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What Does Nigger Mean

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However, in this paper I am going to on the poststructuralism and how one thing can be interpreted in multiple different ways by different people. I think experiences, circumstances, and time periods has a lot to do with how we make meanings of certain things. For instance, the way we interpreted the word “nigger” has changed over the years. Back in the day when Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks were alive, just saying the word “nigger” was considered to be a racist remark especially coming from a white individual. “Niggers” were considered to be the low of the low and was treated as such. “Niggers” couldn’t eat, sit, nor use the restroom with Caucasians. This term was use to show the inequality amongst the races. Blacks were fighting and dying behind this word. …show more content…

However, people who hasn’t grew up in that time frame such as myself doesn’t necessarily relate the “nigger” to those understandings. Not all, but a lot of people in today’s society use the term “nigger” loosely. We use it on a daily in a friendly manner and not all blacks that offense when someone of the Caucasian race refer to them as a “nigger” or even use “nigger” to refer to themselves. This generation has also changed the term to “nigga” and although the “er” is taking off some people still gets offended by it. For me personally it depends in what content the word is used. For example, when I meet up with my friends, we say “what’s up nigga?” or when my best friend talks about her boyfriend she refers to him as “my nigga. In situations like this the term isn’t interpret as being offensive. However, when a white person says “I hate niggers” or “niggers are worthless” than I interpret in a whole another

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The words, “nigger” and “faggot,” I feel are being used more often as a counter to the malediction that was placed on this words; either it be during the civil war in the nineteenth century or the modern day. George Carlin said that there are only bad thoughts and intentions that turn the words that we use into ones that may inflict pain: Both nigger and faggot are degrading terms that by themselves have no power, but when there is a meaning behind them that is intended to inflict agony upon the receiver of the word, only then does the word take on its true form. Nigger, was used commonly in the South part of America during the Civil War, where black people were kept as slaves. The word derives from many languages spelling of the word black,

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According to Lemon, African American should stop using the n-word especially if it does not pertain to the conversation. “By promoting the use of that word when it 's not germane to the conversation, have you ever considered that you may be just perpetuating the stereotype the master intended acting like a nigger?” This claim is strong because it causes the reader to think about how saying that word may really be feeding into the stereotype. Also, he includes a scenario that gives the reader an example of how the word is used so casually. “…on my way home when I exited the subway in 125th Street in Harlem.

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Author, Gloria Naylor describes the different ways the word is used in her essay, “Nigger”: The Meaning of a Word. These ways being in black on black contexts, or to discriminate against blacks. Naylor writes, “But I didn’t ‘hear’ it until it was said by a small pair of lips that had already learned it could be a way to humiliate me” (324). Naylor indicates that she had heard ‘nigger’ being used all throughout her life in family and black community contexts, but she did not “hear” the word until it was said by a white child.

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When discussing about American history many tend to ignore the unpleasant events from the past. One word, that was commonly used in the past yet rarely used in the present, still causes a sense of discomfort and displeasure when being used. The word has caused many controversial disputes concerning the proper usage of this word. This word is often referred to as the “N-word” and reminds us American of the terrible actions taken place in the past. In remarkable novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, has caused an uproar of the repeatedly usage of the “N-word”.

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Slaves were regular humans just like everyone else. In this time period, people discriminated them due to skin color and made them slaves. “Nigger” was a commonly used word in this time, and by omitting this word it is like one is omitting a piece of history along with it. Just because people can now erase the word from the book doesn 't mean they can erase the pain and hardships the slaves faced back then. An example from the novel is, “When they told me there was a state in this country where they 'd let that nigger vote, I drawed out.

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Take a deep breath, look yourself in the mirror, close your eyes then count to ten now say it out loud and proud “nigger”. Not the n-word, not this unspeakable forbidden word just nigger. Depending what you look like, how you were raised, or where you are from, that was either grueling and painful or slid through your vocal chords with ease. It’s astonishing that a word cultivated in the 1800s can still bring pain and anger to the African American community as well as being an uncomfortable road for any Caucasian to tread. Nigger stands as the most controversial word in the English dictionary many have fought for its removal entirely, while others see it simply as a watermark of history that shouldn’t be tampered with.

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Race and Ethnicity Today in society, there is an inequality with races and ethnic backgrounds in the United States. The prejudice judgements have flourished over many generations which causes the world view of racism to become international. There are many differences between race and ethnicity. Race is defined by the color of someone’s skin, society considers people if they are one drop of that race they are considered that race, this is known as the “Drop of Blood” theory, this pertains to a racist theory. Ethnicity is defined by the culture customs of norms and language.

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The word “nigger” has been used in our society for a very long time. It has been used as a derogatory word for a person of color or a black person and a word for a slave. In the story Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain the word Nigger was used 219 times. Huckleberry (Huck) did not use it in a way that was supposed to be degrading towards black people. Pap used it in a way that was supposed to be degrading towards black people.

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The use of the ‘n’ word was for describing African Americans’ in 1785 to the late 20th century. Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn took place around 1835-1845, our protagonist, Huckleberry Finn, used the ‘n’ word as a racial slur to describe Jim, a runaway slave. Finn’s world should stay in it’s own era while the reader stays in their own. If the reason to removing the N word was because it made students and parents uncomforbale, then one is also removing the history and its meaning behind the word.

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A racist comedian by the name Thomas Dartmouth Rice used the name Jim Crow in his act that was modeled after a slave. He dressed in black face and toured the United states, because of his success many racist white comedians used this name as their stage persona. In the late 1800’s the Jim Crow law was passed, and this law denied all black people basic human rights, segregation became a coined term, and it became a new way for whites to dehumanize and control African people. Because of Jim Crow people of color were denied access to housing, education, jobs, and were victims of lynching’s, false imprisonment, and violence. These actions and events primarily took place in the southern United States, but they also occurred in the north as well.

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It's slipped into usage with some people like ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term to label somebody." (Lee ch 11 pg.144). “You aren’t really a nigger-lover, then, are you? "I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody . . .

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In addition, with the “nigger” being an offensive word it also leads up to racial discrimination. Which is another main reason why

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I think that the word nigger, is appropriately used when talking about race or oppression. It needs to be said so people can feel the weight that it carries. Many people say that only black people can say the n-word because the word was used to oppress them. I think that when saying the n-word, context is key. It can be said by anyone

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• I never had any encounters with another race in my neighborhood, all the people around me were very kind. When and where did you first hear the word, “nigger,” or other similar racial slurs? • The first time I hear the word “Negro” “Black” was when I was about 13 years old, when my grandma ask me if I like that black guy.

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