The "N-Word" Origins and its History Part 2: The Increased Use and Prevalence of the Word Nigga Today
This author is of the opinion that if you are a Black male or female and you are still referring to yourself and everyone that looks like you as a nigga (Or nigger, the spelling does not matter) in the year 2023, then you are perpetuating the very ignorance and mentality that makes people think it is okay to shoot unarmed Black men dead in the streets today.
The Daily Show discusses the blowback from Joe Rogan's past use of the word, 2022. “Joe Rogan N-Word Montage Triggers Another Apology” (Trevor Noah, The Daily Show)
At this point in our history there are no excuses for this word in a Black person’s day-to-day vocabulary. It was forced upon us through hate, disgust, pain, torture and murder. During the pre-Civil Rights era of America, Black people had no choice but to endure the most offending of insults; but today it is so ingrained in our DNA vocabulary, that we cannot see the correlation between our use of the word and the resurgence of open, unadulterated racism directed towards to us in our country.
Throughout American history, the U.S. government, white supremacists, non-elected racists, and politically elected segregationists, have attempted to undermine the progress of Black people in America and have attempted to destroy any element of Black pride or self-confidence associated with the people. Obvious examples of these practices today include the constant criticism of and legislative actions to oppose Critical Race Theory (CRT), and the constant denigration and opposition to the concept of being “woke,” both of which, are concepts that are directly associated with Black people. As a result of the long list of legislative practices, terroristic acts executed by the Ku-Klux-Klan and similar organizations and Jim Crow Laws, which were first established after the end of the Reconstruction period in1877, Black Americans find themselves where they are today; still mired in both internal and external struggles that have us still attempting to overcome racism, hate, intolerance, mass incarceration and a wealth gap between Black Americans and whites that has only grown wider since the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Definition of colorism, a key component of “self-hate” in the Black community, 07/25/2016. “Who Taught Black People to Hate Themselves?” (Jericha White, Claflin University)
The indoctrination of hate that has been directed towards Blacks since the 1700s, has created a unique concept of self-hate which has tainted every facet of the lives of Black people, and for some, has resulted in everything from disgust for the hue or color of one’s own skin, to dissatisfaction with the grade of one’s hair or even total disdain for the very existence of all Black Americans so powerfully, that these individuals, although Black themselves, have no desire to be associated with them. Individuals in this category include, political pundit Candace Owens, radio and YouTube host, Reverend Jesse Lee Petersen, sports analyst Jason Whitlock, and business analyst, Charles Payne, from Fox News.
Though many who are not of color may find it difficult to believe or understand, the fact of the matter is that a very high number of Blacks throughout the world suffer from low self-esteem, low confidence and a lack of contentment based solely on the color of their own skin, and sociologists and psychologist have dedicated decades of research on the subject, in order to understand the problem and to find ways to offset it.
For some, being Black is the root of feelings of disgust and antipathy, towards others and inwardly, even if it is not always openly exhibited. These feelings are often antagonized, for example, by news agencies that wish to provide commentary on a rise in unemployment and does so, as it runs a reel of Black people waiting in an unemployment line, perpetuating the belief that the only individuals whom are unemployed in America are Black.
Negative images of slavery, abject poverty, crime, despair, and violence instigated by and against Black people, worldwide, are consistently used by news agencies and other media to emphasize the stereotypical concepts that project and illuminate a false negative and a conclusive analysis that suggests that Black people are the only race or group that is suffering from all of these maladies.
So, if one takes into account hundreds of years of indoctrination, slavery, and violence, hate and legislated mistreatment, it becomes less difficult to imagine how a race of people can have an extremely negative view of itself. The hate, racism and negative view is not just consigned to the U.S., situations occur worldwide that adversely affect Black people. Black people in China, Japan, Ukraine and, most recently Tunisia, are consistently subjected to prejudice and racism simply because of the color of their skin and the persistent stigma of slavery, today.
Black People Using the Word
Thomas, Todd, “Speech”(2018).Hoodwinked: The Nigga Factory, Parts 1-2[Video]. YouTube.
Which brings us to the hyper-volatile paradox resulting from Black people who call themselves “niggas” while becoming violently angry when someone white does the same.
In direct correlation to that, the brainwashing of Black people is so well ingrained in their psyche that now, the self-hate is reinforced internally by Black people without direct coercion from whites. Moreover, Black men and even some Black women have encouraged misogyny to such levels that one would believe that the word “bitch” is a sincere alternative as a reference to Black women, leaving them to struggle with the constant discrimination, derision, chauvinism and misogyny instigated by American society as a whole; but ultimately also having to fight to overcome the issues within their own culture, and the men within it, as well.
These matters combined with the fact that for more than 250 years, most Black people in the South and some in the North, could expect to hear themselves referred to as niggers without hesitation every single day, without recourse. Unfortunately, today there is prevalent use of the word by rappers, comedians and social media influencers without the benefit of criticism. Yes, many comedians, like Redd Foxx, Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy, used the word profusely in their shows in the 60s, 70s and 80s, but not without criticism from leaders in the Black community, who understand the potential consequences of leading everyone to assume that public use of the word was acceptable.
Today, ignorance combined with genuine apathy combined with the marketing of music, images, videos, low budget movies and documentaries that glamorize a lifestyle that emphasizes obscene language, misogyny, drugs and money to a generation of millennials who do not care about the origins of the word, nor who they offend by using it, has us in a place where the only ones who are shocked when they hear it anymore are people who participated in the Civil Rights Movement. Sad.
Leave a comment