Do You Say Nigga?

[NubianSoulSista]

like someone else said in the post white people had at least 10 slurs for us. If you dont want to use the word i respect that but come on. back in the 50's & 60's they called each other studs. studs are not only a horse but a slave who has sex with other slaves when told to procrate. Studs were the breeders on plantations. but black people being inventive turned it into a word that ment a cool dude. THE BLACK RACE HAS BEEN SAYING NIGGA FOR A LOOOOONG TIME. AND NOT AS A SLUR. I HEARD AN 80 YEAR OLD WOMAN SAY "YOU KNOW THAT NIGGA AINT GOT NO SENSE. I TOLD THAT NIGGA HE NEED TO GET OUT MY FACE" I HAVE HEARD COUNTLESS TIMES FROM OLDER FOLKS. HOW DO YOU THINK WE KNOW HOW TO SAY IT. MOST OF OUR PARENTS GREAT GRANDPARENTS AND GREAT GRANDS SAY IT TOO!

[kane_wo_kaese]

Originally Posted by NubianSoulSista

why should king be untouchable...thats some nigga stuff
he was a man
he gave his life to a cuase but many of out grandparents did also
many people were linychd and died in riots
why should a man, who stole his whole platform from a black homosexual and did not give him any credit because his baptist friends didnt like homos, and have orgies with woman, and let hoover play him for a fool, be untouchable

thats some negro stuff... you need a leader in order to think

what are your critizims about the boondocks? if seems to be mixed in with your feelings about rap. please make a more streamlined reason on why you don't like the boondocks so that we can talk about it

I agree, Dr. King is not untouchable, he is a man and he should be remembered that way. For his greatness and his faults. If you ignore his faults then you take away from who he really was. I think a lot of people want to put him on a pedestal make him into a statue so he can be forgoten about, except when we occasionaly remember him on his holiday. Doing this also allows people to say that the Civil Rights movement is over, and essentially be saying at the same time that racism and injustice are over.


You can't ignore the fact that he plagarized a lot of his dissertation and thesis, and stole words right out of the mouth of Paul Tillich and did not attempt to even give credit to his sources. Yet his degree was not revoked when this was discovered. Anybody else would have lost their degree and be in a lot of trouble with theologians, historians, and philosophical scholars.

He should be looked at as a whole man.

[Greyfox]

it's funny though, it seems that only americans uses this term though, were i'm from trinidad noone uses the word nigga to talk to each other and we had the same slave situation with plantations and everything. even my jamaican friends don't use the word. i guess it's when i came up here, with the whole hip hop culture the word just flew around like it meant buddy or friend or something along those lines. but down there you call a black person a nigga or ******, your bound to have your head split.

[IntelligentConvosationist]

Originally Posted by NubianSoulSista

like someone else said in the post white people had at least 10 slurs for us. If you dont want to use the word i respect that but come on. back in the 50's & 60's they called each other studs. studs are not only a horse but a slave who has sex with other slaves when told to procrate. Studs were the breeders on plantations. but black people being inventive turned it into a word that ment a cool dude. THE BLACK RACE HAS BEEN SAYING NIGGA FOR A LOOOOONG TIME. AND NOT AS A SLUR. I HEARD AN 80 YEAR OLD WOMAN SAY "YOU KNOW THAT NIGGA AINT GOT NO SENSE. I TOLD THAT NIGGA HE NEED TO GET OUT MY FACE" I HAVE HEARD COUNTLESS TIMES FROM OLDER FOLKS. HOW DO YOU THINK WE KNOW HOW TO SAY IT. MOST OF OUR PARENTS GREAT GRANDPARENTS AND GREAT GRANDS SAY IT TOO!

And just to add to NubianSoulSista on her knowlegdge of being called a Stud. They also called young slave breeders Bucks. You know like a young strong animal is called a buck. Young horses or deer are called the same thing. Now how many n*99as call themselves or someone else bucks. Young Buck didn't just come with that name from osmosis. Some of you cats need to watch the movie "Mandingo". Yeah, its a movie about slavery not just what well hung black men call themselves. Yall sleep though!

[Tom Stall]

I've accepted the fact that the word 'nigga' isn't going anywhere anytime soon..It's been around before I was born, and it'll be around when I'm old..

And personally, I feel that it's our (black folks) fault that the word is running rampantly out of the mouths of non-blacks. Originally, the word was used within the circle of blacks..Right or wrong, it stayed in its place..But then mainstream hip-hop made it popular..You hear it in movies like Scary Movie 2 and White Chicks (2 movies I really hate), and white people find it funny..And then they think that it's ok to say..So once again, we gave mainstream media a greenlight to use it..And a lot of these modern day minstrels don't mind, as long as they get paid..Now I know that Aaron and Dave Chapelle have their reasons for using it, but it doesn't mean I have to like it.

My 2 cents.

