The N Word
A conversation in the TYT chat prompted me to post this, which I originally posted as a Facebook Note.
I'm a fan of the Indiana University page, and they posted that they would be attending the Indiana Black Expo and asked if any of their followers would also be attending the event. I first decided that I was probably unlikely to attend, given that it is in Indianapolis, but after reading the posts in the thread I decided it's too important not to go.
The thread got real racial real fast. The first reply to the thread, "Is IU going to attend the White Expo?" It progressed into people questioning why there are so many exclusive events or organization, etc. that are exclusive to the black community. Well, I know this to be false, so I initially just posted to show that the Indiana Black Expo is not exclusive to one race. In fact, in the about section of their website they have this:
"OUR DIVERSITY PROMISE - Indiana Black Expo, Inc. celebrates cultural diversity and inclusiveness across all races, ethnicities, nationalities, generations, socioeconomic levels and religious affiliations. We continue to strive for excellence by providing unique events and programs which reflect the changing landscape of Indiana and the world. Our commitment to excellence through personal enhancement and community development exemplify our dedication to improving the quality of life for all."
They even have a photo of Mitch Daniels on their website banner. It is hardly an event exclusive to blacks. It's only an event that wishes to advance the black community in education, business, the arts, sports, or any other area of society which the black community has historically been excluded from.
But it continued to evolve into a more racial (eventually, overtly racist) argument. There was of course the argument against scholarships for minorities. This seems to be a stock, ready-to-order argument in all conversations about race relations in this country. This argument prompted my second post:
"And to address your scholarship argument: it is decidedly false. As a young, heterosexual, white male (see... I don't meet any "minority requirements" either), I have received $2,500 in the form of three scholarships in four years from Indiana University. It's difficult, it's frustrating, but that is what the process is like for everyone.
Scholarships are merit-based, and they go to whomever the University deems the most worthy. I'm sorry you did not get as many (or any?) scholarships while you were in college, but I really don't think blaming programs like Affirmative Action which aim to get more minorities into college, being that they are historically underrepresented in higher education, for any of your shortcomings is very productive.
Also, even though minority scholarships "give preference" to whichever minority they are targeting (women, blacks, Hispanics, etc.), anybody can apply, and everyone will be considered. Not to mention, there are websites devoted to non-traditional scholarships (like being unusually tall or having a D-average) open to all people interested, and able to show merit (fastweb.com)."
But the argument continued to progress (or regress) into a more horribly eye-opening revelation that racism is still not dead. It eventually led to the typical racist reaction to a minority community celebrating its heritage and advancements in American society; the dreaded "reverse racism." The argument turned to the "us vs. them" argument of "Why do they get to have so many things that exclude whites, and whites can't have anything of the sort without sounding racist?" Surprisingly, nobody mentioned Black History Month, but they did bring into the argument the television network BET and the notion of "black culture." I felt I needed to address the difficult task of defining "black culture." It's definitely not something that is really definable, but a topic that should be addressed, nonetheless. My third post:
"BET really doesn't represent black culture. It represents a segment of black culture, sure, but it represents a segment of American culture as a whole. Generally, the network BET is targeting a demographic of young people who enjoy rap, hip-hop, and (modern) R&B music. If the channel was exclusively African American, then it probably would not have artists like Eminem on. Eminem is a rapper, BET plays rap music videos, so he is featured on BET.
I couldn't tell you what black culture is, because I don't know. As far as I can tell, it's just American culture. But it is a lot easier to tell you what additions African Americans have made to American culture. Of course, as mentioned, one is music. Jazz, Rock 'n Roll, the Blues, R&B, Soul, Funk, Rap, and Hip-Hop are additions by the African American community to American culture. And what's more American than Jazz and Rock 'n Roll? But that's something that's not celebrated much, is it? And it's not something that's really even acknowledged much. But, shouldn't it be? It would be no different than acknowledging and celebrating the things other ethnic groups have brought into our culture. Like the food of Italian Americans, for example. Everyone loves spaghetti, and where does that dish come from? Italy. Specifically from the Italian immigrants who came to this country around the turn of the century. So, if we can acknowledge and celebrate the additions to our culture by Italian Americans, why not African Americans, whose additions to our culture have largely been ignored for so long?"
