I was having a discussion with someone from one of my classes when she asked me an important question. Do I think that someone saying to another person that so and so is my nigga is offensive? My response, “Heck yes!”
Why? Because in my own opinion, calling someone a nigga or nigger or beaner or wetback- or any of those other words that can be heard flying around throughout the day- is a bash on their character, intelligence and who these people are in general. I am not sure that I know the connotations of the words beaner and wetback, but I do know that nigger is a word that was used in the slave days to dehumanize the Africans that were brought to America and sold as slaves. The slave holders did whatever they could to make it seem like these people were not people. There were laws that stated a slave only counted as 2/3 of a person. This mindset allowed slave owners to treat Africans like animals without thinking twice!
So, for someone to call me their nigga, I’m forced to “let them have it.” I am not ignorant. I know who I am. I know Webster’s definition of the word. And I refuse to be called the ‘n’ word. In response to my classmate’s question: Yes, that word is offensive. And yes, I do consider it to be a form of racism.
Note: Think twice when you are talking to make sure that you are not perpetuating ignorance by the mere act of opening your mouth and allowing unintelligent words and generalizations to spring forth.
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