Pajiba

Good introduction, Mr. Millennium. Looking forward to your contributions ... I love Pajiba, but it did need some color.

How coincidental is it that as I sit down to write this, James Brown just cranked up Say it Loud on Launchcast...

Anyway, personally I think taboo words and ideas are just a barrier to discussion and understanding. Intelligent adults know the boundaries of good taste when they see them, and that words are tools of expression and nothing more. If they disagree with their neighbor over what those boundaries are, hey, more fruit for discussion. I've always enjoyed George Carlin's treatise on "bad words," and I think the ideas can be expanded beyond the carnally offensive. Anyway, welcome aboard.

Good article, though unless I missed it, there is one component missing. Words have power, I agree, and there's a validity to "taking back" words like nigger or nigga, though I hate the phrase "taking back". But what is the reaction when you are called nigger, and I don't mean by one of your friends? Is that double standard acceptable? I ask out of genuine curiosity. To me, I could never be called nigger. Call me old fashioned, but it's got too much negative history.

Full disclosure - I'm half black, half white, born in South Africa during Apartheid, lived in an all colored neighborhood, moved here just before the State of Emergency was declared, to an all-white suburb with an all-white school. So I've definitely got the empathy thing going on. But if anyone, black, white, blue, green, ever calls me kaffir - that someone's getting knocked out. But that's me. To someone else, it might be fine (though I doubt it). Which brings me back to nigger - to me, it's the American kaffir. And if no one's calling me kaffir... well, I suppose you see where I'm going with this.

I don't have an opinion to offer on the subject, but I thought the question should be raised.

But what is the reaction when you are called nigger, and I don't mean by one of your friends? Is that double standard acceptable?

I was wondering about this as well. What I don't understand is, for those who say they're taking it back or changing the meaning, why is it automatically offensive when someone who isn't black says it (even when the intent is not offensive)? Is the point that no one outside of blacks can utter the word at all without it being offensive? If so, wouldn't it be contradictory to say the meaning has changed?

Just so you know, these are questions from a woman with two black parents, raised in a low income environment in the South. I choose not to use the word or any variations of it, but I always find it interesting when someone says the meaning of the word can change, yet no one else (outside of black folk, it would seem) is allowed to use it, even when the intent is not malicious.

I'm black and I don't use the word. I understand why some people do and some don't. I grew up in my grandmother's house and she taught us not to use that word. Period. She grew up in Chicago during the time of the riots and the death of Dr. King. So if by chance that word passes my lips for any reason (like I'm repeating what someone else said?), I still cringe and look behind me like someone is coming after me to wash out my mouth with a bar of soap. The woman has been dead for over twenty years. But these are my issues.

I am not mad at you, NMN. The word's not going away.

Joe, thanks for your thoughts. I agree with what you said, which is why I'm leery when intent is used as a reason for the nigger/nigga variation, yet non-blacks are not "allowed" to use it. I understand the sentiment, but the reasoning doesn't really make sense to me. That being said, I look forward to reading NMN's thoughts on Pajiba.

I generally find that the people wary of a word like dyke or nigger are still battling with their own prejudice.

I don't know....that seems a bit presumptuous. I think that many people are just wary of offending someone. Given that we live in such a litigious society, I think it's also that people, especially in the workplace, don't want to get sued. People are ready to take legal action over seemingly small things these days (of course, definition of small things is relative), that there's a lot of tiptoeing going on. Individual perceptions of certain words can vary widely, and I think that some people decide to not use them at all out of respect. Of course, they may still think it, but I believe that a person's true thoughts/values/whatever are eventually revealed anyway, no matter what words they use or don't use.

Also, anaxa, if you're not wary of the word dyke - why would it matter if someone tried to use it in a hurtful manner towards you?

I have been reading NMN for a while (thanks Pajiba). Ever since the "Playard" post, I have been in stiches.

Can't wait for the pop culture commentary.

Perhaps a review of the Booty Butt-Cheeks video?