The argument did not end there, however, and it culminated in the "Why can they use the N-word, but we can't" argument. Well, this last subject has always been an opinion I've kept to myself, since the use of the N-word, by anyone, is still highly controversial. But this presented me with the opportunity to express my opinion. My fourth, and final, post:
"My opinion of the "N-word": The outrage some white people have over the use of the word by the black community is grounded in racism. The outrage isn't over the use of the word, but rather that the use of the word is no longer acceptable for a white person to use.
How has this word been used historically by racist white people? It's been used to communicate in just two syllables the control the white race has over the black race. It conveys a sense of superiority over whomever the word is used against. It is the ugliest word ever used in the English language.
And how is the word used in the black community today (at least among those who use it)? As a term of endearment. The word was consciously "taken back" back during the Civil Rights Era (I think this movement was spearheaded by the Black Panthers, but I'm not sure). The purpose of this movement was to remove the racist connotation from the word as it is used against the black community. The goal of the movement was to put the power of the word into the hands of the black community. This was a rousing success. No longer is it socially acceptable for a white person to use this word, but it is socially acceptable for a black person to use this word. 60 years ago, the tables were turned.
However, the use of the word, and it's variants (the different spellings) is still highly controversial in the black community. This, too, I believe is a generational thing, with younger people using the word without reservation, and older people, even people who may have used the word affectionately in their youth, abhor the word. But the outrage from the white community at the use of the word isn't typically because it's an ugly word and shouldn't be used by anyone, it's "Why can THEY use it and WE can't?" It's an "us vs. them" mentality (and it's the argument that was used in this thread, unfortunately). It's just racism.
I think it's also important to note that the use of the word as a term of endearment has begun to cross race and ethnicity, and is used by all young people. Whether or not this is a good thing is debatable. On one hand, it could eventually lead to this generation having an easier time using the word with it's original racist connotation, on the other hand, it could eventually lead to the word losing that racist connotation altogether. I personally think the latter is a little too optimistic, and the the former is more likely to happen. So it's probably a subject that parents and teachers should begin to address to warn kids against using the word, because of its history.
That's my personal opinion on the word."
The thread got real racial real fast. The first reply to the thread, "Is IU going to attend the White Expo?" It progressed into people questioning why there are so many exclusive events or organization, etc. that are exclusive to the black community. Well, I know this to be false, so I initially just posted to show that the Indiana Black Expo is not exclusive to one race. In fact, in the about section of their website they have this:
"OUR DIVERSITY PROMISE - Indiana Black Expo, Inc. celebrates cultural diversity and inclusiveness across all races, ethnicities, nationalities, generations, socioeconomic levels and religious affiliations. We continue to strive for excellence by providing unique events and programs which reflect the changing landscape of Indiana and the world. Our commitment to excellence through personal enhancement and community development exemplify our dedication to improving the quality of life for all."
They even have a photo of Mitch Daniels on their website banner. It is hardly an event exclusive to blacks. It's only an event that wishes to advance the black community in education, business, the arts, sports, or any other area of society which the black community has historically been excluded from.
But it continued to evolve into a more racial (eventually, overtly racist) argument. There was of course the argument against scholarships for minorities. This seems to be a stock, ready-to-order argument in all conversations about race relations in this country. This argument prompted my second post:
"And to address your scholarship argument: it is decidedly false. As a young, heterosexual, white male (see... I don't meet any "minority requirements" either), I have received $2,500 in the form of three scholarships in four years from Indiana University. It's difficult, it's frustrating, but that is what the process is like for everyone.
Scholarships are merit-based, and they go to whomever the University deems the most worthy. I'm sorry you did not get as many (or any?) scholarships while you were in college, but I really don't think blaming programs like Affirmative Action which aim to get more minorities into college, being that they are historically underrepresented in higher education, for any of your shortcomings is very productive.
Also, even though minority scholarships "give preference" to whichever minority they are targeting (women, blacks, Hispanics, etc.), anybody can apply, and everyone will be considered. Not to mention, there are websites devoted to non-traditional scholarships (like being unusually tall or having a D-average) open to all people interested, and able to show merit (fastweb.com)."
