I looooove this and agree with slot if not all of what you said!! I love that you went ahead and censored the word out of respect for the person that inspired this post and I also loved that you let it be known in the post that you’re a Black Brit. This is definitely one of those pieces I’ll come back to and reread
First, appreciate the thought and intention you put into writing this. Most of the arguments for non-use of "nigga" carry this BIll Cosby-esq pound cake speech spirit, in my opinion. It lowkey gets into this murky territory for American folks born of slaves living in America. Because for me, it's a personal Black American relic, like hip hop. Even when I talk about the word "Black" and using it as an identifier, that too can become a great debate. ( I once lost a West African friend in argument about why she didn't want to call herself Black). Language is a fascinating thing that has many functions as you insightfully weaved together in this post. I'm a self determined real nigga and a bad bitch that does work even some feminists find repulsive. That sentence itself contains words of description, identity, politic and tradition that carry ambivalent, rich and horrific histories; and I choose 'both', 'plus' and 'and' . I choose in what settings I am and can be everything, for better or worse. Contextual determination and consensual relation is where I cultivate meaning. The coolest thing about your post is it demonstrates we (Black Folks) all don't have to use it and we all don't have to police other Black folks use of it and we don't all use it for the same things and we can respect our differences in opinions about it. That's a big part of freedom. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us on this.
I really enjoyed reading this-- a very well thought out argument. I would say that the n-word is similar to my use of the word "Black American" when referring to American Descendants of Slaves. It's a reclamation for me. White people are not simply called "whites" they're called Americans yet it's our blood, sweat tears, bodies and identities that makeup the very fabric that is this country, so "Black American & Nixxa" are a reclamation in the American consciousness for me. [Plus we have people who come from African countries who are naturalized as Americans, so I feel African-American should be reserved for them). Just my two scents!
I really appreciate the duality of ‘sanction’ meaning ‘to allow’ and also ‘to ban’. I wrote a similar note in response about words having histories and a story to be told in their evolution. I’m curious about the perspective of being a Black Brit. I think the word nigga is very African American centric in its evolution so the discourse around the diaspora is intriguing.
mm, I suppose it's quite hard to generalise my perspective, or regard it as authoritative – mostly because mine isn't a typical one. i'm a musician who started making grime and rap which means my proximity and relationship to the word is maybe different to your average Black brit. Blackness here is also an experience that's carved down nationalist/diasporic lines. i'm of Yoruba descent. and i'm aware that the West African relationship with the word is one mainly of avoidance and/or prohibition. it's never like, say, in the American South, where grandma might say it casually. A naija auntie ain't gonna say it or want to.
I also can't speak for the more Caribbean status quo as I don't have that much internal experience there. so that's a little bit more context. i use it with my friends and they use it with me and its definitely an offshoot of the af-am endearment usage.
In my experience, Caribbean people *living in the Caribbean* don’t use the word colloquially at all. I live in America but when I visit my family in the islands the word is never used or heard in passing. This is also reflected in the music (because I feel like if you were ever going to hear it in informal speech that would be a great place to use it) - you never really hear it. Caribbean-Americans end up using it though bc it’s ubiquitous and these things get muddled. I think that’s interesting. I personally never say it and really haven’t ever mainly bc it isn’t a word I’m interested in using, I sound awkward saying it anyway lol, and also bc I genuinely don’t believe it’s even my word to reclaim? Even though it can be applied to me. But my historical/cultural relationship to the word is different.
i didn't want to speculate but that was kinda what i thought would be the relationship to the word in the Caribbean. thanks for your perspective. and i definitely understand it not feeling like your word to reclaim, as I said, so much of its weight has been concentrated towards and repurposed by Black America. but i've been called the n-word derogatorily here in the UK. even though Black America popularised the reclamation, i don't think there's concrete rules in the functional process of reclamation because racists everywhere have used it. but it's also not a hill i'd die on, you know? i understand your cultural relationship being different. again, i think my relationship as someone who dabbles in rap, and the word being so structural to the genre, makes my perspective on the word a little more niche.
