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[Vigolo]

What are your thoughts on the "N" word? (Does this need any further explanation??)

[Vigolo]

Your thoughts are needed . . .

1. The biggest problem I have with people using the" N" word is seeing young kids do it. In the park, on the basketball court, on the subway. It is seems that it has just became a part of their vocabulary and is used without any discretion. Yea fine it is being used as a "term of endearment", but at least recognize that it isn't always appropirate. I cringe everytime I see those young school kids get on the subway and scream it at each other while their is an elderly lady right next to them who probably had to deal with actually being called that in a completely negative way. Just such lack of respect and common sense. But I guess I can't blame them if they see their peers, parents, pop icons using it the same way. I'll tell you one thing, if I ever heard my child throw that word around like some of these kids do, they would definitely get a pop in the mouth.

Sidenote: My boyfriend, who is black or "American-African" as he would say since he was actually born in Nigeria, was in front of MSG after a Knicks game and this 40 something yr old white lady asked one of his friends for a light. She couldn't light her cigarette after like 5 minutes of trying, so he took it from her and lit it for her. When he handed it back to her she replied "you ni**erlipped it!". He was so shocked and had no idea what to say, so he just said "what?" and so she repeated herself and explained that that is what her friends call it when you put your lips all over the cigarette like that. When did it become ok for a total stranger to say something like that to someone and see no problem at all with it??? She was definitely lucky that she said it to him and not someone else because she would have probably ended up on her ass.


2. I hate the N-word. We're the only race of people that latch on to a derogatory word designed by others to degrade us and change the 'er' to an 'a' at the end to justify it as a term of endearment. That would be like calling a woman a bit*h and telling her it didn't mean anything because it's really being spelled b-i-c-h. Wake up, my brothas and sistas!


3. Can't really say too much other than I am guilty of frequently using the "N" word. Where I work there is a catholic school near by. One afternoon, I heard these white kids (about age 13) referring to their white teacher using the "N" word. They were like, "that ni**a is crazy son". I gave them a glance and they immediately switched their lingo. I guess I'm a hypocrite from the school of I can you can't. I did come across this article though. Check it out...

Article (sent by two members of the Faithful, btw)


4. For the record, I really think this is ridiculous. Enough is enough. When are black people going to learn to respect one another?


5. My boys and I were just discussing this. I don’t know if you are aware of this, but a school teacher in California (white) was just suspended for calling one his students the “N” word. His reasoning was that the student said to him first (which the student has denied and no one in the classroom heard the student say) and that the students refer to each other using this word, so can’t he use it. (VV: Video here)

Two things always strike me in regards to the use of this word. One, it’s not just black folks that use this word anymore. Have ridden the N train lately? Asians, Puerto Ricans (who are black anyway, but another topic) and Whites refer to each other (particularly the young ones do to the hip-hop influence) as n**&@$. Thank you Hip-Hop.

Secondly, and most importantly, we (most black folks) consider it okay to refer to each other in this manner, but let someone who is not black refer to us in that manner and we are ready to march on Washington D .C.

The real question is how do we stop it? Do we now tell Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, and every other black comedian, director and actor to stop using the word? Do we tell every rapper to stop using it? When does it all end? Do we tell the Source magazine (what’s left of it) not use any hip-hop quotables that use this word?
Just remember one thing as we debate this, a word only has meaning if we (the people) give it meaning.


6. I personally do not use the word. It's hard to explain, it just doesn't fall off of my lips very easily, probably because I didn't grow up using it or hearing it. I'm also a woman, and I think that may have something to do with it. I don't have an objection to other black people using it, though. My husband uses it, and for me, hearing it from him and other family members and friends doesn't represent anything but a cultural bond between black people. I also think it's generational. Our parents and grandparents have a very different relationship with the word, and we have to understand that.

I don't buy the argument that we've taken the word from the oppressor and turned it into a word of empowerment. It sounds like some sort of rationalization. However the word entered our vernacular, today I think we use the word simply because it's a part of our culture, and many of us have to make our personal decisions about how we feel about the word and if we choose to use it or not. I think our community is strong enough to stand this kind diversity of thought.


VV: If you haven't already, create a login name (you don't have to use your name if you don't wish to), and post a reply . . .

[Vigolo]

From a member of The Faithful:

7. Enjoyed reading this week's email. The responses the "N" word debate where interesting. I know i'm late with mine but here's my 2 cents. I will admit there was a short time where I fell into that trap of calling my brothas Niggas but it didn't last to long. My parents raised me too well to go that route. I don't find any pleasure in judging the next man or child who feels comfortable using the word but I do feel we could do better. Our parents fought and marched and all that for many reasons, one reason being that they resented being labelled inferior which is what defines a Nigger. You can put your ebonics twist on it all day but the root of the word is still there. It's too hard to be positive, we've shown the world that. Is it really that hard or uncool to say "what's happening brotha/sista, cat, homey, queen. I love those words and I know people who use them freely and I commend them for that. That's a conscious effort on their part and also show's the quality of their upbringing. I found some old pictures of myself and the school I grew up in. "Uhuru Sasa" = freedom now. I can't tell you how fortunate I was to be a part of this family. 12yrs of my life and I appreciate it now more than ever. Thanks for listening.


VV Note: Be sure to get The "N" Word on DVD. It's really worth the watch and leaves the decision up to you . . .