It’ s Censored! It’s Cool! It’s an Epithet! It’s the N word. It’s a word that society is so familiar with that when its mentioned as the “N word” associated with the African American community; many would be able to say the full word in its entirety. The presence of the heavy weighed word can be heard in our media, music and racial communities daily. As it is Black History Month and we are celebrating and respecting those who identify as Black, as we should throughout every year. As an African American woman, I thought it best to have an informational on the word that is so prevalent in our community as well as other racial communities that have no relations to the word other than through the interpretation media presents them.
(Photo by Suad Kamardeen on Unsplash)
1. Origins of the word
The word we are speaking of originated from the term n****r, in the Merriam-Webster dictionary under the of the word section they state that “the word now ranks as almost certainly the most offensive and inflammatory racial slur in English, a term expressive of hatred and bigotry.” Which explains for its self why the word ending in -er isn’t used at as casually as the -a ending word. Each word has its own potent connotation. Phonology is the field of studying linguistics concerned with the systematic organization of sounds in languages. The phonological system of African American English (Ebonics) formed the -er ending into a schwa. Our society knows African American English best referred to as Ebonics carrying an extremely negatively stigmatized variety of English, and this is because of its association with the marginalized community, African Americans.
N****r appears to have entered English through borrowing of Negro “black,” a word common to both Spanish and Portuguese slave traders that referenced the dark skin of Africans. The word N****r was used by slave owners and white men in America in a hostile, intimidating manner to a disassociate the Black community from their heritage and humanity. The usage of the word by whites was in a nonchalant fashion that whites held toward the Africans that assumed an inferiority including less social, intellectual, and cultural development.
( Photo Courtesy of Brit on Nappy)
2. Why can they use it but I cant?
Now that it’s been explained the history of the word, it’s clear that this word carries a social history. Its seen by some African Americans in their own community to reject the usage of the word concerned that its use is symptomatic of internalization of white racism; it contributes to the construction of an identity rooted in self-hate. So, when its said by those that don’t have any African lineage it’s seen as offensive and simply not san inclusive term. Especially since some African Americans see it as a term of endearment amongst each other once in use. What people sometimes fail to realize that all Black people do n’t use the N-word in the first place, but they have the choice to use or not. Non-Black people of color do not. It is not as offensive to the same degree as when white people use the word, because there is a power structure dynamic that has to be considered, when these non-black people of color use it freely, they are saying they agree with this power structure that oppresses African Americans or that African Americans place in this structure is of entertaining to them.
I hope after reading this article everyone has more respect for the word and how they let it be exhibited in society. We cannot tolerate the sentiments of Anti-Blackness towards the community of marginalized people such as the African Americans have been susceptible to it through out American History. Those outside of the Back community need to take time to self-reflect on how their use of the word can be as harmful as the actions of white supremacy. With these boundaries mentioned through this article now we can respect each other and make efforts to inform others of their effects on society.