PM

mrproduce said:

biscuit, I have heard the same repeated as the little boy in VBS stated only it was by a black preacher. and retired military man who was in the hospital with me at the time of the riots and burning of cities. He said that it's those n------ black ones and white ones that gonna get us killed,

I dang near fell out of my seat when he made that statement, but the longer I live the more truth I find in his statement.

Posted on August 13, 2005 10:00 PM

Lilly said:

ok mr p, just email me when u get the name of that rapper.
I still say, its a double standard in today's society. If blacks say it, its cool. the N word with an A, and sometimes with an R. I've heard it both ways.
If anyone from any other ethinic background says it, they are "racists". I just don't get this logic.
It is a very ugly word that brings up emotions I could NOT even begin to imagine being white. On the other side however, I don't appreciate being called a honkey, cracka, or white trash.
And so it goes...

Posted on August 13, 2005 10:57 PM

JayCeeNC said:

And let's not forget the words of that famous KKK recruiter and proud member Sen. Robert Byrd (Democrat-WVa) when he spoke to a national television audience:

"There are white niggers. I've seen a lot of white niggers in my time; I'm going to use that word."

Can you imagine the immediate political explosion if a Republican politician had dared use that word?

Posted on August 13, 2005 11:28 PM

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