Niggas
It really bothers me that the word nigger is used as a "term of endearment" amongst our people. The history of the word is so volatile that when it is used it should be handled a sense of responsiblity. Plenty of my friends throw it around and they know my feelings on the matter, but of course I cannot control other people's actions, especially when they do not see things the same way.
What really bothers me is that as Black folk use the word more and more as a "term of endearment" it makes other folks think it's okay to use the word in the same context - and it's not. The folks who say "wassup my nigga" are cool when it's a Black person but are quick to get angry if a White person says it - even if it's in an "endearing" manner. Several years ago Star & Buckwild at Hot 97 caused controversy by going after Jennifer Lopez for saying nigger in a Ja Rule song, and subsequent discussions followed on who does or does not have the authority to use nigger in an "endearing" way and have it actually be accepted as such.
There was one time in high school when an Asian friend of mine said to me "wassup nigga." And I told him I didn't like that. To help him out of his confusion I asked him if he would like it if I said "wassup chink." Of course he wasn't a fan of that idea. After that we had a mutual understanding. But I can't fault him for just trying to emulate what he sees and hears.
Whatever happened to calling each other brother and sister? I remember that being the popular term of endearment at least in the late 80's and very early 90's. Maybe I was just too young to really know what the popular lexicon was. If we continually refer to each other as nigga then isn't that how we view each other? As niggers. There's a slept-on classic scene from Spike Lee's School Daze in which there is a confrontation between the characters played by Lawrence Fishburn and Samuel L. Jackson (before they were stars). Samuel L. tried to tell Lawrence Fishburn and his crew that they were niggers, just like the rest of them, while Lawrence Fishburn ends the scene with one of my favorite lines:
"You're NOT niggers."
While surfing the net I came across a powerful website: www.abolishthenword.com. I invite you to check it out and think on it for minute.
What really bothers me is that as Black folk use the word more and more as a "term of endearment" it makes other folks think it's okay to use the word in the same context - and it's not. The folks who say "wassup my nigga" are cool when it's a Black person but are quick to get angry if a White person says it - even if it's in an "endearing" manner. Several years ago Star & Buckwild at Hot 97 caused controversy by going after Jennifer Lopez for saying nigger in a Ja Rule song, and subsequent discussions followed on who does or does not have the authority to use nigger in an "endearing" way and have it actually be accepted as such.
There was one time in high school when an Asian friend of mine said to me "wassup nigga." And I told him I didn't like that. To help him out of his confusion I asked him if he would like it if I said "wassup chink." Of course he wasn't a fan of that idea. After that we had a mutual understanding. But I can't fault him for just trying to emulate what he sees and hears.
Whatever happened to calling each other brother and sister? I remember that being the popular term of endearment at least in the late 80's and very early 90's. Maybe I was just too young to really know what the popular lexicon was. If we continually refer to each other as nigga then isn't that how we view each other? As niggers. There's a slept-on classic scene from Spike Lee's School Daze in which there is a confrontation between the characters played by Lawrence Fishburn and Samuel L. Jackson (before they were stars). Samuel L. tried to tell Lawrence Fishburn and his crew that they were niggers, just like the rest of them, while Lawrence Fishburn ends the scene with one of my favorite lines:
"You're NOT niggers."
While surfing the net I came across a powerful website: www.abolishthenword.com. I invite you to check it out and think on it for minute.
posted by Talib at 1:04 AM
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