[B.V.E.]

If the word 'nigger' is considered such a degrading label, why is it used so loosely by African-American people, and when is it appropriate for any other race to say it?

User Detail :  

Name : B.V.E., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 24, City : Sacramento, State : CA Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[ACC25097]

I would never say it, except as a negative example, myself. And I think that is a good guideline for all the rest of us.

User Detail :  

Name : ACC25097, Gender : M, Race : Mexican and American Indian, City : San Antonio, State : TX Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

[Mike]

Why do you want to use the 'N' word? What justifiable situation can you envision existing that would require the use that adjective over thousands of others? Your life experience will not robbed of its richness if you are denied the use of one word. I don't think that you are looking for an opportunity to use the word in a hateful context (at least I hope so), but as a rule, I think black people and especially white people would do well to leave that word unsaid. It is a very dangerous and very controversial word because of the baggage attached to it, and it's also one of those words that don't require much context to be offensive. In and of itself, the word is trouble. My advice to you is not to touch it, because even in circles of provincial acceptance, you never know how someone is going to take something.

User Detail :  

Name : Mike, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 23, City : Chicago, State : IL Country : United States, Occupation : Ed. Admin. and Law School Student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Dominique-D]

This has always been a major issue for me, being a black person who was not too fond of the new epidemic of blacks using that word to refer to themselves. But then someone explained it to me just like I'm going to explain it to you, and hopefully it will makes sense and help you understand why it is not a white person's place to say it. Whites created the word to degrade blacks. The reason blacks use it is to show whites and themselves that they will no longer let that word hurt them. So blacks turned it around and made it positive for themselves, and it indirectly showed certain white people that words really will never hurt them. It's similar to something homosexuals did with the word "fag." "Fag" started out as a derogatory word for homosexuals. But then they took that word and started to refer to themselves as that, so it could no longer be used to destroy them. It is like taking a gun out of the enemy's hands and somehow using it for good. So it would be really unnerving if that same so-called enemy, in this case whites, used that same weapon for good when they originally and still today intend it for bad. Of course each case is different; sometimes it's OK if you're close to the person and both understand each other, but I wouldn't go flinging the word around. Not to imply that you would. Personally, I wish the word and all its connotations never existed. But that is just me.

User Detail :  

Name : Dominique-D, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 22, City : Washington, State : DC Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Jacqueline21038]

..I agree with what you say. I'm a teenager, and a black person (also a teenager) once told me that saying 'Nigger' is derogatory, but saying 'nigga' to refer to a person has nothing to do with race. It's a slang expression in New York, for example, it's VERY common to hear the phrase 'i was hanging with my niggas after school yesterday' or 'there are some fly niggas up in here' around high school. 'fly' means 'hot', which means 'attractive', by the way. 'Niggas' is just another word for 'people', slangicly speaking. However, I am white, and I choose not to use this word, no matter WHAT it means. nigga, nigger, i just don't say any of it, even though many white people I know DO use the word.

User Detail :  

Name : Jacqueline21038, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 16, City : Brooklyn, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : student/actress, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

[N. Gordon]

It is never appropriate for a person of another race to call a black person a nigger. I am a black woman, but I never use the term, as I think it is unecessary. However, it's just like anything: people complain about their families - brothers, sisters, parents, etc. - and that's OK. Let anyone else try...

User Detail :  

Name : N. Gordon, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 29, City : London, State : NA Country : United Kingdom, Occupation : Employment Law Advisor, Education level : 2 Years of College, 

[J. J. J. Rinne]

I don't agree with the rest of you guys. At least here in Finland, 'nigga' is just like sayin' the word 'bro'. White people say the word to the white people, white people say the word to the black people, black people say the word to the white people, black people say the word to the black people, asian people... etc. etc. No-one offends when you use the word. It's not a curse-word (did I spell it right?) here. Don't get me wrong, I think it's wrong to use any word that offends someone (like fatty, skinny, four-eye, bitch... no wait... bitch isn't a bad word in here... whore, dwarf etc. etc.). So, if someone comes here and ask me to stop using the word 'nigga', I stop using it, not a big lost. That's everything I wanted to say, thank u and goodnight, and sorry about my misspellings...

User Detail :  

Name : J. J. J. Rinne, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 17, City : Eura, State : NA Country : Finland, Occupation : Student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Shane28074]

In general, I think you can only use a word like that safely if you're in that race. The point of racism is oppression. If a Black person uses the word, it doesn't come off that way as easily, so I guess it's ok. For me, chink seems perfectly fine to say. But if some White person were to use it, it would probably bother me some. It might not seem fair to some people, but that's the way it is. If you have good friends and they know you mean well, maybe you can use the word. But it's safer just not to use it at all.

User Detail :  

Name : Shane28074, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Asian, Religion : Christian, Age : 20, City : Chapel Hill, State : NC Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Marron-B22128]

It's a simple answer: you can never say the 'word.' Black people can say it all they want to. However, white people can never say it without catching a beatdown.

User Detail :  

Name : Marron-B22128, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 24, City : Anniston, State : AL Country : United States, Occupation : clerical, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, 

[S.F.]

Never. Point black, you shouldn't say it at all. It's never okay for a white person to say it. It's highly disrespectful. As a young black woman, I hate the word myself. Think very wisely and don't say it at all. Because if you do, you might accidently say it front of a black person. And that would become an ugly situation.

User Detail :  

Name : S.F., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Agnostic, Age : Teenager, City : Louisville, State : KY Country : United States, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

[John29233]

I've noticed many hispanics using the n-word to? I believe that J-Lo used it in a song? Is that OK? Why don't other races call each other by an insult?

User Detail :  

Name : John29233, City : Chestnut, State : NY Country : United States, 

[Jakki]

It's never 'appropriate.' Words like that are very hurtful. What's even worse is that most people, I'm guessing, -do- use it when they think nobody's watching.

User Detail :  

Name : Jakki, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Pagan, Age : 18, City : Oshkosh, State : WI Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

[Author]

Posts