thank for your response and inspiring the conversation! there's a lot of heart in what you've shared. i think there's a lot that i directly speak about in my piece.
i believe we have a fundamental difference of ideology but we agree on so much. we ARE powerful. do you know how much strength it takes wrangle a word that has so much blood in it and turn it into a term where people say it to one another with nothing but care and love in their hearts?
maybe you don't agree with strength being exhibited that way. i respect that.
you have an understandable contempt for bombs and their destructive capacity (i've written about this before so again, we agree). my thing is: if a weapon is so devastating, why should we leave it "in the mouths of those who wish to oppress us?". if it's that harmful, why should we trust them with it? i don't think we should. or rather, it doesn't matter whether i think we should or shouldn't. there's been an effort to defy their monopoly on the word and that is what i mean by the utility of reclamation (and the unpredictable consequences of banning it).
if i could invent a word tomorrow with imbued with the same percentage of love for Blackness that the n-word originally imbued with hate, petition all of us to agree upon it, and circulate it around the diaspora – i would. unfortunately, words don't work like that, symbols and the evolution of ideas don't work like that. they're far more complex. that's why i said that we have to meet the word where it is.
you asked whether I call my mother the n-word. i don't. but my brother and i say it to one another all the time and i have nothing but love and respect for him. so you're right, i don't call her it. but i also don't call m mother by her first name. calling her anything other than "mum/mother" would be disrespectful. context is a crucial facet of communication, my auntie can call my mum by her name but culturally, i'm not supposed to. the n-word has its own ecosystem of respect, one that i do not impose on anyone. i'm not going to say it around you or my mum but i will with my brother and my friends. doing so is not an act of devastation.
i'd be interested in what you mean by not saying it changes the game. how so? why don't you tell me about your experience of quitting it?
I looooove this and agree with slot if not all of what you said!! I love that you went ahead and censored the word out of respect for the person that inspired this post and I also loved that you let it be known in the post that you’re a Black Brit. This is definitely one of those pieces I’ll come back to and reread
appreciate you reading!! p.s i loved your breakdown of the mowalola show 🫶🏾
First, appreciate the thought and intention you put into writing this. Most of the arguments for non-use of "nigga" carry this BIll Cosby-esq pound cake speech spirit, in my opinion. It lowkey gets into this murky territory for American folks born of slaves living in America. Because for me, it's a personal Black American relic, like hip hop. Even when I talk about the word "Black" and using it as an identifier, that too can become a great debate. ( I once lost a West African friend in argument about why she didn't want to call herself Black). Language is a fascinating thing that has many functions as you insightfully weaved together in this post. I'm a self determined real nigga and a bad bitch that does work even some feminists find repulsive. That sentence itself contains words of description, identity, politic and tradition that carry ambivalent, rich and horrific histories; and I choose 'both', 'plus' and 'and' . I choose in what settings I am and can be everything, for better or worse. Contextual determination and consensual relation is where I cultivate meaning. The coolest thing about your post is it demonstrates we (Black Folks) all don't have to use it and we all don't have to police other Black folks use of it and we don't all use it for the same things and we can respect our differences in opinions about it. That's a big part of freedom. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us on this.
insightful take on a sensitive subject. enjoyed reading. ✨
I really enjoyed reading this-- a very well thought out argument. I would say that the n-word is similar to my use of the word "Black American" when referring to American Descendants of Slaves. It's a reclamation for me. White people are not simply called "whites" they're called Americans yet it's our blood, sweat tears, bodies and identities that makeup the very fabric that is this country, so "Black American & Nixxa" are a reclamation in the American consciousness for me. [Plus we have people who come from African countries who are naturalized as Americans, so I feel African-American should be reserved for them). Just my two scents!
interesting!! thank you for sharing, and a newer perspective around the usage of African-American that i haven't thought about.
This was a great read. Thank you so much for sharing your throughts.🤎
🥹 appreciate you reading!!