But the argument continued to progress (or regress) into a more horribly eye-opening revelation that racism is still not dead. It eventually led to the typical racist reaction to a minority community celebrating its heritage and advancements in American society; the dreaded "reverse racism." The argument turned to the "us vs. them" argument of "Why do they get to have so many things that exclude whites, and whites can't have anything of the sort without sounding racist?" Surprisingly, nobody mentioned Black History Month, but they did bring into the argument the television network BET and the notion of "black culture." I felt I needed to address the difficult task of defining "black culture." It's definitely not something that is really definable, but a topic that should be addressed, nonetheless. My third post:
"BET really doesn't represent black culture. It represents a segment of black culture, sure, but it represents a segment of American culture as a whole. Generally, the network BET is targeting a demographic of young people who enjoy rap, hip-hop, and (modern) R&B music. If the channel was exclusively African American, then it probably would not have artists like Eminem on. Eminem is a rapper, BET plays rap music videos, so he is featured on BET.
I couldn't tell you what black culture is, because I don't know. As far as I can tell, it's just American culture. But it is a lot easier to tell you what additions African Americans have made to American culture. Of course, as mentioned, one is music. Jazz, Rock 'n Roll, the Blues, R&B, Soul, Funk, Rap, and Hip-Hop are additions by the African American community to American culture. And what's more American than Jazz and Rock 'n Roll? But that's something that's not celebrated much, is it? And it's not something that's really even acknowledged much. But, shouldn't it be? It would be no different than acknowledging and celebrating the things other ethnic groups have brought into our culture. Like the food of Italian Americans, for example. Everyone loves spaghetti, and where does that dish come from? Italy. Specifically from the Italian immigrants who came to this country around the turn of the century. So, if we can acknowledge and celebrate the additions to our culture by Italian Americans, why not African Americans, whose additions to our culture have largely been ignored for so long?"
The argument did not end there, however, and it culminated in the "Why can they use the N-word, but we can't" argument. Well, this last subject has always been an opinion I've kept to myself, since the use of the N-word, by anyone, is still highly controversial. But this presented me with the opportunity to express my opinion. My fourth, and final, post:
"My opinion of the "N-word": The outrage some white people have over the use of the word by the black community is grounded in racism. The outrage isn't over the use of the word, but rather that the use of the word is no longer acceptable for a white person to use.
How has this word been used historically by racist white people? It's been used to communicate in just two syllables the control the white race has over the black race. It conveys a sense of superiority over whomever the word is used against. It is the ugliest word ever used in the English language.
And how is the word used in the black community today (at least among those who use it)? As a term of endearment. The word was consciously "taken back" back during the Civil Rights Era (I think this movement was spearheaded by the Black Panthers, but I'm not sure). The purpose of this movement was to remove the racist connotation from the word as it is used against the black community. The goal of the movement was to put the power of the word into the hands of the black community. This was a rousing success. No longer is it socially acceptable for a white person to use this word, but it is socially acceptable for a black person to use this word. 60 years ago, the tables were turned.
However, the use of the word, and it's variants (the different spellings) is still highly controversial in the black community. This, too, I believe is a generational thing, with younger people using the word without reservation, and older people, even people who may have used the word affectionately in their youth, abhor the word. But the outrage from the white community at the use of the word isn't typically because it's an ugly word and shouldn't be used by anyone, it's "Why can THEY use it and WE can't?" It's an "us vs. them" mentality (and it's the argument that was used in this thread, unfortunately). It's just racism.
I think it's also important to note that the use of the word as a term of endearment has begun to cross race and ethnicity, and is used by all young people. Whether or not this is a good thing is debatable. On one hand, it could eventually lead to this generation having an easier time using the word with it's original racist connotation, on the other hand, it could eventually lead to the word losing that racist connotation altogether. I personally think the latter is a little too optimistic, and the the former is more likely to happen. So it's probably a subject that parents and teachers should begin to address to warn kids against using the word, because of its history.
That's my personal opinion on the word."
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The N Word | 21 comments (21 topical, 0 hidden)
The N Word | 21 comments (21 topical, 0 hidden)
