The N Word

In July 2007, leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) held a funeral during their annual convention, in Detroit, Mich. The funeral was not for a notable African-American leader or activist; rather, NAACP representatives symbolically "buried" the racial slur "nigger," which is often referred to as the "n-word." NAACP delegates from around the country gathered at Detroit Memorial Park Cemetery and lowered into the ground a pine casket representing the n-word. "Today we're not just burying the n-word, we're taking it out of our spirit," said then Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. "Die, n-word, and we don't want to see you 'round here no more."

The n-word is widely considered one of the most vicious racial slurs in the English language. Its use has been traced back to the early 17th century, when John Rolfe, an English colonist of the New World, used the term to describe a boatful of newly arrived African slaves. Indeed, the n-word is closely associated with slavery and the oppression of blacks in the U.S. Following the abolition of slavery in the mid-19th century, the word continued to haunt African Americans, particularly in segregated areas of the U.S., where blacks were viewed as inferior to whites.

In recent years, the use of the n-word as a malicious slur has become relatively uncommon in most parts of the country. Indeed, the use of the n-word to address African Americans is considered a major insult. Public figures that use the n-word run the risk of ruining their careers.

However, since the 1960s, African Americans have increasingly used a derivation of the n-word--the shortened "nigga"--to address one another. The rise of hip-hop culture in the 1980s further cemented the frequent use of the n-word among African American youths. They maintain that they are using the word as a term of endearment.

Critics of the n-word, including the NAACP and many other black leaders, argue that the n-word should not be used in any context, even if it is being used by African Americans to address other African Americans. Should the n-word continue to be used?

Opponents say that the n-word is a uniquely hurtful word in the English language, evoking centuries of racism and oppression. People, who continue to use the n-word, including blacks, are unwittingly breathing new life into a word that should have faded away long ago. Black people who use the word not only demean themselves, critics say, but they also embolden those who harbor racist feelings to use it as well.

Defenders, meanwhile, contend that among some African Americans the n-word is meant to be a term of endearment. They argue that the word--like many others--has changed its meaning over time, having lost some of its sting. Indeed, they maintain that by using the word frequently, they can essentially rob it of its power to inflict pain. Defenders say that attempts to curb the use of the n-word--such as the NAACP's "funeral"--are misguided and puritanical.

Sources
Bonisteel, Sara. "Texas Mayor Singles Out N-Word for Ban." FOXNews.com, January 24, 2007, www.foxnews.com.

Coates, Ta-Nehisi. "Leave the N-Word Alone." Time, March 5, 2007, www.time.com.

Cooke, Jeremy. "Racial Slur Banned in New York." BBC News, March 1, 2007, www.bbc.co.uk.

"End of the N-Word in Entertainment?" CBSNews.com, November 27, 2006, www.cbsnews.com.

"Fox: Jackson Used N-Word in Remarks." MSNBC.com, July 16, 2008, www.msnbc.msn.com.