The word nigga comes from the word nigger that means black or ignorant person. This is a term originated in the old American south. It was most popularly said by white racism. Due to their southern accent negro came out sounding as “nigger”. The word nigga is mainly used among african american but other ethnicities use it as a friendly word in a way of addressing someone. For example “ wassup nigga” or “ my nigga”. It is also very popular in the rap industry. However it can be taken very offensive when used outside. By the early 1800s during the atlantic slave trade it was established as a derogatory term. A derogatory term is a term of abuse, the word nigga is used as a derogatory term because it usually wasn’t said unless intended to insult …show more content…
The problem with the word nigga is it root coming from nigger which comes off harsh. “ You can’t just change a negative word to a positive word by changing the meaning”. The roots of the word still stand like the roots of a tree. People believe the word should not be used by the black descents let alone another ethnicity. Someone who doesn 't evolve around the suffering pertaining to it. Some might say they earned the usage because of their slavery, oppression, racism or what their ancestors have been through. Or they feel they have the right to tell someone “ you cant say nigga because you 're not black”. Some people tend to defend the word by associating it with nigger vs nigga but in reality they have the same root and have the same historical background. Plus there has been many cases where racist people have used the term “nigga” as a racict attack against black people. Editor Chiaku Hanson believes it is a “bad word” she says “if a word can 't be used in court it’s more than likely a bad word.” weather the word is used as a noun, verb, or adjective it’s labeled the stereotype of a lazy, stupid, dirty, worthless
If you ask two different people what the n word meant you would probably get two completely different responses. One might say it is insulting and degrading, another might say it is a term of endearment. Throughout Huck Finn this word was used a total of 219 times. If the n word were not a degrading term there would not be so much controversy about banning and censoring Huck Finn. However, the word has been altered since it was used in the time period of Huck Finn.
There is a systematic erosion of black families. All too often, black male fathers are absent from the home, leaving black mothers to raise young black children in single parent households. This absence of black male fathers in America originated during the days of slavery. Dick Gregory penned the autobiography depicting his struggles for acceptance and equality in a country that resented him based on the color of his skin. Unfortunately, like many African American children, Dick grew up without a father in his household.
Censoring or hiding the word isn't the way to go, the word exists people will find it sooner or later so why not rip the Band-Aid and let it be taught in the best environment possible, a school. In an article named Masterpiece or racist trash by Barbara Apstein she wrote that “Jim embodies the stereotype of the “darky”: he is superstitious and gullible and often appears more childlike than Huck himself”(Barbara Apstein).Back then African Americans would have to deal with white people being on top of the hierarchy. The stereotype for black people back then was them being gullible and superstitious according to Barbara, having a definition for the n-word is a good thing for the country's society to know so that they can have more knowledge on the things they say. Barbara also stated that “Thoughtful examination of Twain's use of the n-word can help teach students the importance of understanding the context in which the word is used”(Barbara Apstein).Which perfectly sums up why it's important for students to have this knowledge. This history should be hidden under lock and key.
This little kid in a school uniform no older than seven years old, he was crying his eyes out as he walked down the sidewalk with his mother. I 'm going to be honest here, she turned to him, and she said ‘I 'm sick of you. You act like an old ass man, stop all that crying, nigger.’” This goes to show how the word is used often, but it is not used in its original
Why is being called a “Nigger” so hurtful for African Americans currently to date? Being called a, “Nigger” means to be called ignorant, dark-skinned, or of African descent. To this day, we’re still being called that awful word although it is not to be used anymore. It is a racial slur that should never be used and if it is used should be high consequences. This is the biggest insult to Black people everywhere.
For example, as a child, “[white kids] called [Malcom X] ‘nigger’ … so much that [he] thought [it was his] natural names” (12). There is a problem when a single word is used to describe someone’s race, which occurred in the north, where race relations were expected to be better. It’s even worse when it is used so often they believe it is their name, their identity. For another example, although Malcolm X was one of the top students in his class, and the class president, his teacher still told him “A lawyer – that’s no realistic goal for a nigger” (43). His teacher directly, without hesitation, told him he couldn’t become a lawyer.
Nigger is a noun in the English language. It had originally come from the Spanish/ Portuguese variation of Negro, which originated from the Latin adjective Niger. It was first used by John Rolfe to explain the first African slave ships in Virginia during 1619. In
Black people were also called harsh names, such as the "n" word. Black people must have felt left out, only having what white people weren’t using.
“A Talk to Teachers” Questions 1-12 1. Baldwin establishes with his audience that he is not a teacher and like all of them lives in a dangerous time. He establishes his ethos by telling his audience that he is not (a teacher) and that he is (a fellow citizen who like them lives in a dangerous time). 2.
According to Matt Seitz, the word “Negro” started to fall out forty years ago. He mentions that “the word negro was easier for people
The Disease of Being Colored Colored, nigger, African American, black, coon, and Negro are all the words that describe my race. These are the words that helped mold me into the woman that I am today. Not all of the words that I have listed are in a respectful manner, but they all mean one thing; A black person. Although all of those names can be thrown towards anyone of the African decedent, often times people do not care to see behind the skin of an individual. In hindsight everyone looks alike when the lights are off, and when we are even dead and buried in the ground.
When America was founded in 1776, slavery was widely practiced and accepted, and the n-word was frequently used as a way to address African slaves. Most, or at least all Americans at that time believed that Africans were sub-humans that had no rights to their names whatsoever. The word itself evolved from the Spanish word negro as well as from the French word nègre, both which have the meaning of the color black. Even after slavery was abolished in 1865, African-Americans still lacked rights and were frequently called the n-word as well. The word holds a heavy connotation which brings up terrible memories from history as well as times of rebellion and the civil rights
Gloria Naylor, in her essay, “The meaning of a word” describes language as a subject. We know subject is anything that is generally discussed or dealt with. So Naylor wants to say the language is a thing where it has lots of meaning and perceptions. She writes her own personal experience clarifying how a language could be misleading and misinterpreted. She writes her own experience and tries to convince the readers about different forms of a word.
Another way to combat prejudice is by teaching against it to the upcoming generation. Atticus teaches Scout and Jem that demoralizing vocabulary should not be used, especially against black people. He says to them, nigger-lover is just one of those terms that don 't mean anythinglike snot-nose. It 's hard to explainignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody 's favoring Negroes over and above themselves. It 's slipped into usage with some people like ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term to label somebody.
In the dictionary nigger is defined as a contemptuous term for a black or dark-skinned person. During slavery it was used as a way for white people to oppress slaves, and after slavery was ended it was still used to oppress and demean black people. This is why the word nigger is such a loaded word. After the civil rights movement, the black community reclaimed the n-word.