[TheBlackPanther]

Originally Posted by IntelligentConvosationist

And just to add to NubianSoulSista on her knowlegdge of being called a Stud. They also called young slave breeders Bucks. You know like a young strong animal is called a buck. Young horses or deer are called the same thing. Now how many n*99as call themselves or someone else bucks. Young Buck didn't just come with that name from osmosis. Some of you cats need to watch the movie "Mandingo". Yeah, its a movie about slavery not just what well hung black men call themselves. Yall sleep though!

whoa now i'm very much awake and aware of the stuff that did happened and is happening, I knew that during the american slave era blacks called each other ni99er and any other word there slave drivers called them bucks, studs, monkeys since they say where from the jungle, and the well known ones "heathens " and "savages" since when europeans and americans went to Africa they saw the women bare chested ,the men weren little cloths, the tribal religion and of course there skin color, of course u barely hear anyone call some else a "heathen" or "savage" for a literal reason usually humor, now back to the whole blacks callin others ni99er yea we all know during the 60s and 70s people like Richard Pryor took it and ran with it and Redd Foxx used it his classic Sandford and Son show with lines like "get this ni99er outta my face" and " theres a ni99er there ,there and look over there", and that could have been the start for the word to becoming commly used but didnt they use it for comedic reasons but thats just my thoughts

[BonafideZulu]

Originally Posted by Greyfox

it's funny though, it seems that only americans uses this term though, were i'm from trinidad noone uses the word nigga to talk to each other and we had the same slave situation with plantations and everything. even my jamaican friends don't use the word. i guess it's when i came up here, with the whole hip hop culture the word just flew around like it meant buddy or friend or something along those lines. but down there you call a black person a nigga or ******, your bound to have your head split.

Yea that is true, people from the Caribbean don't use the word at all. I guess I got that from my Family...

I think we need to drop the "nigga" word out of tthe black dictionary. The word is terrible.

[NubianSoulSista]

Originally Posted by Greyfox

it's funny though, it seems that only americans uses this term though, were i'm from trinidad noone uses the word nigga to talk to each other and we had the same slave situation with plantations and everything. even my jamaican friends don't use the word. i guess it's when i came up here, with the whole hip hop culture the word just flew around like it meant buddy or friend or something along those lines. but down there you call a black person a nigga or ******, your bound to have your head split.

THEY USE MANY OTHER DEGREADING WORDS THOUGH. MY STEPDAD WAS JAMAICAN AND HE CUSSED ALLOT AND CALLED PEOPLE HORRIBLE NAMES.....JUST NOT NIGGA

THOSE CARRIBIAN PEOPLE USE IT SOMETIMES. THE PRS AROUND MY WAY DID.

[Greyfox]

you talking about Puerto ricans? i don't know about those dudes. well instead of a generalization of caribbean let me just say, the West indies, which consist of the english speaking islands. yeah we do have some unique curses that many ppl may not or ever know the meaning too. but i don't believe we use the word nigga while talking to each other. well i mean i was not born in jamaica so i don't know how they handle it, i'm just talking about my firends who are form there.

[BonafideZulu]

Everywhere on god's Earth has some form of cuss words... but nigga has to be one of the most degrading ones ever for black people to use. The one word used by white folks to discribe the ugliness of black people, and yet we use to greet fellow people. West Indians hardly use anything similar to the word "nigga." There are some terrible cuss words, but that goes for any language. Arabic, Spanish, English, German, English English (United Kingdom), Haitian, and etc...

[NubianSoulSista]

the fact that west indian stores and some jamacians still use skin bleaching creams is more degrading then the word nigga to me.

black people in rawanda & the congo, and south africa don't use the word nigga but they now have an epidimic of gangraping girls as little as 5 months. 5 to seven grown men brutaly gangrape infants. thats degrading

I spoke to a jlo complicted purto rock(pr) who told me that her child was disowned from the fathers side because it was to black. thats degrading

nigga is much less degrading then the actions that we do to each other

nigga is only degrading if you dont know any other words

[IntelligentConvosationist]

Before I get into my spiel on the word nigga let's beak down a word that that we seem to all be familar with.
Change = a. to make radically different/ b. to give a different position, course, or direction to
People change everday. Everyone understands this. Our views about any given subject may change any time in life depending on experiences, influences, and education. When I was younger I used to fight over the word ******. Why? Because another white person called me that degrading word. But I could go home that very evening and have my mother cracking up over some silly joke and she would say "Nigga you crazy!". I loved that from her because of the context that she put the word in. I find that if you call people some of the worst names heard but you put it in a certain context, you could be essentially calling that person friend. Crazy, huh? Example: Get into a heated discussion, let it excel and call someone a muthaF.... you've just found yourself an arch nemesis. But talk casually amongst friends, hear him/her discuss a story about confronting the cops on something crooked they've done and you'll call him/her a bad muthaF....you've just complemented your friend on a job well done.
I am not saying its right but context has everything to do with the complexities of meanning when speaking about vocabulary. As time has evolved so has our vocabulary. Think like this people; we've created most of the words in our language so doesn't that give us liberty to re-define a word. It's called change. Look in the dictionary and find how many words have a double meaning. A word just as simple as can maybe used as a description a metallic sphere used to deposit goods in to a word that means to empower a duty upon someone. It changed from being a item to an action word.