I really appreciate the duality of ‘sanction’ meaning ‘to allow’ and also ‘to ban’. I wrote a similar note in response about words having histories and a story to be told in their evolution. I’m curious about the perspective of being a Black Brit. I think the word nigga is very African American centric in its evolution so the discourse around the diaspora is intriguing.
mm, I suppose it's quite hard to generalise my perspective, or regard it as authoritative – mostly because mine isn't a typical one. i'm a musician who started making grime and rap which means my proximity and relationship to the word is maybe different to your average Black brit. Blackness here is also an experience that's carved down nationalist/diasporic lines. i'm of Yoruba descent. and i'm aware that the West African relationship with the word is one mainly of avoidance and/or prohibition. it's never like, say, in the American South, where grandma might say it casually. A naija auntie ain't gonna say it or want to.
I also can't speak for the more Caribbean status quo as I don't have that much internal experience there. so that's a little bit more context. i use it with my friends and they use it with me and its definitely an offshoot of the af-am endearment usage.
In my experience, Caribbean people *living in the Caribbean* don’t use the word colloquially at all. I live in America but when I visit my family in the islands the word is never used or heard in passing. This is also reflected in the music (because I feel like if you were ever going to hear it in informal speech that would be a great place to use it) - you never really hear it. Caribbean-Americans end up using it though bc it’s ubiquitous and these things get muddled. I think that’s interesting. I personally never say it and really haven’t ever mainly bc it isn’t a word I’m interested in using, I sound awkward saying it anyway lol, and also bc I genuinely don’t believe it’s even my word to reclaim? Even though it can be applied to me. But my historical/cultural relationship to the word is different.
i didn't want to speculate but that was kinda what i thought would be the relationship to the word in the Caribbean. thanks for your perspective. and i definitely understand it not feeling like your word to reclaim, as I said, so much of its weight has been concentrated towards and repurposed by Black America. but i've been called the n-word derogatorily here in the UK. even though Black America popularised the reclamation, i don't think there's concrete rules in the functional process of reclamation because racists everywhere have used it. but it's also not a hill i'd die on, you know? i understand your cultural relationship being different. again, i think my relationship as someone who dabbles in rap, and the word being so structural to the genre, makes my perspective on the word a little more niche.
Thank you for sharing this, it’s insightful. We don’t get to talk to each other across the isle so I appreciate your perspective.
Interesting.
thank for your response and inspiring the conversation! there's a lot of heart in what you've shared. i think there's a lot that i directly speak about in my piece.
i believe we have a fundamental difference of ideology but we agree on so much. we ARE powerful. do you know how much strength it takes wrangle a word that has so much blood in it and turn it into a term where people say it to one another with nothing but care and love in their hearts?
maybe you don't agree with strength being exhibited that way. i respect that.
you have an understandable contempt for bombs and their destructive capacity (i've written about this before so again, we agree). my thing is: if a weapon is so devastating, why should we leave it "in the mouths of those who wish to oppress us?". if it's that harmful, why should we trust them with it? i don't think we should. or rather, it doesn't matter whether i think we should or shouldn't. there's been an effort to defy their monopoly on the word and that is what i mean by the utility of reclamation (and the unpredictable consequences of banning it).
if i could invent a word tomorrow with imbued with the same percentage of love for Blackness that the n-word originally imbued with hate, petition all of us to agree upon it, and circulate it around the diaspora – i would. unfortunately, words don't work like that, symbols and the evolution of ideas don't work like that. they're far more complex. that's why i said that we have to meet the word where it is.
you asked whether I call my mother the n-word. i don't. but my brother and i say it to one another all the time and i have nothing but love and respect for him. so you're right, i don't call her it. but i also don't call m mother by her first name. calling her anything other than "mum/mother" would be disrespectful. context is a crucial facet of communication, my auntie can call my mum by her name but culturally, i'm not supposed to. the n-word has its own ecosystem of respect, one that i do not impose on anyone. i'm not going to say it around you or my mum but i will with my brother and my friends. doing so is not an act of devastation.
i'd be interested in what you mean by not saying it changes the game. how so? why don't you tell me about your experience of quitting it?