Thank-you, agreed!

I am not mad at you, NMN. The word's not going away.

Give it another hundred years.

When the population levels in the U.S. change, more blacks, more latinos, more hispanics, more mixed-race... well, people will still use every slur in the book to insult one another, but there will be (hopefully) a better power balance between ethnic/cultural groups.

Every race has been king of the world at one point or another, and will be again.

First, love your blog (thank you Pajiba) and I am happy to see that you will be writing here as well!
Second, although I appreciate your points and I am happy to see dialog on the subject, I, as a very white girl, could never use it myself and not feel naseous. It's kinda like the "c" word in reference to women... when I hear a man use it, it makes me disgusted and angry and, to me, it shows a complete lack of respect for women and when I hear a woman say it in reference to another woman it makes me a little sad that she would contribute to the denigration of women and in a little way help make that word more socially acceptable. It is true that I may be a little sensitive and my metaphor may not be seen by some as the most ideal but there is waaaaay too much negative history and cultural context loaded into the n-word (and n-word lite) for me to ever feel comfortable using it in any situation.

Mistah Nigga - your little story about why you decided to call yourself Nigga didn’t quite explain. My oldest daughter visited the local African American museum with her integrated middle school class back in the ‘80s. The white students made insulting remarks about black people (you can imagine the sort); arguments ensued. The white kids threatened the black kids and there was a near riot among the middle schoolers. Later, at home my daughter asked me if she could protest what happened by putting a sign on her locker. I told her she had a right to free speech. The next day, she put up a sign declaring COURAGE DOES NOT COME FROM A BASEBALL BAT. When she refused to take down the sign, I was called in by the principal. I backed her up and said that the school should investigate the incident. They told me no arguments or fights had happened. That a few students just “got upset.” That incident inspired my daughter to speak out and demonstrate against injustice in high school and as a young adult during the ’90’s. It did not inspire her to name herself any of the insulting slurs the white students used.

Mistah Nigga methinks you are an equivocatetah. There is no difference among nigger/nigga/niggah. Granny probably says “gimme some sugah” even if she otherwise speaks standard English and normally pronounces final r’s as in minor. That is because some African American phrase meanings are culturally bound by both pronounciation and lexicon. As far as lexicon, sugah and sugar mean the same thing.

What’s in a name? A rose by any other name we can’t visualize unless we speak another language. As slaves we were not allowed to name ourselves as a group or keep our own ethic group names. Imagine! Ashanti/Yoruba/Igbo. Those names were taken away from us and we were termed nigger which, using the patterns of our African languages, black people pronounced nigga(h).

When people talk about reclaiming the word nigga, reclaiming it from what or where? I have heard that in some African languages a similar sounding word meant king. Do non English speakers of African descent in the Diaspora use a similar sounding word as a self referent? If so, I’d like to know.

What exactly does the word nigga mean? Is there a difference between a self declared nigga in 1999 and a self declared nigga in 2000 - the New Millennium Nigga? To say meaning is determined by intention is an equivocation as well as an inaccuracy; except for irony. That isn’t the way language works. All language systems, including African American English are - logically, must be - predictably organized. For example, bad meaning good came about sometime in the ’50’s, I believe, and follows the AA custom of inverting meanings. There was a time when we used to keep some of our meanings to ourselves. But in this era of so called pop (brainwash) culture we keep nothing to ourselves. Everything is for sale.

Also why are some black people constantly referring to themselves with a word that refers to so-called race. For example something I hear - Niggas get on my nerves.- Why not “people get on my nerves?” -Them niggas better not come ‘round here. - Why not “ they better not come ‘round here?” - What’s up, Nigga? - How about “What’s up?” If you log the uses of the word nigga using a rubric of positive/neutral/negative as spoken by a group of high school students, for instance, most of the notations would be under the negative heading. I know, because I am a teacher at a high school which is 35% black. The school is for academically talented students; these teens come mainly from working and middle class families and they use the word far less than in what are termed urban schools. When I started teaching in 1980 at an all black poverty level high school, I heard the word occasionally. Today the word is used constantly in the conversations I hear among black youth from elementary school on up, somewhat less so at my school..