So why is this an issue about the word nigga. Why? Because people refuse to change its meaning. But we make it what it is don't we? We may use it as a term of endearment or a description of a black persons negative alter ego. We determine what power a word has on us, over us and about us. I no longer fight over the ****** or nigga. Because during my maturity I found that I give power to the word. So, I decide how I choose to relate or react to it. No word or person with negative intentions is going to hold power over me. And I have to say the old cliche, but if the shoe fits.....

It is what it is people. But we decide what it is. You make the call, you decide for self and if it offends you then let people know that it does. I honor that. But don't get in an uproar about a word that really has no power excaet the power you choose to give it. And to me when you allow something or someone so miniscal to have power over you, your a slave to it and being just what you hate....a nigga.

[blackrook]

IntelligentConvo

you stated that the context of the word holds the meaning. The question I have if a "white" person says it then would it be degrading, if he was saying it in a friendly manner, companionship. (Obviously the person is a friend)

[Moe]

Maybe because I'm older I see the destruction in the word. You'll never hear white folks callin' themselves out of their names. You won't find Asians, Mexicans, and whomever else callin' eachother out of their names. So why should we? I agree with Karl_Marx 125% on this one. Yeah, we've been saying ni99er for a LOOONNNGG time, but just because you've done something the same way for a long time, does it necessarily make it right? When you know better--DO BETTER! I've heard people say that its used today to take the 'power' from the word but it's still just as powerful as ever-whether you add the 'er' or the 'a'.

There are some of my illustrious board members who choose to use the word in their posts as a term of endearment-I don't take it as such, just like I wouldn't expect you to take it from me. Let's all think back to the first time your mama or grandma or somebody in your family called you a 'nigga' (we all have had it happen at some point in our young lives). You were young and the word HURT. Didn't matter who said it and what the reason was behind it (I smashed the headlights out of my grandpa's truck while playing). I didn't exactly know what it meant but somewhere in my 10-year old mind, I knew it wasn't a term of endearment.

We already deal with such hate and ostracism in the daily grind-why have to deal with it among ourselves? They have a saying that a man's home is his castle... meaning that though you go through hell out there, when you get home you ought to be able to find some peace..some rest or relief from it all. That's the way I want to feel when I am with 'my people'. Like you understand what it's like out there and that when I'm with you (my people) I can find some peace, some rest, and some acceptance. And naw, tellin' me "Nigga, it's gon' be a'ight' doesn't cut it.

[IntelligentConvosationist]

Originally Posted by blackrook

IntelligentConvo

you stated that the context of the word holds the meaning. The question I have if a "white" person says it then would it be degrading, if he was saying it in a friendly manner, companionship. (Obviously the person is a friend)

Well, like I stated in my previous post I don't really give that kind of power to that word because it is fickle to me. Not saying this is true for everyone but because the history of that word has caused such grief to our people I won't let it get to me in a fashion that results in me having to fight.

Seeing that most caucasian people really are intrigued by our culture and that they mimic most things that become popular in our culture then I can't really hold he/she accountable for trying to mimic an action that we've made popular for sometime now. They are just trying to relate with the culture.

Frankly, I rarely say the word. Not because I totally dislike it but because I just choose to have a wider range of vocabulary. Listen, I do understand that the way someone can explain certain things to you or the choice of words they may use can either build you up or tear you down but at the same time I feel like a man should know himself and not let the words of another shake nor shiver his confidence in who he is. The word nigga/****** still does this to certain people no matter how its used. Why should you let that define you. I am a child of God. Nothing less, nothing more. I let that define me. You can call me anything from here to the other side of the sun and I will still feel like nothing more or less than a child of God. Now if your looking to get a rise out of me me by calling me a derogatory name and physically assaulting me then yes, I will be on some straight nigga-sh*t! But even through that I am still reserved in who I am. I am just taking on a different personality during that situation.

So I guess to answer your question, no it wouldn't bother me too much. However, I would definitely caution them about who they say that to because truth be told some of yall niggas is crazy! LOL

[billy yayo]

i use to say it.. im spanish and growing up in harlem was like growing up surrounded by the word
now im in my twenty's high up there lol and to me the word sounds so negative when i say it. Like i catch myself at times and use the word kid instead
like instead of saying "waddup my nukka" i say "waddup kid".. its not like i was born saying the word.. i was trained to say.. trained by hearing everyday in my culture..on tv and in music... so now im training myself to unlearn it aswell....
its just sounds stupid when i hear younger ppl saying it.. i look at them and say to myself .."damn.. thats the generation thats going to control things after i leave...good luck"
im just trying not to use it..

[karl_marx]

Originally Posted by NubianSoulSista

the fact that west indian stores and some jamacians still use skin bleaching creams is more degrading then the word nigga to me.

black people in rawanda & the congo, and south africa don't use the word nigga but they now have an epidimic of gangraping girls as little as 5 months. 5 to seven grown men brutaly gangrape infants. thats degrading

I spoke to a jlo complicted purto rock(pr) who told me that her child was disowned from the fathers side because it was to black. thats degrading

nigga is much less degrading then the actions that we do to each other

nigga is only degrading if you dont know any other words

EVERY THING THAT YOU SAID IS VERY IMPORTANT!!!! Your knowledge of world current events is impressive, but I slightly disagree in your assesment of the word nigga being much less degrading than the actions we do to each other I feel that words and actions go hand and hand I dont want to misquote but I belive it was you who said that you overheard a caucasian man using the word ignorantly and you wanted to punch him in his mouth....to me that proves the word still has destructive power over us.
And if we cant agree on the small things like the word nigga how are we going to come together and fight about all the important things that you were talking about. Its all about respect Soul Sister....If we all dont feel good when you call us a NIGGA as your brothers and sisters why would you continue to use the word. Love is love and I love all yall

[chibi]

NubianSoulSista

I'm talking about our OWN internal problems, not our long ago brothas and sistas. There aren't many blacks who can all themselves African-American because they don't know about their African roots.

While I DO agree that there are FAR more problems then the word nigga/******. It's just before we can care about others in the world, shouldn't we care about our selves? How can we go around calling people what used to make our ancestors so determined to put a STOP to it?

[NubianSoulSista]

Originally Posted by Moe

Maybe because I'm older I see the destruction in the word. You'll never hear white folks callin' themselves out of their names. You won't find Asians, Mexicans, and whomever else callin' eachother out of their names. So why should we? I agree with Karl_Marx 125% on this one. Yeah, we've been saying ni99er for a LOOONNNGG time, but just because you've done something the same way for a long time, does it necessarily make it right? When you know better--DO BETTER! I've heard people say that its used today to take the 'power' from the word but it's still just as powerful as ever-whether you add the 'er' or the 'a'.

There are some of my illustrious board members who choose to use the word in their posts as a term of endearment-I don't take it as such, just like I wouldn't expect you to take it from me. Let's all think back to the first time your mama or grandma or somebody in your family called you a 'nigga' (we all have had it happen at some point in our young lives). You were young and the word HURT. Didn't matter who said it and what the reason was behind it (I smashed the headlights out of my grandpa's truck while playing). I didn't exactly know what it meant but somewhere in my 10-year old mind, I knew it wasn't a term of endearment.

We already deal with such hate and ostracism in the daily grind-why have to deal with it among ourselves? They have a saying that a man's home is his castle... meaning that though you go through hell out there, when you get home you ought to be able to find some peace..some rest or relief from it all. That's the way I want to feel when I am with 'my people'. Like you understand what it's like out there and that when I'm with you (my people) I can find some peace, some rest, and some acceptance. And naw, tellin' me "Nigga, it's gon' be a'ight' doesn't cut it.

NOT TRUE I HAVE HEARD WHITE PEOPLE CALL THEMSELVS B***T "' I AM SUCH A BI**T, POLOK, AND ALL SORTS OF WORDS FOR JEWS AND ITALIANS THAT THEY USE AMOGST THEMSELVES

[NubianSoulSista]

Originally Posted by karl_marx

EVERY THING THAT YOU SAID IS VERY IMPORTANT!!!! Your knowledge of world current events is impressive, but I slightly disagree in your assesment of the word nigga being much less degrading than the actions we do to each other I feel that words and actions go hand and hand I dont want to misquote but I belive it was you who said that you overheard a caucasian man using the word ignorantly and you wanted to punch him in his mouth....to me that proves the word still has destructive power over us.
And if we cant agree on the small things like the word nigga how are we going to come together and fight about all the important things that you were talking about. Its all about respect Soul Sister....If we all dont feel good when you call us a NIGGA as your brothers and sisters why would you continue to use the word. Love is love and I love all yall

LOVE YOU TOO NIGGA.......SYKE OK OK

LOVE YOU TOO GOD

I WAS MAD CAUSE THE DUDE WAS A LOUD AHOLE TRYING TO GET ATTENTION AND HE HAD ON TIGHT ASHY JEANS.

I WANT TO SMACK ALL PEOPLE WHO OUR LOUD AND WEAR ASHY JEANS WEITHER THEY SAY NIGGA OR NOT