During the Civil Rights Movement, we called each other brother and sister, as do some church congregations. Now we could say the word brother or sister refers to someone with the same parents and brotha(h) or sista(h) refers to that part of humanity one wishes to consider as family. - Niggas get on my nerves - becomes harder to say as -Brothas and sistas get on my nerves, though brothers and sisters do get on each other’s nerves. Considering ourselves family makes us more patient with each other’s faults and shortcomings. Do we hear Europeans saying “White people get on my nerves !” Black people descended from being familiarly brothas and sistas in the ‘60’s to homeboys and girls to niggas. The first two terms designated community, the latter disunity and self hate- “I’ll kill a nigga.”

I’ve heard “I’ll kill a nigga “ from black youth conversing on the street or public transportation as well as in rap songs I’ve caught snatches of. In that context, what is the intent? What is the meaning? Is the word referring to a black male or female? Does the utterance mean the speaker will kill only a nigga and not a person of another ethnic group? Why is the speaker saying this? Try some replacements for nigga.

So, “I’ll kill a nigga“- How about I’ll kill a person/ brotha/? Less easily said. How about “I’ll kill Raheem or Leroy or James or Amir?” If we replace nigga with a true name then perhaps those who name themselves and define themselves as niggas won’t be killin’ each other as often. -Hey! My name is not nigga; it’s Kareem. - Spike Lee tried to hip us to that in Bamboozled in 2002.

The younger generation hasn’t reclaimed anything but slavery by using the word nigga(h) as a self referent. What they have done is dehumanize themselves to themselves. While there is a point to be made to not becoming all contorted by the word nigger, re-identifying themselves as nigga(h)s is reclaiming the lack of personhood of slavesbecause Europeans replaced true (African) names with the word nigger. To say that a nigga is not a nigger is a subterfuge.

Malcolm X said referring to the word Negro - A negro is nothing but an ex-slave. - I posit that a nigga(h) is a new (and former) millennium slave.

What is the difference between Mistah Jive Ass Nigga and Mister Jive Assed Nigger?

Bravo to posset

Just to let you know... I am a woman.

Posset; you hit the nail squrely on the head!!
I am a white male chiropractor who grew up in a racially integrated neighborhood/school during the 60's and 70's. I was taught by my parents that all mankind is equal in the eyes of God. Even if NMN and I were close personal friends, I would be unable to use the variations on the word nigger. I don't recall ever saying it in my life other than as a reference or qoute.
I am not, as Anaxa said, "still battling with (my) own prejudice." And I agree with Zanna about the usage of the word "cunt." I am not one to use "curse words" but this word is so highly offensive to me, that I am shocked when someone uses it--especially women!!
It seems to me, that blacks who propose "taking back" the word, are attempting to do as the gay community has largely done: To call someone "queer", "fag", "dyke", etc these days is grounds for a shrug of the shoulders or outright laghter at the name caller.
However, I believe we as a society, have a long way to go before blacks would shrug their shoulders or laugh at being called "nigga(h)" by a white.
And really, is that what any of us want?

As a longtime reader of NMN's blog, I have never, ever agreed with his use of this word, nor will I ever. Never. Ever. I agree with many of the above posters. The word is just too loaded, and has too much negative, violent history. I have only been called the name in a negative sense, and while it only happened once, it came from a coward in a passing car (I was on my bike) who couldn't even say it to my face and handle the consequences (rabid beat-down). I think that our "friendly" use of the term is simply a manifestation of internalized racism, and its continued use only engenders confusion, as mentioned by others.

However, fellow disagree-ers, do not dismiss NMN without reading some of his other work. He is brilliant, hilarious, and politically on-target. I have referred his blog to my covertly radical, former hippie parents. But they have yet to look at it. They're put off by the name, natch.